diff --git a/manic/repository_git.py b/manic/repository_git.py
index adc666c..ac55084 100644
--- a/manic/repository_git.py
+++ b/manic/repository_git.py
@@ -380,7 +380,6 @@ def _check_for_valid_ref(self, ref, remote_name, dirname):
         is_tag = self._ref_is_tag(ref, dirname)
         is_branch = self._ref_is_branch(ref, remote_name, dirname)
         is_hash = self._ref_is_hash(ref, dirname)
-
         is_valid = is_tag or is_branch or is_hash
         if not is_valid:
             msg = ('In repo "{0}": reference "{1}" does not appear to be a '
@@ -710,7 +709,10 @@ def _git_lsremote_branch(ref, remote_name, dirname):
         cmd = ('git -C {dirname} ls-remote --exit-code --heads '
                '{remote_name} {ref}').format(
                    dirname=dirname, remote_name=remote_name, ref=ref).split()
-        status = execute_subprocess(cmd, status_to_caller=True)
+        status, output = execute_subprocess(cmd, status_to_caller=True, output_to_caller=True)
+        if not status and not f"refs/heads/{ref}" in output:
+            # In this case the ref is contained in the branch name but is not the complete branch name
+            return -1
         return status
 
     @staticmethod