diff --git a/shrinkwrap/utils/config.py b/shrinkwrap/utils/config.py
index 2e03147beae0e7dbab43d3a0712971affe724564..d23333cf57bdd947102974b5121d1dbc6e3a13fb 100644
--- a/shrinkwrap/utils/config.py
+++ b/shrinkwrap/utils/config.py
@@ -926,12 +926,12 @@ def build_graph(configs, echo, nosync, force_sync):
 							# We don't update any submodule before `git submodule sync`,
 							# to handle the case where a remote changes the submodule's URL.
 							# `git checkout` handles most cases, but doesn't update a local
-							# branch. So if gitrev is not a tag, do a `git reset`.
+							# branch. So if gitrev is a branch, do a `git reset` as well.
 							sync_cmd_when_exists = f'''
 							git remote set-url origin {gitremote}
 							git fetch {gitargs}--prune --prune-tags --force --recurse-submodules=off origin
 							git checkout {gitargs}--force {gitrev}
-							[ $(git tag -l {gitrev}) ] || git reset {gitargs}--hard origin/{gitrev}
+							git show-ref -q --heads {gitrev} && git reset {gitargs}--hard origin/{gitrev}
 							git submodule {gitargs}sync --recursive
 							git submodule {gitargs}update --init --checkout --recursive --force
 							'''.strip()
diff --git a/test/test-sync.sh b/test/test-sync.sh
index 6de6563b5db4d604cf76c311866fd68998fcb812..ea26665c9f5f5331d7515a6e16e0a81a23aa77bb 100755
--- a/test/test-sync.sh
+++ b/test/test-sync.sh
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ TESTS   Tag and branch update
 {
     pushd $T/repo1
     echo -n "repo 1 commit 2" > README
-    git commit -a -m "commit 1"
+    git commit -a -m "commit 2"
     git tag v0.1
     popd
 } >> $LOG
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ TESTS   Tag and branch udpates with --force-sync
 {
     pushd $T/repo1
     echo -n "repo 1 commit 3" > README
-    git commit -a -m "commit 1"
+    git commit -a -m "commit 3"
     git tag v0.2
     popd
 } >> $LOG
@@ -539,4 +539,27 @@ OK "config sync=force updates" -o $T/overlay.yaml
 CONTENT $SHRINKWRAP_BUILD/source/base/test1/README "repo 1 commit 5"
 
 
+################################################################################
+TESTS   hash sync
+
+# Obtain hash of a specific commit
+old_hash=$(git -C $T/repo1 show-ref --hash v0.1)
+
+cat << EOF > $T/overlay.yaml
+build:
+  test1:
+    repo:
+      revision: $old_hash
+EOF
+
+OK "switch to old git hash" -o $T/overlay.yaml
+CONTENT $SHRINKWRAP_BUILD/source/base/test1/README "repo 1 commit 2"
+OK "switch to main"
+CONTENT $SHRINKWRAP_BUILD/source/base/test1/README "repo 1 commit 5"
+
+OK "switch to old git hash with --force-sync" -o $T/overlay.yaml --force-sync=test1
+CONTENT $SHRINKWRAP_BUILD/source/base/test1/README "repo 1 commit 2"
+OK "switch to main with --force-sync" --force-sync=test1
+CONTENT $SHRINKWRAP_BUILD/source/base/test1/README "repo 1 commit 5"
+
 echo ALL TESTS PASS