diff --git a/plugins/git/git-from-directory b/plugins/git/git-from-directory
index 3958f4566..8ab471880 100755
--- a/plugins/git/git-from-directory
+++ b/plugins/git/git-from-directory
@@ -27,16 +27,17 @@ trigger-git-git-from-directory() {
   dokku_log_info1 "Updating git repository with specified build context"
   if [[ "$has_code" == "false" ]]; then
     # setup new repo
+    local DEPLOY_BRANCH="$(fn-git-deploy-branch "$APP")"
     cp -rT "$SOURCECODE_WORK_DIR" "$TMP_WORK_DIR"
     suppress_output fn-git-cmd "$TMP_WORK_DIR" init
+    suppress_output fn-git-cmd "$TMP_WORK_DIR" config init.defaultBranch "$DEPLOY_BRANCH"
     suppress_output fn-git-cmd "$TMP_WORK_DIR" config user.name "$USER_NAME"
     suppress_output fn-git-cmd "$TMP_WORK_DIR" config user.email "$USER_EMAIL"
     suppress_output fn-git-cmd "$TMP_WORK_DIR" add --all
     suppress_output fn-git-cmd "$TMP_WORK_DIR" commit -m "Initial commit"
 
     REV="$(fn-git-cmd "$TMP_WORK_DIR" rev-parse HEAD)"
-    rsync -a "$TMP_WORK_DIR/.git/" "$APP_ROOT"
-    fn-git-create-hook "$APP"
+    fn-git-clone "$APP" "$TMP_WORK_DIR" "$DEPLOY_BRANCH"
   else
     # update existing repo
     GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT=0 suppress_output git clone "$APP_ROOT" "$TMP_WORK_DIR_2"
diff --git a/plugins/git/internal-functions b/plugins/git/internal-functions
index bb58a2111..531eb66dd 100755
--- a/plugins/git/internal-functions
+++ b/plugins/git/internal-functions
@@ -202,6 +202,7 @@ cmd-git-sync() {
 
   local APP_ROOT="$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP"
   if [[ "$(fn-git-cmd "$APP_ROOT" count-objects)" == "0 objects, 0 kilobytes" ]]; then
+    dokku_log_info1_quiet "Cloning $APP from $GIT_REMOTE#$GIT_REF"
     fn-git-clone "$APP" "$GIT_REMOTE" "$GIT_REF"
   else
     fn-git-fetch "$APP" "$GIT_REMOTE" "$GIT_REF"
@@ -394,7 +395,6 @@ fn-git-clone() {
     GIT_REF="$(fn-git-deploy-branch "$APP")"
   fi
 
-  dokku_log_info1_quiet "Cloning $APP from $GIT_REMOTE#$GIT_REF"
   trap "rm -rf '$APP_CLONE_ROOT' > /dev/null" RETURN INT TERM EXIT
 
   is_ref=true
diff --git a/tests/unit/git_4.bats b/tests/unit/git_4.bats
index 05bcb7853..f6441333b 100644
--- a/tests/unit/git_4.bats
+++ b/tests/unit/git_4.bats
@@ -27,6 +27,30 @@ teardown() {
   echo "output: $output"
   echo "status: $status"
   assert_success
+
+  run /bin/bash -c "cat /home/dokku/$TEST_APP/HEAD"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_success
+  assert_output "ref: refs/heads/master"
+}
+
+@test "(git) git:from-image [normal-custom-branch]" {
+  run /bin/bash -c "dokku git:set $TEST_APP deploy-branch main"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_success
+
+  run /bin/bash -c "dokku git:from-image $TEST_APP linuxserver/foldingathome:7.5.1-ls1"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_success
+
+  run /bin/bash -c "cat /home/dokku/$TEST_APP/HEAD"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_success
+  assert_output "ref: refs/heads/main"
 }
 
 @test "(git) git:from-image [normal-git-init]" {