diff --git a/docker/meet/build.sh b/docker/meet/build.sh
index 5c02be37..e366f409 100755
--- a/docker/meet/build.sh
+++ b/docker/meet/build.sh
@@ -1,13 +1,21 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 set -e
 mkdir /src/
 cd /src/
-git clone --branch $GIT_REF $GIT_REMOTE kolab
-pushd kolab
-git reset --hard $GIT_REF
-popd
+
+function checkout() {
+    if [ ! -d "$1" ]; then
+        git clone "$2" "$1"
+        pushd "$1"
+        git checkout "$3" 
+        popd
+    fi
+}
+
+checkout kolab $GIT_REMOTE $GIT_REF
+
 cp -R kolab/meet/server /src/meetsrc
 rm -Rf /src/meetsrc/node_modules
 cd /src/meetsrc
 npm install
 npm install -g nodemon
diff --git a/docker/webapp/build.sh b/docker/webapp/build.sh
index 07db2882..25736f7f 100755
--- a/docker/webapp/build.sh
+++ b/docker/webapp/build.sh
@@ -1,37 +1,46 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 set -e
 set -x
 
 echo -e "Building with the following ulimit: limit: $(ulimit -n)\n"
 echo -e "If you run into EMFILE errors, this is the reason"
 
 mkdir /src
 cd /src
 
-git clone --branch $GIT_REF $GIT_REMOTE kolab
+function checkout() {
+    if [ ! -d "$1" ]; then
+        git clone "$2" "$1"
+        pushd "$1"
+        git checkout "$3" 
+        popd
+    fi
+}
+
+checkout kolab $GIT_REMOTE $GIT_REF
+
 pushd kolab
-git reset --hard $GIT_REF
 #TODO support injecting a custom overlay into the build process here
 bin/configure.sh $CONFIG
 # In the docker-compose case we copy the .env file during the init phase, otherwise we use the environment for configuration.
 rm src/.env
 popd
 
 rm -rf /opt/app-root/src
 cp -a kolab/src /opt/app-root/src
 cd /opt/app-root/src/
 
 mkdir -p storage/framework/{sessions,views,cache}
 mkdir -p database/seeds
 
 php -dmemory_limit=-1 $(command -v composer) install
 npm -g install npm
 /usr/local/bin/npm install
 ./artisan storage:link
 ./artisan clear-compiled
 ./artisan horizon:install
 if [ ! -f 'resources/countries.php' ]; then
     ./artisan data:countries
 fi
 
 /usr/local/bin/npm run $RELEASE_MODE