diff --git a/python/git-init/README.md b/python/git-init/README.md
index 7c08e313..919ff014 100644
--- a/python/git-init/README.md
+++ b/python/git-init/README.md
@@ -38,19 +38,20 @@ ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "Test TC Git Init SSH Keypair"
  export HTTP_PASSWORD=pat
  export SSH_PASSWORD=sshpw
  export SSH_REPO="git@gitlab.eclipse.org:username/my.repository.git"
+ export BRANCH=maintenance_1_1_x
 
 # HTTPS Public
-docker run --rm theiacloud/theia-cloud-git-init:local "$HTTP_PUBLIC" "/tmp/my-repo"
+docker run --rm theiacloud/theia-cloud-git-init:local "$HTTP_PUBLIC" "/tmp/my-repo" "$BRANCH"
 
 # HTTPS Private
-docker run --env GIT_PROMPT1=$HTTP_USERNAME --env GIT_PROMPT2=$HTTP_PASSWORD --rm theiacloud/theia-cloud-git-init:local "$HTTP_PRIVATE" "/tmp/my-repo"
+docker run --env GIT_PROMPT1=$HTTP_USERNAME --env GIT_PROMPT2=$HTTP_PASSWORD --rm theiacloud/theia-cloud-git-init:local "$HTTP_PRIVATE" "/tmp/my-repo" "$BRANCH"
 
 # HTTPS Private with Username
-docker run --env GIT_PROMPT1=$HTTP_PASSWORD --rm theiacloud/theia-cloud-git-init:local "$HTTP_PRIVATE_WITH_USERNAME" "/tmp/my-repo"
+docker run --env GIT_PROMPT1=$HTTP_PASSWORD --rm theiacloud/theia-cloud-git-init:local "$HTTP_PRIVATE_WITH_USERNAME" "/tmp/my-repo" "$BRANCH"
 
 # HTTPS Private with Username and Password
-docker run --rm theiacloud/theia-cloud-git-init:local "$HTTP_PRIVATE_WITH_USERNAME_AND_PASSWORD" "/tmp/my-repo"
+docker run --rm theiacloud/theia-cloud-git-init:local "$HTTP_PRIVATE_WITH_USERNAME_AND_PASSWORD" "/tmp/my-repo" "$BRANCH"
 
 # SSH
-docker run --env GIT_PROMPT1=$SSH_PASSWORD -v ~/tmp/ssh/:/etc/theia-cloud-ssh --rm theiacloud/theia-cloud-git-init:local "$SSH_REPO" "/tmp/my-repo"
+docker run --env GIT_PROMPT1=$SSH_PASSWORD -v ~/tmp/ssh/:/etc/theia-cloud-ssh --rm theiacloud/theia-cloud-git-init:local "$SSH_REPO" "/tmp/my-repo" "$BRANCH"
 ```
diff --git a/python/git-init/git-init.py b/python/git-init/git-init.py
index d11d3de2..448fb1a9 100755
--- a/python/git-init/git-init.py
+++ b/python/git-init/git-init.py
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ def getHostname(repository):
 parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
 parser.add_argument("repository", help="The repository URL", type=str)
 parser.add_argument("directory", help="The directory to clone into", type=str)
+parser.add_argument("checkout", help="The branch/commit id/tag to checkout", type=str)
 args = parser.parse_args()
 
 # Set up git credential helper
@@ -83,3 +84,11 @@ def getHostname(repository):
 
 if debugLogging:
     runProcess(["ls", "-al", args.directory])
+
+# Checkout
+code = runProcess(["git", "-C", args.directory, "checkout", args.checkout])
+if code != 0:
+    exit(code)
+
+if debugLogging:
+    runProcess(["git", "-C", args.directory, "status"])