diff --git a/git/git.go b/git/git.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4d85deaf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/git/git.go
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+package git
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"os/exec"
+)
+
+var execCommand = exec.Command
+
+// Clone clones a git repo into a destination directory
+func Clone(repo, destination string) error {
+	cmd := execCommand("git", "clone", repo, destination)
+	cmd.Stdout = os.Stdout
+	err := cmd.Start()
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("starting git clone command: %v", err)
+	}
+	err = cmd.Wait()
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("cloning git repo: %v", err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/git/git_test.go b/git/git_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f0daf2ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/git/git_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+package git
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"os/exec"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+type execFunc func(command string, args ...string) *exec.Cmd
+
+func getFakeExecCommand(validator func(string, ...string)) execFunc {
+	return func(command string, args ...string) *exec.Cmd {
+		validator(command, args...)
+		return fakeExecCommand(command, args...)
+	}
+}
+
+func fakeExecCommand(command string, args ...string) *exec.Cmd {
+	cs := []string{"-test.run=TestHelperProcess", "--", command}
+	cs = append(cs, args...)
+	cmd := exec.Command(os.Args[0], cs...)
+	cmd.Env = []string{"GO_WANT_HELPER_PROCESS=1"}
+	return cmd
+}
+
+func TestCheckout(t *testing.T) {
+	wantRepo := "testrepo"
+	wantDest := "testdest"
+	execCommand = getFakeExecCommand(func(cmd string, args ...string) {
+		want := []string{
+			"clone", wantRepo, wantDest,
+		}
+		if len(args) != len(want) {
+			t.Errorf("Incorrect args sent to git: %q, want %q", args, want)
+		}
+		for i, arg := range args {
+			if arg != want[i] {
+				t.Errorf("args[%d] = %q, want %q", i, arg, want[i])
+			}
+		}
+	})
+
+	err := Clone(wantRepo, wantDest)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected error from git clone: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestHelperProcess(*testing.T) {
+	if os.Getenv("GO_WANT_HELPER_PROCESS") != "1" {
+		return
+	}
+	defer os.Exit(0)
+
+	args := os.Args[:]
+	for i, val := range os.Args { // Should become something lke ["git", "clone"]
+		args = os.Args[i:]
+		if val == "--" {
+			args = args[1:]
+			break
+		}
+	}
+
+	if len(args) > 1 {
+		switch args[1] {
+		case "clone":
+			return
+		}
+	}
+	os.Exit(255)
+}
diff --git a/launch.go b/launch.go
index 57f877d3..8934bf3c 100644
--- a/launch.go
+++ b/launch.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"path"
 	"regexp"
 
+	"github.com/screwdriver-cd/launcher/git"
 	"github.com/screwdriver-cd/launcher/screwdriver"
 	"github.com/urfave/cli"
 )
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ type scmPath struct {
 
 var mkdirAll = os.MkdirAll
 var stat = os.Stat
+var gitClone = git.Clone
 
 func (s scmPath) String() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s/%s#%s", s.Host, s.Org, s.Repo, s.Branch)
@@ -103,11 +105,15 @@ func launch(api screwdriver.API, buildID string) error {
 	}
 
 	scm, err := parseScmURL(p.ScmURL)
-	_, err = createWorkspace(scm.Org, scm.Repo)
+	workspace, err := createWorkspace(scm.Org, scm.Repo)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	err = gitClone(p.ScmURL, workspace.Src)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/launch_test.go b/launch_test.go
index 04945aad..e1c06a4d 100644
--- a/launch_test.go
+++ b/launch_test.go
@@ -211,3 +211,20 @@ func TestCreateWorkspace(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestClone(t *testing.T) {
+	testBuildID := "BUILDID"
+	testJobID := "JOBID"
+	testSCMURL := "git@github.com:screwdriver-cd/launcher#master"
+	api := mockAPI(t, testBuildID, testJobID, "")
+	api.pipelineFromID = func(pipelineID string) (screwdriver.Pipeline, error) {
+		return screwdriver.Pipeline(FakePipeline{ScmURL: testSCMURL}), nil
+	}
+	gitClone = func(repo, dest string) error {
+		if repo != testSCMURL {
+			t.Errorf("Git clone was called with repo %q, want %q", repo, testSCMURL)
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+	launch(screwdriver.API(api), testBuildID)
+}