diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+## 0.3.4.0
+* Use `git checkout` instead of `git reset` to set the release revision
+
 ## 0.3.3.0
 
 * Correct bounds for base. GHC support for versions older than 7.10 was dropped on 0.3.0.0
diff --git a/hapistrano.cabal b/hapistrano.cabal
--- a/hapistrano.cabal
+++ b/hapistrano.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                hapistrano
-version:             0.3.3.0
+version:             0.3.4.0
 synopsis:            A deployment library for Haskell applications
 description:
   .
diff --git a/spec/System/HapistranoSpec.hs b/spec/System/HapistranoSpec.hs
--- a/spec/System/HapistranoSpec.hs
+++ b/spec/System/HapistranoSpec.hs
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@
 import qualified System.Hapistrano.Core as Hap
 import qualified Test.Hspec as Hspec
 
+testBranchName :: String
+testBranchName = "another_branch"
+
 spec :: Spec
 spec = do
   describe "readScript" $
@@ -33,7 +36,7 @@
         , "cabal build -j" ]
 
   around withSandbox $ do
-    describe "pushRelease" $
+    describe "pushRelease" $ do
       it "sets up repo all right" $ \(deployPath, repoPath) -> runHap $ do
         let task = mkTask deployPath repoPath
         release <- Hap.pushRelease task
@@ -42,6 +45,18 @@
         (liftIO . readFile . fromAbsFile) (rpath </> $(mkRelFile "foo.txt"))
           `shouldReturn` "Foo!\n"
 
+      it "deploys properly a branch other than master" $ \(deployPath, repoPath) -> runHap $ do
+        let task = mkTaskWithCustomRevision deployPath repoPath testBranchName
+        release <- Hap.pushRelease task
+        rpath   <- Hap.releasePath deployPath release
+        -- let's check that the dir exists and contains the right files
+        (liftIO . readFile . fromAbsFile) (rpath </> $(mkRelFile "bar.txt"))
+            `shouldReturn` "Bar!\n"
+        -- This fails if the opened branch is not testBranchName
+        justExec rpath ("test `git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD` = " ++ testBranchName)
+        -- This fails if there are unstaged changes
+        justExec rpath "git diff --exit-code"
+
     describe "registerReleaseAsComplete" $
       it "creates the token all right" $ \(deployPath, repoPath) -> runHap $ do
         let task = mkTask deployPath repoPath
@@ -163,7 +178,14 @@
   justExec path "echo 'Foo!' > foo.txt"
   justExec path "git add -A"
   justExec path "git commit -m 'Initial commit'"
+  -- Add dummy content to a branch that is not master
+  justExec path ("git checkout -b " ++ testBranchName)
+  justExec path "echo 'Bar!' > bar.txt"
+  justExec path "git add bar.txt"
+  justExec path "git commit -m 'Added more bars to another branch'"
+  justExec path "git checkout master"
 
+
 -- | Execute arbitrary commands in the specified directory.
 
 justExec :: Path Abs Dir -> String -> Hapistrano ()
@@ -191,8 +213,11 @@
 -- | Make a 'Task' given deploy path and path to the repo.
 
 mkTask :: Path Abs Dir -> Path Abs Dir -> Task
-mkTask deployPath repoPath = Task
+mkTask deployPath repoPath = mkTaskWithCustomRevision deployPath repoPath "master"
+
+mkTaskWithCustomRevision :: Path Abs Dir -> Path Abs Dir -> String -> Task
+mkTaskWithCustomRevision deployPath repoPath revision = Task
   { taskDeployPath    = deployPath
   , taskRepository    = fromAbsDir repoPath
-  , taskRevision      = "master"
+  , taskRevision      = revision
   , taskReleaseFormat = ReleaseLong }
diff --git a/src/System/Hapistrano.hs b/src/System/Hapistrano.hs
--- a/src/System/Hapistrano.hs
+++ b/src/System/Hapistrano.hs
@@ -193,17 +193,17 @@
   let cpath = cacheRepoPath deployPath
   exec (GitClone False (Right cpath) rpath)
 
--- | Set the release to the correct revision by resetting the head of the
--- git repo.
+-- | Set the release to the correct revision by checking out a branch or
+-- a commit.
 
 setReleaseRevision
   :: Path Abs Dir      -- ^ Deploy path
-  -> Release           -- ^ 'Release' to reset
-  -> String            -- ^ Revision to reset to
+  -> Release           -- ^ 'Release' to checkout
+  -> String            -- ^ Revision to checkout
   -> Hapistrano ()
 setReleaseRevision deployPath release revision = do
   rpath <- releasePath deployPath release
-  exec (Cd rpath (GitReset revision))
+  exec (Cd rpath (GitCheckout revision))
 
 -- | Return a list of all currently deployed releases sorted newest first.
 
diff --git a/src/System/Hapistrano/Commands.hs b/src/System/Hapistrano/Commands.hs
--- a/src/System/Hapistrano/Commands.hs
+++ b/src/System/Hapistrano/Commands.hs
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
   , Readlink (..)
   , Find (..)
   , Touch (..)
+  , GitCheckout (..)
   , GitClone (..)
   , GitFetch (..)
   , GitReset (..)
@@ -202,6 +203,17 @@
   renderCommand (Touch path) = formatCmd "touch"
     [ Just (fromAbsFile path) ]
   parseResult Proxy _ = ()
+
+-- | Git checkout.
+
+data GitCheckout = GitCheckout String
+
+instance Command GitCheckout where
+  type Result GitCheckout = ()
+  renderCommand (GitCheckout revision) = formatCmd "git"
+    [ Just "checkout"
+    , Just revision ]
+  parseResult Proxy  _ = ()
 
 -- | Git clone.