diff --git a/autosubmit/config/config_common.py b/autosubmit/config/config_common.py
index 3f872f17b3021f42e3fc629d8bc11a6082305fe0..c0d553567638f9839f273cff97c4824227a259d6 100644
--- a/autosubmit/config/config_common.py
+++ b/autosubmit/config/config_common.py
@@ -675,7 +675,14 @@ class AutosubmitConfig(object):
         """
         return ' '.join(self._exp_parser.get_option('git', 'PROJECT_SUBMODULES','').split()).split()
 
-
+    def get_fetch_single_branch(self):
+        """
+        Returns fetch single branch from experiment's config file
+        Default is -single-branch
+        :return: fetch_single_branch(Y/N)
+        :rtype: boolean
+        """
+        return self._exp_parser.get_option('git', 'FETCH_SINGLE_BRANCH', 'False').lower()
     def get_project_destination(self):
         """
         Returns git commit from experiment's config file
diff --git a/autosubmit/config/files/expdef.conf b/autosubmit/config/files/expdef.conf
index 96e2b6fd32c5c2e5153fba6c82367f2677f7210f..8a963977465ac4c9d1b7ae3c7c6f40d411c98d17 100644
--- a/autosubmit/config/files/expdef.conf
+++ b/autosubmit/config/files/expdef.conf
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@ PROJECT_BRANCH =
 PROJECT_COMMIT =
 # type = STRING, default = leave empty and will load all submodules, help = loadThisSubmodule alsoloadthis anotherLoad ...
 PROJECT_SUBMODULES =
+# type = STRING, default = leave empty and will clone only a single branch, help = true,false
+FETCH_SINGLE_BRANCH = false
+
 # If PROJECT_TYPE is not svn, no need to change
 [svn]
 # type = STRING, help = 'https://svn.ec-earth.org/ecearth3'
diff --git a/autosubmit/git/autosubmit_git.py b/autosubmit/git/autosubmit_git.py
index 594642c0d7cdee62e53ae892b87a3106b44528f7..56acd975292ecca4d429a68d032968286147b5e6 100644
--- a/autosubmit/git/autosubmit_git.py
+++ b/autosubmit/git/autosubmit_git.py
@@ -129,6 +129,11 @@ class AutosubmitGit:
         git_project_branch = as_conf.get_git_project_branch()
         git_project_commit = as_conf.get_git_project_commit()
         git_project_submodules = as_conf.get_submodules_list()
+        if as_conf.get_fetch_single_branch() != "true":
+            git_single_branch = False
+        else:
+            git_single_branch = True
+
         project_destination = as_conf.get_project_destination()
         project_path = os.path.join(BasicConfig.LOCAL_ROOT_DIR, as_conf.expid, BasicConfig.LOCAL_PROJ_DIR)
         git_path = as_conf.get_project_dir()
@@ -146,8 +151,13 @@ class AutosubmitGit:
         if git_project_commit:
             Log.info("Fetching {0} into {1}", git_project_commit + " " + git_project_origin, project_path)
             try:
-
-                command = "cd {0}; git clone {1} {4}; cd {2}; git checkout {3};".format(project_path,
+                if git_single_branch:
+                    command = "cd {0}; git clone  {1} {4}; cd {2}; git checkout {3};".format(project_path,
+                                                                                        git_project_origin, git_path,
+                                                                                        git_project_commit,
+                                                                                        project_destination)
+                else:
+                    command = "cd {0}; git clone {1} {4}; cd {2}; git checkout {3};".format(project_path,
                                                                                         git_project_origin, git_path,
                                                                                         git_project_commit,
                                                                                         project_destination)
@@ -168,18 +178,33 @@ class AutosubmitGit:
             Log.info("Cloning {0} into {1}", git_project_branch + " " + git_project_origin, project_path)
             try:
                 command = "cd {0}; ".format(project_path)
+
                 if git_project_submodules.__len__() <= 0:
-                    command += " git clone --recursive -b {0} {1} {2}".format(git_project_branch, git_project_origin,
-                                                                              project_destination)
+                    if not git_single_branch:
+                        command += " git clone --recursive -b {0} {1} {2}".format(git_project_branch, git_project_origin,
+                                                                                  project_destination)
+                    else:
+                        command += " git clone --single-branch  --depth=1 --recursive -b {0} {1} {2}".format(git_project_branch, git_project_origin,
+                                                                                  project_destination)
                 else:
-                    command += " git clone -b {0} {1} {2};".format(git_project_branch, git_project_origin,
+                    if not git_single_branch:
+                        command += " git clone -b {0} {1} {2};".format(git_project_branch, git_project_origin,
                                                                    project_destination)
+                    else:
+                        command += " git clone --single-branch --depth=1 -b {0} {1} {2};".format(git_project_branch,
+                                                                                       git_project_origin,
+                                                                                       project_destination)
+
                     command += " cd {0}; git submodule init;".format(project_destination)
                     for submodule in git_project_submodules:
-                        command += " git submodule update {0};".format(submodule)
-
+                        command += " git submodule update  {0};".format(submodule)
+                Log.debug('{0}', command)
                 output = subprocess.check_output(command, shell=True)
-                Log.debug('{0}:{1}', command, output)
+                #Log.debug('{0}:{1}', command, output)
+                #command " git config --file .gitmodules --get-regexp path | awk '{ print $2 }' " you can change path per url
+                #https://stackoverflow.com/questions/27188899/shallow-clone-with-submodules-in-git-how-to-use-pointed-commits-and-not-latest
+                #../../svn/ecearth-mirror.git
+                # git clone -n --depth=1 --separate-git-dir sources https://earth.bsc.es/svn/ecearth-mirror.git sources
             except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
                 Log.error("Can not clone {0} into {1}", git_project_branch + " " + git_project_origin, project_path)
                 shutil.rmtree(project_path)