diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 770a282..aa0cd9b 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@ Changes in version 1.12.4
   * spec-create - Davide Madrisan:
     Document the creation of a specfile starting from a git repository.
 
+  * spec-create, lib/libnetwork.lib - Madrisan:
+    Add aupport for git branches in spec-create by adding the new options
+    '--git-branch' and '--preserve-dot-git'.
+
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 Changes in version 1.12.3
diff --git a/lib/libnetwork.lib.in b/lib/libnetwork.lib.in
index 269a902..096c838 100644
--- a/lib/libnetwork.lib.in
+++ b/lib/libnetwork.lib.in
@@ -846,8 +846,10 @@ curl $options --user \"***:***\" --quote \"DELE $deletefile\" $1"
 #    clone a git repository and convert is into a tarball file
 #    
 # args:
-#    -d,--destdir     : target directory
-#    $@               : git repository
+#    -d,--destdir       : target directory
+#    --git-branch       : git branch
+#    --preserve-dot-git : do not remove .git files
+#    $@                 : git repository
 #
 # return value:
 #    0
@@ -858,7 +860,7 @@ function git.create_tarball() {
    local ARGS
    ARGS=`LC_ALL=C getopt \
       -o d:p:u: \
-      --long destdir:,proxy:,proxy-user: \
+      --long destdir:,git-branch:,preserve-dot-git:,proxy:,proxy-user: \
       -n "$FUNCNAME" -- "$@"`
    [ $? = 0 ] || notify.error $"(bug)"" -- $FUNCNAME: "$"\`getopt' error"
 
@@ -867,6 +869,8 @@ function git.create_tarball() {
    # HINT: git config --global http.proxy http://user:pwd@proxy.srv.com:port
    # see: http://bardofschool.blogspot.fr/2008/11/use-git-behind-proxy.html
    local proxy proxy_user
+   local git_branch
+   local preserve_dot_git=0
 
    eval set -- "$ARGS"
    while :; do
@@ -875,6 +879,14 @@ function git.create_tarball() {
          destdir="$2"; shift
          notify.debug "$FUNCNAME: destdir = \"$destdir\""
       ;;
+      --git-branch)
+         git_branch="$2"; shift
+         notify.debug "$FUNCNAME: git_branch = \"$git_branch\""
+      ;;
+      --preserve-dot-git)
+         preserve_dot_git="$2"; shift
+         notify.debug "$FUNCNAME: preserve_dot_git = \"$preserve_dot_git\""
+      ;;
       -p|--proxy)
          proxy="$2"; shift
          notify.debug "$FUNCNAME: proxy = \"$proxy\""
@@ -910,8 +922,9 @@ function git.create_tarball() {
 
    # create a tarball by cloning the git repository
    notify.note \
-      "${NOTE}"$"cloning git repository"" <$git_repository>${NORM}""..."
-   git clone --quiet "$git_repository"
+      "${NOTE}"$"cloning git repository""\
+ <$git_repository> ${git_branch:+($git_branch)}${NORM}""..."
+   git clone ${git_branch:+-b $git_branch} --quiet "$git_repository"
    [ $? -eq 0 ] ||
     { popd &>/dev/null
       rm -fr $tmpgitdir
@@ -919,9 +932,12 @@ function git.create_tarball() {
 
    pck_tarball="$(find -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 1 -type d -printf "%f")"
 
-   # remove git files
-   rm -fr $pck_tarball/.git
-   rm -f $pck_tarball/.gitignore
+   if [ "$preserve_dot_git" = "0" ]; then
+      # remove git files
+      rm -fr $pck_tarball/.git
+      rm -f $pck_tarball/.gitignore
+      rm -f $pck_tarball/.gitmodules
+   fi
 
    pck_version="$(date "+%Y%m%dgit")"
    mv $pck_tarball ${pck_tarball}-${pck_version}
@@ -938,7 +954,8 @@ function git.create_tarball() {
 an error occurred while creating"": ${pck_tarball}.tar.bz2"; }
 
    spec_source="${pck_tarball}.tar.bz2"
-   spec_source_comment="## GITSOURCE $git_repository"
+   spec_source_comment="\
+## GITSOURCE $git_repository${git_branch:+ it_branch}"
    pck_tarball="$destdir/${spec_source}"
 
    popd &>/dev/null
diff --git a/plugins/spec-create.in b/plugins/spec-create.in
index c9de89a..78003ba 100644
--- a/plugins/spec-create.in
+++ b/plugins/spec-create.in
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ spec_cmd_makeinstall_default=""
 
 [ "$perl_Makefile_generator" ] || perl_Makefile_generator="Makefile.PL"
 
+preserve_dot_git=0
+
 # load the configuration file(s)
 [ -r @libdir@/libcfg.lib ] ||
  { echo "$me: "$"library not found"": @libdir@/libcfg.lib" 1>&2
@@ -109,6 +111,8 @@ function usage() {
                       python          : "$"specfile for python modules""
                       standard-daemon : "$"standard specfile for system/network services""
  -o, --output       "$"Redirect the output to the file <outfile>""
+ --git-branch       "$"Specify a git branch""
+ --preserve-dot-git "$"Do not remove git files""
 
 "$"Operation modes"":
  -h, --help         "$"Print this help, then exit""
@@ -120,7 +124,8 @@ function usage() {
 "$"Samples"":
  @frontend@ -s ~/software/@package@-@version@.tar.bz2 -t standard -o @package@.spec
  @frontend@ -s http://ftp.qilinux.it/devel/tools/@package@/@package@-@version@.tar.bz2
- @frontend@ -s git://anongit.freedesktop.org/gstreamer/gst-omx -o gst-omx.spec -n gst-omx
+ @frontend@ -s git://anongit.freedesktop.org/gstreamer/gst-omx \\
+    --git-branch=\"raspberry\" --preserve-dot-git -o gst-omx.spec
 
 "$"Report bugs to <davide.madrisan@gmail.com>."
 
@@ -152,7 +157,7 @@ config.check4user
 exec_options=`LC_ALL=C getopt \
    -o s:n:v:t:o:DqrhV \
    --long \
-source:,pck-name:,pck-version:,type:,output:,\
+source:,pck-name:,pck-version:,type:,output:,git-branch:,preserve-dot-git,\
 debug,quiet,colorize,help,version,\
 frontend_opts: \
    -n "$me" -- "$@"`
@@ -176,6 +181,10 @@ while :; do
          spec_type=$2; shift ;;
       -o|--output)
          outfile=$2; shift ;;
+      --git-branch)
+         git_branch=$2; shift ;;
+      --preserve-dot-git)
+         preserve_dot_git=1 ;;
       -D|--debug)
          let "verbose = 2" ;;
       -q|--quiet)
@@ -476,7 +485,10 @@ function specfile.create() {
 
    case "$2" in
       git://*|http://*.git|https://*.git)        
-         git.create_tarball --destdir="$source_dir" "$2"
+         git.create_tarball \
+            --git-branch="$git_branch" \
+            --preserve-dot-git="$preserve_dot_git" \
+            --destdir="$source_dir" "$2"
       ;;
       http://*|https://*|ftp://*)
          pck_tarball="${2##*/}"