diff --git a/lib/libnetwork.lib.in b/lib/libnetwork.lib.in
index 7b92977..f275320 100644
--- a/lib/libnetwork.lib.in
+++ b/lib/libnetwork.lib.in
@@ -925,9 +925,13 @@ function git.download() {
       "${token_dirname/\/$git_branch*}"
 }
 
+# function git.urldecode
+#    url decodes a given string
+function git.urldecode() { : "${*//+/ }"; echo -e "${_//%/\\x}"; }
+
 # function git.create_tarball
 #    clone a git repository and convert is into a tarball file
-#    
+#
 # args:
 #    -d,--destdir       : target directory
 #    -v,--pck-version   : package version
@@ -969,7 +973,7 @@ function git.create_tarball() {
          notify.debug "$FUNCNAME: pck_version = \"$pck_version\""
       ;;
       --git-branch)
-         git_branch="$2"; shift
+         git_branch="`git.urldecode "$2"`"; shift
          if [ "${git_branch/@*}" != "${git_branch}" ]; then
             git_commit="${git_branch/*@}"
             git_branch="${git_branch/@*}"