--- a/hgext/robustcheckout/__init__.py
+++ b/hgext/robustcheckout/__init__.py
@@ -13,16 +13,17 @@ from __future__ import absolute_import
 
 import contextlib
 import errno
 import functools
 import os
 import re
 
 from mercurial.i18n import _
+from mercurial.node import hex
 from mercurial import (
     commands,
     error,
     exchange,
     extensions,
     cmdutil,
     hg,
     scmutil,
@@ -254,27 +255,37 @@ def _docheckout(ui, url, dest, upstream,
     if revision and revision in repo:
         ctx = repo[revision]
 
         if not ctx.hex().startswith(revision):
             raise error.Abort('--revision argument is ambiguous',
                               hint='must be the first 12+ characters of a '
                                    'SHA-1 fragment')
 
+        checkoutrevision = ctx.hex()
         havewantedrev = True
 
     if not havewantedrev:
         ui.write('(pulling to obtain %s)\n' % (revision or branch,))
 
         try:
             remote = hg.peer(repo, {}, url)
             pullrevs = [remote.lookup(revision or branch)]
-            pullop = exchange.pull(repo, remote, heads=pullrevs)
-            if not pullop.rheads:
-                raise error.Abort('unable to pull requested revision')
+            checkoutrevision = hex(pullrevs[0])
+            if branch:
+                ui.warn('(remote resolved %s to %s; '
+                        'result is not deterministic)\n' %
+                        (branch, checkoutrevision))
+
+            if checkoutrevision in repo:
+                ui.warn('(revision already present locally; not pulling)\n')
+            else:
+                pullop = exchange.pull(repo, remote, heads=pullrevs)
+                if not pullop.rheads:
+                    raise error.Abort('unable to pull requested revision')
         except error.Abort as e:
             if e.message == _('repository is unrelated'):
                 ui.warn('(repository is unrelated; deleting)\n')
                 destvfs.rmtree(forcibly=True)
                 return callself()
 
             raise
         except error.RepoError as e:
@@ -298,21 +309,20 @@ def _docheckout(ui, url, dest, upstream,
         if purgeext.purge(ui, repo, all=True, abort_on_err=True,
                           # The function expects all arguments to be
                           # defined.
                           **{'print': None, 'print0': None, 'dirs': None,
                              'files': None}):
             raise error.Abort('error purging')
 
     # Update the working directory.
-    if commands.update(ui, repo, rev=revision or branch, clean=True):
+    if commands.update(ui, repo, rev=checkoutrevision, clean=True):
         raise error.Abort('error updating')
 
-    ctx = repo[revision or branch]
-    ui.write('updated to %s\n' % ctx.hex())
+    ui.write('updated to %s\n' % checkoutrevision)
     return None
 
 
 def extsetup(ui):
     # Ensure required extensions are loaded.
     for ext in ('purge', 'share'):
         try:
             extensions.find(ext)

--- a/hgext/robustcheckout/tests/test-revision-branch.t
+++ b/hgext/robustcheckout/tests/test-revision-branch.t
@@ -38,37 +38,40 @@ Specifying branch argument will checkout
   requesting all changes
   adding changesets
   adding manifests
   adding file changes
   added 3 changesets with 3 changes to 1 files (+1 heads)
   searching for changes
   no changes found
   (pulling to obtain default)
-  no changes found
+  (remote resolved default to 5d6cdc75a09bcccf76f9339a28e1d89360c59dce; result is not deterministic)
+  (revision already present locally; not pulling)
   1 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
   updated to 5d6cdc75a09bcccf76f9339a28e1d89360c59dce
 
 Specifying branch argument will always attempt to pull because branch revisions can change
 
   $ hg robustcheckout http://localhost:$HGPORT/repo0 dest --branch default
   ensuring http://localhost:$HGPORT/repo0@default is available at dest
   (existing repository shared store: $TESTTMP/share/b8b78f0253d822e33ba652fd3d80a5c0837cfdf3/.hg)
   (pulling to obtain default)
-  no changes found
+  (remote resolved default to 5d6cdc75a09bcccf76f9339a28e1d89360c59dce; result is not deterministic)
+  (revision already present locally; not pulling)
   0 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
   updated to 5d6cdc75a09bcccf76f9339a28e1d89360c59dce
 
 Updating to another branch works
 
   $ hg robustcheckout http://localhost:$HGPORT/repo0 dest --branch branch1
   ensuring http://localhost:$HGPORT/repo0@branch1 is available at dest
   (existing repository shared store: $TESTTMP/share/b8b78f0253d822e33ba652fd3d80a5c0837cfdf3/.hg)
   (pulling to obtain branch1)
-  no changes found
+  (remote resolved branch1 to aada1b3e573f7272bb2ef93b34acbf0f77c69d44; result is not deterministic)
+  (revision already present locally; not pulling)
   1 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
   updated to aada1b3e573f7272bb2ef93b34acbf0f77c69d44
 
 Specifying revision will switch away from branch
 
   $ hg robustcheckout http://localhost:$HGPORT/repo0 dest --revision 5d6cdc75a09b
   ensuring http://localhost:$HGPORT/repo0@5d6cdc75a09b is available at dest
   (existing repository shared store: $TESTTMP/share/b8b78f0253d822e33ba652fd3d80a5c0837cfdf3/.hg)
@@ -101,17 +104,16 @@ revision
   $ hg -q commit -A -m 'default head 2'
   $ cd ..
 
   $ hg -R server/repo0 log -r default -T '{node}\n'
   5d6cdc75a09bcccf76f9339a28e1d89360c59dce
   $ hg -R dest log -r default -T '{node}\n'
   6f89935a511842d2a7393cad33ef93bf793b1db2
 
-FIXME
-
   $ hg robustcheckout http://localhost:$HGPORT/repo0 dest --branch default
   ensuring http://localhost:$HGPORT/repo0@default is available at dest
   (existing repository shared store: $TESTTMP/share/b8b78f0253d822e33ba652fd3d80a5c0837cfdf3/.hg)
   (pulling to obtain default)
-  no changes found
-  0 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
-  updated to 6f89935a511842d2a7393cad33ef93bf793b1db2
+  (remote resolved default to 5d6cdc75a09bcccf76f9339a28e1d89360c59dce; result is not deterministic)
+  (revision already present locally; not pulling)
+  1 files updated, 0 files merged, 1 files removed, 0 files unresolved
+  updated to 5d6cdc75a09bcccf76f9339a28e1d89360c59dce