diff --git a/controllers/gitrepository_controller_test.go b/controllers/gitrepository_controller_test.go
index 6cdd16e7..2bed1acf 100644
--- a/controllers/gitrepository_controller_test.go
+++ b/controllers/gitrepository_controller_test.go
@@ -27,9 +27,11 @@ import (
 	"github.com/go-git/go-billy/v5/memfs"
 	"github.com/go-git/go-git/v5"
 	"github.com/go-git/go-git/v5/config"
+	"github.com/go-git/go-git/v5/plumbing"
 	"github.com/go-git/go-git/v5/plumbing/object"
 	"github.com/go-git/go-git/v5/storage/memory"
 	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo"
+	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/extensions/table"
 	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
@@ -201,5 +203,165 @@ var _ = Describe("GitRepositoryReconciler", func() {
 			}
 			Eventually(exists(got.Status.Artifact.Path), timeout, interval).ShouldNot(BeTrue())
 		})
+
+		type refTestCase struct {
+			reference      *sourcev1.GitRepositoryRef
+			createBranches []string
+			createTags     []string
+
+			waitForReason  string
+			expectStatus   corev1.ConditionStatus
+			expectMessage  string
+			expectRevision string
+		}
+
+		DescribeTable("Reference test configuration", func(t refTestCase) {
+			err = gitServer.StartHTTP()
+			defer os.RemoveAll(gitServer.Root())
+			defer gitServer.StopHTTP()
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+
+			u, err := url.Parse(gitServer.HTTPAddress())
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+			u.Path = path.Join(u.Path, "repository.git")
+
+			fs := memfs.New()
+			gitrepo, err := git.Init(memory.NewStorage(), fs)
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+
+			remote, err := gitrepo.CreateRemote(&config.RemoteConfig{
+				Name: "origin",
+				URLs: []string{u.String()},
+			})
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+
+			ff, err := fs.Create("fixture")
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+			_ = ff.Close()
+
+			wt, err := gitrepo.Worktree()
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+
+			_, err = wt.Add(fs.Join("fixture"))
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+
+			cHash, err := wt.Commit("Sample", &git.CommitOptions{Author: &object.Signature{
+				Name:  "John Doe",
+				Email: "john@example.com",
+				When:  time.Now(),
+			}})
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+			err = remote.Push(&git.PushOptions{})
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+
+			for _, branch := range t.createBranches {
+				ref := plumbing.NewHashReference(plumbing.ReferenceName("refs/heads/"+branch), cHash)
+				err = gitrepo.Storer.SetReference(ref)
+				Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+				err = remote.Push(&git.PushOptions{})
+				Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+			}
+
+			for _, tag := range t.createTags {
+				ref := plumbing.NewHashReference(plumbing.ReferenceName("refs/tags/"+tag), cHash)
+				err = gitrepo.Storer.SetReference(ref)
+				Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+				err = remote.Push(&git.PushOptions{
+					RefSpecs: []config.RefSpec{"refs/tags/*:refs/tags/*"},
+				})
+				Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+			}
+
+			key := types.NamespacedName{
+				Name:      "gitrepository-sample-" + randStringRunes(5),
+				Namespace: namespace.Name,
+			}
+			created := &sourcev1.GitRepository{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+					Name:      key.Name,
+					Namespace: key.Namespace,
+				},
+				Spec: sourcev1.GitRepositorySpec{
+					URL:       u.String(),
+					Interval:  metav1.Duration{Duration: indexInterval},
+					Reference: t.reference,
+				},
+			}
+			Expect(k8sClient.Create(context.Background(), created)).Should(Succeed())
+			defer k8sClient.Delete(context.Background(), created)
+
+			got := &sourcev1.GitRepository{}
+			var cond sourcev1.SourceCondition
+			Eventually(func() bool {
+				_ = k8sClient.Get(context.Background(), key, got)
+				for _, c := range got.Status.Conditions {
+					if c.Reason == t.waitForReason {
+						cond = c
+						return true
+					}
+				}
+				return false
+			}, timeout, interval).Should(BeTrue())
+
+			Expect(cond.Status).To(Equal(t.expectStatus))
+			Expect(cond.Message).To(ContainSubstring(t.expectMessage))
+			Expect(got.Status.Artifact == nil).To(Equal(t.expectRevision == ""))
+			if t.expectRevision != "" {
+				Expect(got.Status.Artifact.Revision).To(Equal(t.expectRevision + "/" + cHash.String()))
+			}
+		},
+			Entry("branch", refTestCase{
+				reference:      &sourcev1.GitRepositoryRef{Branch: "some-branch"},
+				createBranches: []string{"some-branch"},
+				waitForReason:  sourcev1.GitOperationSucceedReason,
+				expectStatus:   corev1.ConditionTrue,
+				expectRevision: "some-branch",
+			}),
+			Entry("branch non existing", refTestCase{
+				reference:     &sourcev1.GitRepositoryRef{Branch: "invalid-branch"},
+				waitForReason: sourcev1.GitOperationFailedReason,
+				expectStatus:  corev1.ConditionFalse,
+				expectMessage: "couldn't find remote ref",
+			}),
+			Entry("tag", refTestCase{
+				reference:      &sourcev1.GitRepositoryRef{Tag: "some-tag"},
+				createTags:     []string{"some-tag"},
+				waitForReason:  sourcev1.GitOperationSucceedReason,
+				expectStatus:   corev1.ConditionTrue,
+				expectRevision: "some-tag",
+			}),
+			Entry("tag non existing", refTestCase{
+				reference:     &sourcev1.GitRepositoryRef{Tag: "invalid-tag"},
+				waitForReason: sourcev1.GitOperationFailedReason,
+				expectStatus:  corev1.ConditionFalse,
+				expectMessage: "couldn't find remote ref",
+			}),
+			Entry("semver", refTestCase{
+				reference:      &sourcev1.GitRepositoryRef{SemVer: "1.0.0"},
+				createTags:     []string{"v1.0.0"},
+				waitForReason:  sourcev1.GitOperationSucceedReason,
+				expectStatus:   corev1.ConditionTrue,
+				expectRevision: "v1.0.0",
+			}),
+			Entry("semver range", refTestCase{
+				reference:      &sourcev1.GitRepositoryRef{SemVer: ">=0.1.0 <1.0.0"},
+				createTags:     []string{"0.1.0", "0.1.1", "0.2.0", "1.0.0"},
+				waitForReason:  sourcev1.GitOperationSucceedReason,
+				expectStatus:   corev1.ConditionTrue,
+				expectRevision: "0.2.0",
+			}),
+			Entry("semver invalid", refTestCase{
+				reference:     &sourcev1.GitRepositoryRef{SemVer: "v1.0.0"},
+				waitForReason: sourcev1.GitOperationFailedReason,
+				expectStatus:  corev1.ConditionFalse,
+				expectMessage: "semver parse range error",
+			}),
+			Entry("semver no match", refTestCase{
+				reference:     &sourcev1.GitRepositoryRef{SemVer: "1.0.0"},
+				waitForReason: sourcev1.GitOperationFailedReason,
+				expectStatus:  corev1.ConditionFalse,
+				expectMessage: "no match found for semver: 1.0.0",
+			}),
+		)
 	})
 })