diff --git a/controllers/gitrepository_controller.go b/controllers/gitrepository_controller.go
index 58519306..204823b4 100644
--- a/controllers/gitrepository_controller.go
+++ b/controllers/gitrepository_controller.go
@@ -561,6 +561,9 @@ func (r *GitRepositoryReconciler) reconcileInclude(ctx context.Context, obj *sou
 		conditions.MarkTrue(obj, sourcev1.ArtifactOutdatedCondition, "IncludeChange",
 			"included artifacts differ from last observed includes")
 	}
+
+	// Persist the artifactSet.
+	*includes = artifacts
 	return sreconcile.ResultSuccess, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/controllers/gitrepository_controller_test.go b/controllers/gitrepository_controller_test.go
index 6a0325d5..792495a8 100644
--- a/controllers/gitrepository_controller_test.go
+++ b/controllers/gitrepository_controller_test.go
@@ -1029,6 +1029,9 @@ func TestGitRepositoryReconciler_reconcileInclude(t *testing.T) {
 			got, err := r.reconcileInclude(ctx, obj, &artifact, &includes, tmpDir)
 			g.Expect(obj.GetConditions()).To(conditions.MatchConditions(tt.assertConditions))
 			g.Expect(err != nil).To(Equal(tt.wantErr))
+			if err == nil {
+				g.Expect(len(includes)).To(Equal(len(tt.includes)))
+			}
 			g.Expect(got).To(Equal(tt.want))
 			for _, i := range tt.includes {
 				if i.toPath != "" {