diff --git a/api/client/build.go b/api/client/build.go
index 63cc63bc9e..eb39058b64 100644
--- a/api/client/build.go
+++ b/api/client/build.go
@@ -95,20 +95,11 @@ func (cli *DockerCli) CmdBuild(args ...string) error {
 	} else {
 		root := cmd.Arg(0)
 		if urlutil.IsGitURL(root) {
-			remoteURL := cmd.Arg(0)
-			if !urlutil.IsGitTransport(remoteURL) {
-				remoteURL = "https://" + remoteURL
-			}
-
-			root, err = ioutil.TempDir("", "docker-build-git")
+			root, err = utils.GitClone(root)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 			defer os.RemoveAll(root)
-
-			if output, err := exec.Command("git", "clone", "--recursive", remoteURL, root).CombinedOutput(); err != nil {
-				return fmt.Errorf("Error trying to use git: %s (%s)", err, output)
-			}
 		}
 		if _, err := os.Stat(root); err != nil {
 			return err
diff --git a/builder/job.go b/builder/job.go
index 8c031a8bd8..7991cba21c 100644
--- a/builder/job.go
+++ b/builder/job.go
@@ -5,9 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
-	"net/http"
 	"os"
-	"os/exec"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 
@@ -23,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/urlutil"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/registry"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/runconfig"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/utils"
 )
 
 // whitelist of commands allowed for a commit/import
@@ -106,21 +105,12 @@ func Build(d *daemon.Daemon, buildConfig *Config) error {
 	if buildConfig.RemoteURL == "" {
 		context = ioutil.NopCloser(buildConfig.Context)
 	} else if urlutil.IsGitURL(buildConfig.RemoteURL) {
-		if !urlutil.IsGitTransport(buildConfig.RemoteURL) {
-			buildConfig.RemoteURL = "https://" + buildConfig.RemoteURL
-		}
-		root, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "docker-build-git")
+		root, err := utils.GitClone(buildConfig.RemoteURL)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 		defer os.RemoveAll(root)
 
-		clone := cloneArgs(buildConfig.RemoteURL, root)
-
-		if output, err := exec.Command("git", clone...).CombinedOutput(); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("Error trying to use git: %s (%s)", err, output)
-		}
-
 		c, err := archive.Tar(root, archive.Uncompressed)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
@@ -242,21 +232,3 @@ func Commit(d *daemon.Daemon, name string, c *daemon.ContainerCommitConfig) (str
 
 	return img.ID, nil
 }
-
-func cloneArgs(remoteURL, root string) []string {
-	args := []string{"clone", "--recursive"}
-	shallow := true
-
-	if strings.HasPrefix(remoteURL, "http") {
-		res, err := http.Head(fmt.Sprintf("%s/info/refs?service=git-upload-pack", remoteURL))
-		if err != nil || res.Header.Get("Content-Type") != "application/x-git-upload-pack-advertisement" {
-			shallow = false
-		}
-	}
-
-	if shallow {
-		args = append(args, "--depth", "1")
-	}
-
-	return append(args, remoteURL, root)
-}
diff --git a/utils/git.go b/utils/git.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..18e002d184
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/git.go
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+package utils
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"net/http"
+	"os/exec"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/urlutil"
+)
+
+func GitClone(remoteURL string) (string, error) {
+	if !urlutil.IsGitTransport(remoteURL) {
+		remoteURL = "https://" + remoteURL
+	}
+	root, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "docker-build-git")
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	clone := cloneArgs(remoteURL, root)
+
+	if output, err := exec.Command("git", clone...).CombinedOutput(); err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("Error trying to use git: %s (%s)", err, output)
+	}
+
+	return root, nil
+}
+
+func cloneArgs(remoteURL, root string) []string {
+	args := []string{"clone", "--recursive"}
+	shallow := true
+
+	if strings.HasPrefix(remoteURL, "http") {
+		res, err := http.Head(fmt.Sprintf("%s/info/refs?service=git-upload-pack", remoteURL))
+		if err != nil || res.Header.Get("Content-Type") != "application/x-git-upload-pack-advertisement" {
+			shallow = false
+		}
+	}
+
+	if shallow {
+		args = append(args, "--depth", "1")
+	}
+
+	return append(args, remoteURL, root)
+}
diff --git a/builder/job_test.go b/utils/git_test.go
similarity index 98%
rename from builder/job_test.go
rename to utils/git_test.go
index 79421a0688..a82841ae11 100644
--- a/builder/job_test.go
+++ b/utils/git_test.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-package builder
+package utils
 
 import (
 	"fmt"