diff --git a/lib/gitlab/ci/pipeline/chain/command.rb b/lib/gitlab/ci/pipeline/chain/command.rb
index 6eaa8a9f911..7b19b10e05b 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/ci/pipeline/chain/command.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/ci/pipeline/chain/command.rb
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ module Gitlab
           end
 
           def before_sha
-            before_sha || checkout_sha || Gitlab::Git::BLANK_SHA
+            self[:before_sha] || checkout_sha || Gitlab::Git::BLANK_SHA
           end
 
           def protected_ref?
diff --git a/spec/lib/gitlab/ci/pipeline/chain/command_spec.rb b/spec/lib/gitlab/ci/pipeline/chain/command_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..75a177d2d1f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/lib/gitlab/ci/pipeline/chain/command_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,185 @@
+require 'spec_helper'
+
+describe Gitlab::Ci::Pipeline::Chain::Command do
+  set(:project) { create(:project, :repository) }
+
+  describe '#initialize' do
+    subject do
+      described_class.new(origin_ref: 'master')
+    end
+
+    it 'properly initialises object from hash' do
+      expect(subject.origin_ref).to eq('master')
+    end
+  end
+
+  context 'handling of origin_ref' do
+    let(:command) { described_class.new(project: project, origin_ref: origin_ref) }
+
+    describe '#branch_exists?' do
+      subject { command.branch_exists? }
+
+      context 'for existing branch' do
+        let(:origin_ref) { 'master' }
+
+        it { is_expected.to eq(true) }
+      end
+
+      context 'for invalid branch' do
+        let(:origin_ref) { 'something' }
+
+        it { is_expected.to eq(false) }
+      end
+    end
+
+    describe '#tag_exists?' do
+      subject { command.tag_exists? }
+
+      context 'for existing ref' do
+        let(:origin_ref) { 'v1.0.0' }
+
+        it { is_expected.to eq(true) }
+      end
+
+      context 'for invalid ref' do
+        let(:origin_ref) { 'something' }
+
+        it { is_expected.to eq(false) }
+      end
+    end
+
+    describe '#ref' do
+      subject { command.ref }
+
+      context 'for regular ref' do
+        let(:origin_ref) { 'master' }
+
+        it { is_expected.to eq('master') }
+      end
+
+      context 'for branch ref' do
+        let(:origin_ref) { 'refs/heads/master' }
+
+        it { is_expected.to eq('master') }
+      end
+
+      context 'for tag ref' do
+        let(:origin_ref) { 'refs/tags/1.0.0' }
+
+        it { is_expected.to eq('1.0.0') }
+      end
+
+      context 'for other refs' do
+        let(:origin_ref) { 'refs/merge-requests/11/head' }
+
+        it { is_expected.to eq('refs/merge-requests/11/head') }
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#sha' do
+    subject { command.sha }
+
+    context 'when invalid checkout_sha is specified' do
+      let(:command) { described_class.new(project: project, checkout_sha: 'aaa') }
+
+      it 'returns empty value' do
+        is_expected.to be_nil
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'when a valid checkout_sha is specified' do
+      let(:command) { described_class.new(project: project, checkout_sha: project.commit.id) }
+
+      it 'returns checkout_sha' do
+        is_expected.to eq(project.commit.id)
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'when a valid after_sha is specified' do
+      let(:command) { described_class.new(project: project, after_sha: project.commit.id) }
+
+      it 'returns after_sha' do
+        is_expected.to eq(project.commit.id)
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'when a valid origin_ref is specified' do
+      let(:command) { described_class.new(project: project, origin_ref: 'HEAD') }
+
+      it 'returns SHA for given ref' do
+        is_expected.to eq(project.commit.id)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#origin_sha' do
+    subject { command.origin_sha }
+
+    context 'when using checkout_sha and after_sha' do
+      let(:command) { described_class.new(project: project, checkout_sha: 'aaa', after_sha: 'bbb') }
+
+      it 'uses checkout_sha' do
+        is_expected.to eq('aaa')
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'when using after_sha only' do
+      let(:command) { described_class.new(project: project, after_sha: 'bbb') }
+
+      it 'uses after_sha' do
+        is_expected.to eq('bbb')
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#before_sha' do
+    subject { command.before_sha }
+
+    context 'when using checkout_sha and before_sha' do
+      let(:command) { described_class.new(project: project, checkout_sha: 'aaa', before_sha: 'bbb') }
+
+      it 'uses before_sha' do
+        is_expected.to eq('bbb')
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'when using checkout_sha only' do
+      let(:command) { described_class.new(project: project, checkout_sha: 'aaa') }
+
+      it 'uses checkout_sha' do
+        is_expected.to eq('aaa')
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'when checkout_sha and before_sha are empty' do
+      let(:command) { described_class.new(project: project) }
+
+      it 'uses BLANK_SHA' do
+        is_expected.to eq(Gitlab::Git::BLANK_SHA)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#protected_ref?' do
+    let(:command) { described_class.new(project: project, origin_ref: 'my-branch') }
+
+    subject { command.protected_ref? }
+
+    context 'when a ref is protected' do
+      before do
+        expect_any_instance_of(Project).to receive(:protected_for?).with('my-branch').and_return(true)
+      end
+
+      it { is_expected.to eq(true) }
+    end
+
+    context 'when a ref is unprotected' do
+      before do
+        expect_any_instance_of(Project).to receive(:protected_for?).with('my-branch').and_return(false)
+      end
+
+      it { is_expected.to eq(false) }
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/lib/gitlab/ci/pipeline/chain/create_spec.rb b/spec/lib/gitlab/ci/pipeline/chain/create_spec.rb
index 2ca8f02fd81..1b03227d67b 100644
--- a/spec/lib/gitlab/ci/pipeline/chain/create_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/gitlab/ci/pipeline/chain/create_spec.rb
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ describe Gitlab::Ci::Pipeline::Chain::Create do
   let(:command) do
     Gitlab::Ci::Pipeline::Chain::Command.new(
       project: project,
-      current_user: user,seeds_block: nil)
+      current_user: user, seeds_block: nil)
   end
 
   let(:step) { described_class.new(pipeline, command) }
diff --git a/spec/services/ci/create_pipeline_service_spec.rb b/spec/services/ci/create_pipeline_service_spec.rb
index be4abf11cf4..41ce81e0651 100644
--- a/spec/services/ci/create_pipeline_service_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/services/ci/create_pipeline_service_spec.rb
@@ -519,21 +519,16 @@ describe Ci::CreatePipelineService do
       end
     end
 
-    context 'when pipelie is running for a tag' do
+    context 'when pipeline is running for a tag' do
       before do
-        allow_any_instance_of(Repository)
-          .to receive(:tag_exists?).and_return(false)
-        allow_any_instance_of(Repository)
-          .to receive(:tag_exists?).with('refs/tags/mytag').and_return(true)
-
         config = YAML.dump(test: { script: 'test', only: ['branches'] },
-                                   deploy: { script: 'deploy', only: ['tags'] })
+                           deploy: { script: 'deploy', only: ['tags'] })
 
         stub_ci_pipeline_yaml_file(config)
       end
 
       it 'creates a tagged pipeline' do
-        pipeline = execute_service(ref: 'mytag')
+        pipeline = execute_service(ref: 'v1.0.0')
 
         expect(pipeline.tag?).to be true
       end