diff --git a/contrib/remote-helpers/git-remote-bzr b/contrib/remote-helpers/git-remote-bzr
index 6cdfac6dc6..c5822e4ac9 100755
--- a/contrib/remote-helpers/git-remote-bzr
+++ b/contrib/remote-helpers/git-remote-bzr
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import bzrlib.plugin
 bzrlib.plugin.load_plugins()
 
 import bzrlib.generate_ids
+import bzrlib.transport
 
 import sys
 import os
@@ -613,11 +614,14 @@ def do_export(parser):
         if ref == 'refs/heads/master':
             repo.generate_revision_history(revid, marks.get_tip('master'))
             revno, revid = repo.last_revision_info()
-            if hasattr(peer, "import_last_revision_info_and_tags"):
-                peer.import_last_revision_info_and_tags(repo, revno, revid)
+            if peer:
+                if hasattr(peer, "import_last_revision_info_and_tags"):
+                    peer.import_last_revision_info_and_tags(repo, revno, revid)
+                else:
+                    peer.import_last_revision_info(repo.repository, revno, revid)
+                wt = peer.bzrdir.open_workingtree()
             else:
-                peer.import_last_revision_info(repo.repository, revno, revid)
-            wt = peer.bzrdir.open_workingtree()
+                wt = repo.bzrdir.open_workingtree()
             wt.update()
         print "ok %s" % ref
     print
@@ -649,24 +653,28 @@ def do_list(parser):
 def get_repo(url, alias):
     global dirname, peer
 
-    clone_path = os.path.join(dirname, 'clone')
     origin = bzrlib.bzrdir.BzrDir.open(url)
-    remote_branch = origin.open_branch()
+    branch = origin.open_branch()
 
-    if os.path.exists(clone_path):
-        # pull
-        d = bzrlib.bzrdir.BzrDir.open(clone_path)
-        branch = d.open_branch()
-        result = branch.pull(remote_branch, [], None, False)
+    if not isinstance(origin.transport, bzrlib.transport.local.LocalTransport):
+        clone_path = os.path.join(dirname, 'clone')
+        remote_branch = branch
+        if os.path.exists(clone_path):
+            # pull
+            d = bzrlib.bzrdir.BzrDir.open(clone_path)
+            branch = d.open_branch()
+            result = branch.pull(remote_branch, [], None, False)
+        else:
+            # clone
+            d = origin.sprout(clone_path, None,
+                    hardlink=True, create_tree_if_local=False,
+                    source_branch=remote_branch)
+            branch = d.open_branch()
+            branch.bind(remote_branch)
+
+        peer = remote_branch
     else:
-        # clone
-        d = origin.sprout(clone_path, None,
-                hardlink=True, create_tree_if_local=False,
-                source_branch=remote_branch)
-        branch = d.open_branch()
-        branch.bind(remote_branch)
-
-    peer = remote_branch
+        peer = None
 
     return branch