diff --git a/library/git b/library/git
index 1f4e312332a..846a723bc69 100644
--- a/library/git
+++ b/library/git
@@ -56,6 +56,14 @@ options:
             - If C(yes), any modified files in the working
               repository will be discarded.  Prior to 0.7, this was always
               'yes' and could not be disabled.
+    depth:
+        required: false
+        default: null
+        version_added: "1.2"
+        description:
+            - Create a shallow clone with a history truncated to the specified
+              number or revisions. The minimum possible value is C(1), otherwise
+              ignored.
 examples:
     - code: "git: repo=git://foosball.example.org/path/to/repo.git dest=/srv/checkout version=release-0.22"
       description: Example git checkout from Ansible Playbooks
@@ -74,7 +82,7 @@ def get_version(dest):
     sha = sha[0].split()[1]
     return sha
 
-def clone(module, repo, dest, remote):
+def clone(module, repo, dest, remote, depth):
     ''' makes a new git repo if it does not already exist '''
     dest_dirname = os.path.dirname(dest)
     try:
@@ -82,8 +90,11 @@ def clone(module, repo, dest, remote):
     except:
         pass
     os.chdir(dest_dirname)
-    return module.run_command("git clone -o %s %s %s" % (remote, repo, dest),
-                              check_rc=True)
+    cmd = [ module.get_bin_path('git', True), 'clone', '-o', remote ]
+    if depth:
+        cmd.extend([ '--depth', str(depth) ])
+    cmd.extend([ repo, dest ])
+    return module.run_command(cmd, check_rc=True)
 
 def has_local_mods(dest):
     os.chdir(dest)
@@ -92,7 +103,7 @@ def has_local_mods(dest):
     lines = filter(lambda c: not re.search('^\\?\\?.*$', c), lines)
     return len(lines) > 0
 
-def reset(module,dest,force):
+def reset(module, dest, force):
     '''
     Resets the index and working tree to HEAD.
     Discards any changes to tracked files in working
@@ -251,7 +262,8 @@ def main():
             repo=dict(required=True, aliases=['name']),
             version=dict(default='HEAD'),
             remote=dict(default='origin'),
-            force=dict(default='yes', type='bool')
+            force=dict(default='yes', type='bool'),
+            depth=dict(default=None, type='int'),
         ),
         supports_check_mode=True
     )
@@ -261,6 +273,7 @@ def main():
     version = module.params['version']
     remote  = module.params['remote']
     force   = module.params['force']
+    depth   = module.params['depth']
 
     gitconfig = os.path.join(dest, '.git', 'config')
 
@@ -273,7 +286,7 @@ def main():
     if not os.path.exists(gitconfig):
         if module.check_mode:
             module.exit_json(changed=True)
-        (rc, out, err) = clone(module, repo, dest, remote)
+        (rc, out, err) = clone(module, repo, dest, remote, depth)
     else:
         # else do a pull
         local_mods = has_local_mods(dest)