diff --git a/lib/r10k/git/rugged/working_repository.rb b/lib/r10k/git/rugged/working_repository.rb
index ed1d82e4a..7e6e01fe3 100644
--- a/lib/r10k/git/rugged/working_repository.rb
+++ b/lib/r10k/git/rugged/working_repository.rb
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ def fetch(remote_name = 'origin')
     proxy = R10K::Git.get_proxy_for_remote(remote)
 
     options = {:credentials => credentials, :proxy_url => proxy, :prune => true}
-    refspecs = ["+refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/#{remote_name}/*"]
+    refspecs = ["+refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/#{remote_name}/*", '+refs/tags/*:refs/tags/*']
 
     results = nil
 
@@ -136,6 +136,26 @@ def dirty?(exclude_spec=true)
     end
   end
 
+  def updatedtags?
+    with_repo do |repo|
+      localtags = repo.tags.each_name.to_a
+
+      options = { :credentials => credentials }
+      remote = repo.remotes['origin']
+      remotetags = []
+      remote.ls(**options) do |hash|
+        if hash[:name].start_with?('refs/tags/') && !hash[:name].include?('^{}')
+          remotetags << hash[:name].split('/').last
+        end
+      end
+
+      return false unless remotetags.sort != localtags.sort
+
+      logger.debug(_("Found different tags in local and remote in %{file_path}" % {file_path: @path}))
+      return true
+    end
+  end
+
   private
 
   def with_repo
diff --git a/lib/r10k/git/shellgit/thin_repository.rb b/lib/r10k/git/shellgit/thin_repository.rb
index e748e78f3..87b0b2ebd 100644
--- a/lib/r10k/git/shellgit/thin_repository.rb
+++ b/lib/r10k/git/shellgit/thin_repository.rb
@@ -31,7 +31,12 @@ def clone(remote, opts = {})
 
   # Fetch refs from the backing bare Git repository.
   def fetch(remote = 'cache')
-    git ['fetch', remote, '--prune'], :path => @path.to_s
+    git ['fetch', remote, '--prune', '--tags', '--prune-tags'], :path => @path.to_s
+  end
+
+  # Prune deleted branches
+  def prune
+    git ['fetch', '--prune'], :path => @path.to_s
   end
 
   # @return [String] The origin remote URL
diff --git a/lib/r10k/git/shellgit/working_repository.rb b/lib/r10k/git/shellgit/working_repository.rb
index e4ad915c5..026ca51e3 100644
--- a/lib/r10k/git/shellgit/working_repository.rb
+++ b/lib/r10k/git/shellgit/working_repository.rb
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ def fetch(remote_name='origin')
     proxy = R10K::Git.get_proxy_for_remote(remote)
 
     R10K::Git.with_proxy(proxy) do
-      git ['fetch', remote_name, '--prune'], :path => @path.to_s
+      git ['fetch', remote_name, '--prune', '--tags', '--prune-tags'], :path => @path.to_s
     end
   end
 
@@ -109,4 +109,15 @@ def dirty?(exclude_spec=true)
       return false
     end
   end
+
+  def updatedtags?
+    result = git(['ls-remote', '--tags', '--refs', 'origin'], :path => @path.to_s, :raise_on_fail => false)
+    remotetags = result.stdout.scan(/refs\/tags\/(\S+)$/).flatten
+    result = git(['tag'], :path => @path.to_s, :raise_on_fail => false)
+    localtags = result.stdout.scan(/(\S+)$/).flatten
+    return false unless remotetags.sort != localtags.sort
+
+    logger.debug(_("Found different tags in local and remote in %{file_path}" % {file_path: @path}))
+    return true
+  end
 end
diff --git a/lib/r10k/git/stateful_repository.rb b/lib/r10k/git/stateful_repository.rb
index 7a2f76637..7108e482a 100644
--- a/lib/r10k/git/stateful_repository.rb
+++ b/lib/r10k/git/stateful_repository.rb
@@ -63,11 +63,16 @@ def sync(ref, force=true, exclude_spec=true)
       if force
         logger.warn(_("Overwriting local modifications to %{repo_path}") % {repo_path: @repo.path})
         logger.debug(_("Updating %{repo_path} to %{ref}") % {repo_path: @repo.path, ref: ref })
+        @repo.prune
+        @repo.fetch
         @repo.checkout(sha, {:force => force})
       else
         logger.warn(_("Skipping %{repo_path} due to local modifications") % {repo_path: @repo.path})
         updated = false
       end
+    when :updatedtags
+      logger.debug(_("Updating tags in %{repo_path}") % {repo_path: @repo.path})
+      @repo.fetch
     else
       logger.debug(_("%{repo_path} is already at Git ref %{ref}") % {repo_path: @repo.path, ref: ref })
       updated = false
@@ -94,6 +99,8 @@ def status(ref, exclude_spec=true)
       :outdated
     elsif @cache.ref_type(ref) == :branch && !@cache.synced?
       :outdated
+    elsif @repo.updatedtags?
+      :updatedtags
     else
       :insync
     end
diff --git a/spec/shared-examples/git/working_repository.rb b/spec/shared-examples/git/working_repository.rb
index 00a55ff57..83253a996 100644
--- a/spec/shared-examples/git/working_repository.rb
+++ b/spec/shared-examples/git/working_repository.rb
@@ -206,4 +206,43 @@
       end
     end
   end
+
+  shared_examples "unequal tags" do
+    it "reports tags as unequal" do
+      expect(subject.logger).to receive(:debug).with(/found different tags in local and remote in/i)
+      expect(subject.updatedtags?).to be true
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe "checking if tags are different" do
+    let(:tag_090) { subject.git_dir + 'refs' + 'tags' + '0.9.0' }
+    let(:packed_refs) { subject.git_dir + 'packed-refs' }
+
+    before(:each) do
+      subject.clone(remote)
+    end
+
+    context "with equal tags local and remote" do
+      it "reports tags as equal" do
+        expect(subject.updatedtags?).to be false
+      end
+    end
+
+    context "with missing local tag" do
+      before do
+        tag_090.delete if tag_090.exist?
+        packed_refs.delete if packed_refs.exist?
+      end
+
+      it_behaves_like "unequal tags"
+    end
+
+    context "with additional local tag" do
+      before(:each) do
+        File.open(File.join(subject.git_dir, 'packed-refs'), 'a') { |f| f.write('157011a4eaa27f1202a9d94335ee4876b26d377e refs/tags/1.0.2') }
+      end
+
+      it_behaves_like "unequal tags"
+    end
+  end
 end