https://bz.mercurial-scm.org/1306 Initialize remote repo with branches: $ hg init remote $ cd remote $ echo a > a $ hg ci -Ama adding a $ hg branch br marked working directory as branch br (branches are permanent and global, did you want a bookmark?) $ hg ci -Amb $ echo c > c $ hg ci -Amc adding c $ hg log changeset: 2:ae3d9c30ec50 branch: br tag: tip user: test date: Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 summary: c changeset: 1:3f7f930ca414 branch: br user: test date: Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 summary: b changeset: 0:cb9a9f314b8b user: test date: Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 summary: a $ cd .. Try cloning -r branch: $ hg clone -rbr remote local1 adding changesets adding manifests adding file changes added 3 changesets with 2 changes to 2 files new changesets cb9a9f314b8b:ae3d9c30ec50 updating to branch br 2 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved $ hg -R local1 parents changeset: 2:ae3d9c30ec50 branch: br tag: tip user: test date: Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 summary: c Try cloning -rother clone#branch: $ hg clone -r0 remote#br local2 adding changesets adding manifests adding file changes added 3 changesets with 2 changes to 2 files new changesets cb9a9f314b8b:ae3d9c30ec50 updating to branch default 1 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved $ hg -R local2 parents changeset: 0:cb9a9f314b8b user: test date: Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 summary: a Try cloning -r1 clone#branch: $ hg clone -r1 remote#br local3 adding changesets adding manifests adding file changes added 3 changesets with 2 changes to 2 files new changesets cb9a9f314b8b:ae3d9c30ec50 updating to branch br 1 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved $ hg -R local3 parents changeset: 1:3f7f930ca414 branch: br user: test date: Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 summary: b