diff --git a/pkg/recipe/recipe.go b/pkg/recipe/recipe.go
index c9df9feb..ac81ce12 100644
--- a/pkg/recipe/recipe.go
+++ b/pkg/recipe/recipe.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
+	"net/url"
 	"os"
 	"path"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -280,12 +281,15 @@ func Ensure(recipeName string) error {
 
 // EnsureExists ensures that a recipe is locally cloned
 func EnsureExists(recipeName string) error {
-	recipeDir := path.Join(config.RECIPES_DIR, recipeName)
+	parsed, err := ParseName(recipeName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	recipeDir := path.Join(config.RECIPES_DIR, parsed.Name)
 
 	if _, err := os.Stat(recipeDir); os.IsNotExist(err) {
 		logrus.Debugf("%s does not exist, attemmpting to clone", recipeDir)
-		url := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s.git", config.REPOS_BASE_URL, recipeName)
-		if err := gitPkg.Clone(recipeDir, url); err != nil {
+		if err := gitPkg.Clone(recipeDir, parsed.GitURL); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
@@ -297,6 +301,34 @@ func EnsureExists(recipeName string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+type RecipeName struct {
+	Name   string
+	GitURL string
+}
+
+func ParseName(recipeName string) (RecipeName, error) {
+	if !strings.Contains(recipeName, "/") {
+		return RecipeName{
+			Name:   recipeName,
+			GitURL: fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s.git", config.REPOS_BASE_URL, recipeName),
+		}, nil
+	}
+
+	u, err := url.Parse(recipeName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return RecipeName{}, err
+	}
+	u.Scheme = "https"
+	u.RawPath, err = url.JoinPath(u.RawPath, ".git")
+	if err != nil {
+		return RecipeName{}, err
+	}
+	return RecipeName{
+		Name:   recipeName,
+		GitURL: u.String(),
+	}, nil
+}
+
 // EnsureVersion checks whether a specific version exists for a recipe.
 func EnsureVersion(recipeName, version string) error {
 	recipeDir := path.Join(config.RECIPES_DIR, recipeName)