diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7af965cb3..eb8dae654 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -594,6 +594,8 @@ with the `mod_auth_gssapi` module.
 
 * `include-git-dir` - when used, `.git` file objects are not removed from the source bundle created
   by Cachito. This is useful when the git history is important to the build process.
+  If this flag is absent, Cachito will use a shallow clone (depth=1) of the repository in order to save
+  resources.
 
 * `cgo-disable` - use this flag to make Cachito set `CGO_ENABLED=0` while processing gomod packages.
   This environment variable will only be used internally by Cachito, it will *not* be set in the
diff --git a/cachito/web/api_v1.py b/cachito/web/api_v1.py
index abe564e34..bbf906895 100644
--- a/cachito/web/api_v1.py
+++ b/cachito/web/api_v1.py
@@ -346,7 +346,11 @@ def create_request():
     error_callback = tasks.failed_request_callback.s(request.id)
     chain_tasks = [
         tasks.fetch_app_source.s(
-            request.repo, request.ref, request.id, "git-submodule" in pkg_manager_names
+            request.repo,
+            request.ref,
+            request.id,
+            "git-submodule" in pkg_manager_names,
+            "include-git-dir" in [flag.name for flag in request.flags],
         ).on_error(error_callback)
     ]
 
diff --git a/cachito/workers/scm.py b/cachito/workers/scm.py
index 0df31ac2e..760401018 100644
--- a/cachito/workers/scm.py
+++ b/cachito/workers/scm.py
@@ -143,24 +143,33 @@ def _create_archive(self, from_dir):
             os.unlink(self.sources_dir.archive_path)
             raise
 
-    def clone_and_archive(self, gitsubmodule=False):
+    def clone_and_archive(self, gitsubmodule=False, shallow=False):
         """
         Clone the git repository and create the compressed source archive.
 
         :param bool gitsubmodule: a bool to determine whether git submodules need to be processed.
+        :param bool shallow: determines if a shallow clone should be made (depth=1).
         :raises CachitoError: if cloning the repository fails or if the archive can't be created
         """
         with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory(prefix="cachito-") as temp_dir:
             log.debug("Cloning the Git repository from %s", self.url)
             clone_path = os.path.join(temp_dir, "repo")
+
+            kwargs = {
+                "no_checkout": True,
+                # Don't allow git to prompt for a username if we don't have access
+                "env": {"GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT": "0"},
+            }
+
+            if shallow:
+                kwargs["depth"] = 1
+
             try:
-                repo = git.repo.Repo.clone_from(
-                    self.url,
-                    clone_path,
-                    no_checkout=True,
-                    # Don't allow git to prompt for a username if we don't have access
-                    env={"GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT": "0"},
-                )
+                repo = git.repo.Repo.clone_from(self.url, clone_path, **kwargs)
+
+                if shallow:
+                    # Fetch the exact commit we need
+                    repo.remote().fetch(refspec=self.ref, depth=1)
             except:  # noqa E722
                 log.exception("Cloning the Git repository from %s failed", self.url)
                 raise CachitoError("Cloning the Git repository failed")
@@ -173,12 +182,13 @@ def clone_and_archive(self, gitsubmodule=False):
             repo.git.gc("--prune=now")
             self._create_archive(repo.working_dir)
 
-    def update_and_archive(self, previous_archive, gitsubmodule=False):
+    def update_and_archive(self, previous_archive, gitsubmodule=False, shallow=False):
         """
         Update the existing Git history and create a source archive.
 
         :param str previous_archive: path to an archive file created before.
         :param bool gitsubmodule: a bool to determine whether git submodules need to be processed.
+        :param bool shallow: determines if only a single reference should be fetched.
         :raises CachitoError: if pulling the Git history from the remote repo or
             the checkout of the target Git ref fails.
         """
@@ -187,10 +197,13 @@ def update_and_archive(self, previous_archive, gitsubmodule=False):
                 tar.extractall(temp_dir)
 
             repo = git.Repo(os.path.join(temp_dir, "app"))
+
+            kwargs = {"depth": 1} if shallow else {}
+
             try:
                 # The reference must be specified to handle commits which are not part
                 # of a branch.
-                repo.remote().fetch(refspec=self.ref)
+                repo.remote().fetch(refspec=self.ref, **kwargs)
             except:  # noqa E722
                 log.exception("Failed to fetch from remote %s", self.url)
                 raise CachitoError("Failed to fetch from the remote Git repository")
@@ -202,10 +215,11 @@ def update_and_archive(self, previous_archive, gitsubmodule=False):
             repo.git.gc("--prune=now")
             self._create_archive(repo.working_dir)
 
-    def fetch_source(self, gitsubmodule=False):
+    def fetch_source(self, gitsubmodule=False, shallow=False):
         """Fetch the repo, create a compressed tar file, and put it in long-term storage.
 
         :param bool gitsubmodule: a bool to determine whether git submodules need to be processed.
+        :param bool shallow: determines if a shallow clone should be made (depth=1).
         """
         if gitsubmodule:
             self.sources_dir = SourcesDir(self.repo_name, f"{self.ref}-with-submodules")
@@ -235,7 +249,9 @@ def fetch_source(self, gitsubmodule=False):
             if "-with-submodules" in str(previous_archive):
                 continue
             try:
-                self.update_and_archive(previous_archive, gitsubmodule=gitsubmodule)
+                self.update_and_archive(
+                    previous_archive, gitsubmodule=gitsubmodule, shallow=shallow,
+                )
                 return
             except (
                 git.exc.InvalidGitRepositoryError,
@@ -253,7 +269,7 @@ def fetch_source(self, gitsubmodule=False):
                     previous_archive,
                 )
 
-        self.clone_and_archive(gitsubmodule=gitsubmodule)
+        self.clone_and_archive(gitsubmodule=gitsubmodule, shallow=shallow)
 
     def update_git_submodules(self, repo):
         """Update git submodules.
diff --git a/cachito/workers/tasks/general.py b/cachito/workers/tasks/general.py
index 0a36ff80f..713bc02cc 100644
--- a/cachito/workers/tasks/general.py
+++ b/cachito/workers/tasks/general.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
 
 @app.task(priority=0)
 @runs_if_request_in_progress
-def fetch_app_source(url, ref, request_id, gitsubmodule=False):
+def fetch_app_source(url, ref, request_id, gitsubmodule=False, include_git_dir=False):
     """
     Fetch the application source code that was requested and put it in long-term storage.
 
@@ -51,7 +51,9 @@ def fetch_app_source(url, ref, request_id, gitsubmodule=False):
     try:
         # Default to Git for now
         scm = Git(url, ref)
-        scm.fetch_source(gitsubmodule=gitsubmodule)
+        # In case don't need to keep the Git history, use a shallow clone to save resources
+        shallow = not include_git_dir
+        scm.fetch_source(gitsubmodule=gitsubmodule, shallow=shallow)
     except requests.Timeout:
         raise CachitoError("The connection timed out while downloading the source")
     except CachitoError:
diff --git a/tests/test_api_v1.py b/tests/test_api_v1.py
index b19caaa66..c73dabe66 100644
--- a/tests/test_api_v1.py
+++ b/tests/test_api_v1.py
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ def test_get_status_short(mock_status, error, client):
         ([], ["npm"], None, ["npm"], None,),
         ([], ["pip"], None, ["pip"], None,),
         ([], ["yarn"], None, ["yarn"], None,),
+        ([], [], None, [], ["include-git-dir"],),
     ),
 )
 @mock.patch("cachito.web.api_v1.chain")
@@ -162,6 +163,7 @@ def test_create_and_fetch_request(
             "c50b93a32df1c9d700e3e80996845bc2e13be848",
             1,
             "git-submodule" in expected_pkg_managers,
+            "include-git-dir" in flags if flags is not None else False,
         ).on_error(error_callback)
     ]
     if "gomod" in expected_pkg_managers:
@@ -220,6 +222,7 @@ def test_create_request_with_gomod_package_configs(
             "c50b93a32df1c9d700e3e80996845bc2e13be848",
             1,
             False,
+            False,
         ).on_error(error_callback),
         fetch_gomod_source.si(1, [], package_value["gomod"]).on_error(error_callback),
         process_fetched_sources.si(1).on_error(error_callback),
@@ -250,6 +253,7 @@ def test_create_request_with_npm_package_configs(
             "c50b93a32df1c9d700e3e80996845bc2e13be848",
             1,
             False,
+            False,
         ).on_error(error_callback),
         fetch_npm_source.si(1, package_value["npm"]).on_error(error_callback),
         process_fetched_sources.si(1).on_error(error_callback),
@@ -290,6 +294,7 @@ def test_create_request_with_pip_package_configs(mock_chain, app, auth_env, clie
             "c50b93a32df1c9d700e3e80996845bc2e13be848",
             1,
             False,
+            False,
         ).on_error(error_callback),
         fetch_pip_source.si(1, package_value["pip"]).on_error(error_callback),
         process_fetched_sources.si(1).on_error(error_callback),
@@ -320,6 +325,7 @@ def test_create_request_with_yarn_package_configs(
             "c50b93a32df1c9d700e3e80996845bc2e13be848",
             1,
             False,
+            False,
         ).on_error(error_callback),
         fetch_yarn_source.si(1, package_value["yarn"]).on_error(error_callback),
         process_fetched_sources.si(1).on_error(error_callback),
@@ -372,6 +378,7 @@ def test_create_and_fetch_request_with_flag(mock_chain, app, auth_env, client, d
                 "c50b93a32df1c9d700e3e80996845bc2e13be848",
                 1,
                 False,
+                False,
             ).on_error(error_callback),
             fetch_gomod_source.si(1, [], []).on_error(error_callback),
             process_fetched_sources.si(1).on_error(error_callback),
diff --git a/tests/test_workers/test_scm.py b/tests/test_workers/test_scm.py
index 18be5d01a..cda97897c 100644
--- a/tests/test_workers/test_scm.py
+++ b/tests/test_workers/test_scm.py
@@ -30,7 +30,9 @@ def test_repo_name():
     assert git_obj.repo_name == "release-engineering/retrodep"
 
 
-@pytest.mark.parametrize("gitsubmodule", [True, False])
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "gitsubmodule, shallow", [(True, False), (False, False), (True, True), (False, True)]
+)
 @mock.patch("tarfile.open")
 @mock.patch("tempfile.TemporaryDirectory")
 @mock.patch("tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile")
@@ -51,6 +53,7 @@ def test_clone_and_archive(
     mock_temp_dir,
     mock_tarfile_open,
     gitsubmodule,
+    shallow,
 ):
     # Mock the archive being created
     mock_exists.return_value = True
@@ -69,14 +72,16 @@ def test_clone_and_archive(
     git_obj = scm.Git(url, ref)
 
     with mock.patch.object(git_obj.sources_dir, "archive_path", new=archive_path):
-        git_obj.clone_and_archive(gitsubmodule)
+        git_obj.clone_and_archive(gitsubmodule, shallow)
+
+    kwargs = {"depth": 1} if shallow else {}
 
     # Verify the tempfile.TemporaryDirectory context manager was used twice:
     # once for _clone_and_archive and once for _verify_archive
     assert mock_temp_dir.return_value.__enter__.call_count == 2
     # Verify the repo was cloned and checked out properly
     mock_clone.assert_called_once_with(
-        url, "/tmp/cachito-temp/repo", no_checkout=True, env={"GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT": "0"}
+        url, "/tmp/cachito-temp/repo", no_checkout=True, env={"GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT": "0"}, **kwargs
     )
     assert mock_clone.return_value.head.reference == mock_commit
     mock_clone.return_value.head.reset.assert_called_once_with(index=True, working_tree=True)
@@ -89,6 +94,9 @@ def test_clone_and_archive(
         mock_ugs.assert_called_once_with(mock_clone.return_value)
     else:
         mock_ugs.assert_not_called()
+    # In case a shallow clone was made, we also need to fetch the exact commit needed
+    if shallow:
+        mock_clone.return_value.remote().fetch.assert_called_once_with(refspec=ref, **kwargs)
 
     mock_clone.return_value.git.gc.assert_called_once_with("--prune=now")
 
@@ -155,7 +163,7 @@ def test_fetch_source_clone_if_no_archive_yet(mock_clone_and_archive, gitsubmodu
             with po(scm_git.sources_dir.package_dir, "glob", return_value=[]):
                 scm_git.fetch_source(gitsubmodule)
 
-    mock_clone_and_archive.assert_called_once_with(gitsubmodule=gitsubmodule)
+    mock_clone_and_archive.assert_called_once_with(gitsubmodule=gitsubmodule, shallow=False)
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("gitsubmodule", [True, False])
@@ -194,7 +202,9 @@ def test_fetch_source_by_pull(mock_update_and_archive, mock_getctime, gitsubmodu
                 return_value=["29eh2a.tar.gz", "a8c2d2.tar.gz", "a8c2d2-with-submodules.tar.gz"],
             ):
                 scm_git.fetch_source(gitsubmodule)
-    mock_update_and_archive.assert_called_once_with("a8c2d2.tar.gz", gitsubmodule=gitsubmodule)
+    mock_update_and_archive.assert_called_once_with(
+        "a8c2d2.tar.gz", gitsubmodule=gitsubmodule, shallow=False
+    )
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
@@ -242,17 +252,19 @@ def test_fetch_source_by_pull_corrupt_archive(
 
     assert mock_update_and_archive.call_count == 2
     calls = [
-        mock.call("a8c2d2.tar.gz", gitsubmodule=gitsubmodule),
-        mock.call("29eh2a.tar.gz", gitsubmodule=gitsubmodule),
+        mock.call("a8c2d2.tar.gz", gitsubmodule=gitsubmodule, shallow=False),
+        mock.call("29eh2a.tar.gz", gitsubmodule=gitsubmodule, shallow=False),
     ]
     mock_update_and_archive.assert_has_calls(calls)
     if all_corrupt:
-        mock_clone_and_archive.assert_called_once_with(gitsubmodule=gitsubmodule)
+        mock_clone_and_archive.assert_called_once_with(gitsubmodule=gitsubmodule, shallow=False)
     else:
         mock_clone_and_archive.assert_not_called()
 
 
-@pytest.mark.parametrize("gitsubmodule", [True, False])
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "gitsubmodule, shallow", [(True, False), (False, False), (True, True), (False, True)]
+)
 @mock.patch("tarfile.open")
 @mock.patch("tempfile.TemporaryDirectory")
 @mock.patch("git.Repo")
@@ -260,7 +272,14 @@ def test_fetch_source_by_pull_corrupt_archive(
 @mock.patch("os.path.exists")
 @mock.patch("cachito.workers.scm.Git.update_git_submodules")
 def test_update_and_archive(
-    mock_ugs, mock_exists, mock_fsck, mock_repo, mock_temp_dir, mock_tarfile_open, gitsubmodule
+    mock_ugs,
+    mock_exists,
+    mock_fsck,
+    mock_repo,
+    mock_temp_dir,
+    mock_tarfile_open,
+    gitsubmodule,
+    shallow,
 ):
     # Mock the archive being created
     mock_exists.return_value = True
@@ -270,8 +289,10 @@ def test_update_and_archive(
     # Mock the tempfile.TemporaryDirectory context manager
     mock_temp_dir.return_value.__enter__.return_value = "/tmp/cachito-temp"
 
+    kwargs = {"depth": 1} if shallow else {}
+
     # Test does not really extract this archive file. The filename could be arbitrary.
-    scm.Git(url, ref).update_and_archive("/tmp/1234567.tar.gz", gitsubmodule)
+    scm.Git(url, ref).update_and_archive("/tmp/1234567.tar.gz", gitsubmodule, shallow)
 
     # Verify the tempfile.TemporaryDirectory context manager was used twice:
     # once for _update_and_archive and once for _verify_archive
@@ -279,7 +300,7 @@ def test_update_and_archive(
 
     repo = mock_repo.return_value
     # Verify the changes are pulled.
-    repo.remote.return_value.fetch.assert_called_once_with(refspec=ref)
+    repo.remote.return_value.fetch.assert_called_once_with(refspec=ref, **kwargs)
     # Verify the repo is reset to specific ref
     repo.commit.assert_called_once_with(ref)
     assert repo.commit.return_value == repo.head.reference