diff --git a/src/ghstack/checkout.py b/src/ghstack/checkout.py
index 13230f7..72fd152 100644
--- a/src/ghstack/checkout.py
+++ b/src/ghstack/checkout.py
@@ -1,13 +1,25 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
 
+import asyncio
 import logging
 import re
+from typing import Iterable
 
 import ghstack.github
 import ghstack.github_utils
 import ghstack.shell
 
 
+async def _fetch_refs(
+    sh: ghstack.shell.Shell, *, remote_name: str, refs: Iterable[str]
+) -> None:
+    refspecs = [
+        f"+refs/heads/{ref}:refs/remotes/{remote_name}/{ref}"
+        for ref in sorted(set(refs))
+    ]
+    await sh.agit("fetch", "--prune", remote_name, *refspecs)
+
+
 async def main(
     pull_request: str,
     github: ghstack.github.GitHubEndpoint,
@@ -19,7 +31,24 @@ async def main(
     params = await ghstack.github_utils.parse_pull_request(
         pull_request, sh=sh, remote_name=remote_name
     )
-    head_ref = await github.get_head_ref(**params)
+    head_ref_task = asyncio.ensure_future(github.get_head_ref(**params))
+
+    if same_base:
+        repo_info_task = asyncio.ensure_future(
+            ghstack.github_utils.get_github_repo_info(
+                github=github,
+                sh=sh,
+                repo_owner=params["owner"],
+                repo_name=params["name"],
+                github_url=params["github_url"],
+                remote_name=remote_name,
+            )
+        )
+        head_ref, repo_info = await asyncio.gather(head_ref_task, repo_info_task)
+    else:
+        head_ref = await head_ref_task
+        repo_info = None
+
     orig_ref = re.sub(r"/head$", "/orig", head_ref)
     if orig_ref == head_ref:
         logging.warning(
@@ -30,15 +59,7 @@ async def main(
 
     # If --same-base is specified, check if checkout would change the merge-base
     if same_base:
-        # Get the default branch name from the repo
-        repo_info = await ghstack.github_utils.get_github_repo_info(
-            github=github,
-            sh=sh,
-            repo_owner=params["owner"],
-            repo_name=params["name"],
-            github_url=params["github_url"],
-            remote_name=remote_name,
-        )
+        assert repo_info is not None
         default_branch = repo_info["default_branch"]
         default_branch_ref = f"{remote_name}/{default_branch}"
 
@@ -48,7 +69,11 @@ async def main(
         current_base = None
         default_branch_ref = None
 
-    await sh.agit("fetch", "--prune", remote_name)
+    refs_to_fetch = [orig_ref]
+    if same_base:
+        assert repo_info is not None
+        refs_to_fetch.append(repo_info["default_branch"])
+    await _fetch_refs(sh, remote_name=remote_name, refs=refs_to_fetch)
 
     # If --same-base is specified, check what the new merge-base would be
     if same_base: