diff --git a/examples/network/Makefile b/examples/network/Makefile
index ed0c2099f..c21869ac9 100644
--- a/examples/network/Makefile
+++ b/examples/network/Makefile
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ default: all
 
 CC = gcc
 CFLAGS += -g
-CFLAGS += -I../../include -L../../ -lgit2
+CFLAGS += -I../../include -L../../ -lgit2 -lpthread
 
 OBJECTS = \
   git2.o \
diff --git a/examples/network/fetch.c b/examples/network/fetch.c
index f7a60640e..d4a39746f 100644
--- a/examples/network/fetch.c
+++ b/examples/network/fetch.c
@@ -39,6 +39,25 @@ exit:
 	pthread_exit(&data->ret);
 }
 
+int update_cb(const char *refname, const git_oid *a, const git_oid *b)
+{
+	const char *action;
+	char a_str[GIT_OID_HEXSZ+1], b_str[GIT_OID_HEXSZ+1];
+
+	git_oid_fmt(b_str, b);
+	b_str[GIT_OID_HEXSZ] = '\0';
+
+	if (git_oid_iszero(a)) {
+		printf("[new]     %.20s %s\n", b_str, refname);
+	} else {
+		git_oid_fmt(a_str, a);
+		a_str[GIT_OID_HEXSZ] = '\0';
+		printf("[updated] %.10s..%.10s %s\n", a_str, b_str, refname);
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 int fetch(git_repository *repo, int argc, char **argv)
 {
   git_remote *remote = NULL;
@@ -78,7 +97,7 @@ int fetch(git_repository *repo, int argc, char **argv)
   // right commits. This may be needed even if there was no packfile
   // to download, which can happen e.g. when the branches have been
   // changed but all the neede objects are available locally.
-  if (git_remote_update_tips(remote) < 0)
+  if (git_remote_update_tips(remote, update_cb) < 0)
 	  return -1;
 
   git_remote_free(remote);
diff --git a/include/git2/remote.h b/include/git2/remote.h
index 8f49fddf1..09b927e28 100644
--- a/include/git2/remote.h
+++ b/include/git2/remote.h
@@ -183,12 +183,10 @@ GIT_EXTERN(void) git_remote_free(git_remote *remote);
 /**
  * Update the tips to the new state
  *
- * Make sure that you only call this once you've successfully indexed
- * or expanded the packfile.
- *
  * @param remote the remote to update
+ * @param cb callback to run on each ref update. 'a' is the old value, 'b' is then new value
  */
-GIT_EXTERN(int) git_remote_update_tips(git_remote *remote);
+GIT_EXTERN(int) git_remote_update_tips(git_remote *remote, int (*cb)(const char *refname, const git_oid *a, const git_oid *b));
 
 /**
  * Return whether a string is a valid remote URL
diff --git a/src/remote.c b/src/remote.c
index bbb491dd8..e1937df85 100644
--- a/src/remote.c
+++ b/src/remote.c
@@ -309,11 +309,12 @@ int git_remote_download(git_remote *remote, git_off_t *bytes, git_indexer_stats
 	return git_fetch_download_pack(remote, bytes, stats);
 }
 
-int git_remote_update_tips(git_remote *remote)
+int git_remote_update_tips(git_remote *remote, int (*cb)(const char *refname, const git_oid *a, const git_oid *b))
 {
 	int error = 0;
 	unsigned int i = 0;
 	git_buf refname = GIT_BUF_INIT;
+	git_oid old;
 	git_vector *refs = &remote->refs;
 	git_remote_head *head;
 	git_reference *ref;
@@ -338,17 +339,36 @@ int git_remote_update_tips(git_remote *remote)
 		head = refs->contents[i];
 
 		if (git_refspec_transform_r(&refname, spec, head->name) < 0)
-			break;
+			goto on_error;
+
+		error = git_reference_name_to_oid(&old, remote->repo, refname.ptr);
+		if (error < 0 && error != GIT_ENOTFOUND)
+			goto on_error;
+
+		if (error == GIT_ENOTFOUND)
+			memset(&old, 0, GIT_OID_RAWSZ);
+
+		if (!git_oid_cmp(&old, &head->oid))
+			continue;
 
 		if (git_reference_create_oid(&ref, remote->repo, refname.ptr, &head->oid, 1) < 0)
 			break;
 
 		git_reference_free(ref);
+
+		if (cb != NULL) {
+			if (cb(refname.ptr, &old, &head->oid) < 0)
+				goto on_error;
+		}
 	}
 
 	git_buf_free(&refname);
+	return 0;
+
+on_error:
+	git_buf_free(&refname);
+	return -1;
 
-	return error;
 }
 
 int git_remote_connected(git_remote *remote)