diff --git a/scripts/download.sh b/scripts/download.sh
index a4188d9..574c1f2 100755
--- a/scripts/download.sh
+++ b/scripts/download.sh
@@ -8,47 +8,68 @@
 #
 # where:
 #
-#	<url> is the URL of the repository to download, in gzipped tarball format
+#	<url> is the URL of the repository to download.  If the <url> ends
+#		in 'gz' then it is assumed to be a gzipped tarball format.
+#		Otherwise, it is assumed to be a clonable git repo.
 #	<target_dir> is the local name to call the untarred directory.  The
 #		tarball will be downloaded to the directory above this,
 #		untarred while renaming to <target_dir>, and then the tarball
 #		file will be deleted.
 #	<strip> is the number of directory levels to strip off the front of the
-#		tarball contents.  Defaults to 1 if not specified.
+#		tarball contents.  Defaults to 1 if not specified (only
+#		applicable if <url> points to a tarball).
 #
 
-# Neither curl or wget are guaranteed to be included in all *nix systems,
-# (but most have *one* of them). This tools tries its best to find one.
+# Check if <url> points to a tarball or a repository (note:  this assumes
+# the form on github where the filename is spelled out as ".tar.gz" and
+# not ".tgz")
 
-DL_CMD=
-if type "wget" > /dev/null; then
-    DL_CMD="wget -qO"
-fi
+if ${1: -3} == ".gz"; then
 
-if type "curl" > /dev/null; then
-    DL_CMD="curl -sLo"
-fi
+    # Neither curl or wget are guaranteed to be included in all *nix systems,
+    # (but most have *one* of them). This tools tries its best to find one.
 
-if [ "$DL_CMD" = "" ]; then
-    echo "ERROR: Either curl or wget are required to automatically install tools."
-    exit 1
-fi
+    DL_CMD=
+    if type "wget" > /dev/null; then
+        DL_CMD="wget -qO"
+    fi
 
-pdir=`dirname $2`
-mkdir -p $pdir
-cd $pdir
+    if type "curl" > /dev/null; then
+        DL_CMD="curl -sLo"
+    fi
 
-echo "Downloading $1 to $2"
-$DL_CMD $2.tar.gz $1
+    if [ "$DL_CMD" = "" ]; then
+        echo "ERROR: Either curl or wget are required to automatically install tools."
+        exit 1
+    fi
 
-if [ $# -gt 2 ]; then
-    snum=$3
+    pdir=`dirname $2`
+    mkdir -p $pdir
+    cd $pdir
+
+    echo "Downloading $1 to $2"
+    $DL_CMD $2.tar.gz $1
+
+    if [ $# -gt 2 ]; then
+        snum=$3
+    else
+        snum=1
+    fi
+
+    mkdir -p $2
+    echo "Untarring and removing $2.tar.gz"
+    tar -xf $2.tar.gz --strip-components $snum -C $2
+    rm $2.tar.gz
+
 else
-    snum=1
+
+    if type "git" > /dev/null; then
+        echo "Cloning $1 to $2"
+        git clone --depth 1 $1 $2
+    else
+        echo "ERROR: \"git\" is required to automatically install tools."
+        exit 1
+    fi
 fi
 
-mkdir -p $2
-echo "Untarring and removing $2.tar.gz"
-tar -xf $2.tar.gz --strip-components $snum -C $2
-rm $2.tar.gz
 exit 0