diff --git a/src/Composer/Downloader/ArchiveDownloader.php b/src/Composer/Downloader/ArchiveDownloader.php
index b84b461a2..216adfa90 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Downloader/ArchiveDownloader.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Downloader/ArchiveDownloader.php
@@ -85,8 +85,12 @@ abstract class ArchiveDownloader extends FileDownloader
     /**
      * {@inheritdoc}
      */
-    protected function processUrl($url)
+    protected function processUrl(PackageInterface $package, $url)
     {
+        if ($package->getDistReference() && preg_match('{^https?://(?:www\.)?github\.com/([^/]+)/([^/]+)/(zip|tar)ball/(.+)$}i', $url, $match)) {
+            $url = 'https://github.com/' . $match[1] . '/'. $match[2] . '/' . $match[3] . 'ball/' . $package->getDistReference();
+        }
+
         if (!extension_loaded('openssl') && (0 === strpos($url, 'https:') || 0 === strpos($url, 'http://github.com'))) {
             // bypass https for github if openssl is disabled
             if (preg_match('{^https?://(github.com/[^/]+/[^/]+/(zip|tar)ball/[^/]+)$}i', $url, $match)) {
@@ -96,7 +100,7 @@ abstract class ArchiveDownloader extends FileDownloader
             }
         }
 
-        return $url;
+        return parent::processUrl($package, $url);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/Composer/Downloader/FileDownloader.php b/src/Composer/Downloader/FileDownloader.php
index 87eac6109..1337d041f 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Downloader/FileDownloader.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Downloader/FileDownloader.php
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ class FileDownloader implements DownloaderInterface
 
         $this->io->write("  - Installing <info>" . $package->getName() . "</info> (<comment>" . VersionParser::formatVersion($package) . "</comment>)");
 
-        $processUrl = $this->processUrl($url);
+        $processUrl = $this->processUrl($package, $url);
 
         try {
             $this->rfs->copy($package->getSourceUrl(), $processUrl, $fileName);
@@ -123,12 +123,13 @@ class FileDownloader implements DownloaderInterface
     /**
      * Process the download url
      *
+     * @param  PackageInterface $package package the url is coming from
      * @param  string $url download url
      * @return string url
      *
      * @throws \RuntimeException If any problem with the url
      */
-    protected function processUrl($url)
+    protected function processUrl(PackageInterface $package, $url)
     {
         if (!extension_loaded('openssl') && 0 === strpos($url, 'https:')) {
             throw new \RuntimeException('You must enable the openssl extension to download files via https');
diff --git a/src/Composer/Installer.php b/src/Composer/Installer.php
index 3b6e91d81..28bb05cf9 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Installer.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Installer.php
@@ -481,6 +481,7 @@ class Installer
                     $references = $this->package->getReferences();
                     if (isset($references[$package->getName()])) {
                         $package->setSourceReference($references[$package->getName()]);
+                        $package->setDistReference($references[$package->getName()]);
                     }
                 }
             }
diff --git a/tests/Composer/Test/Downloader/ArchiveDownloaderTest.php b/tests/Composer/Test/Downloader/ArchiveDownloaderTest.php
index cf5fde68e..72ba9b10a 100644
--- a/tests/Composer/Test/Downloader/ArchiveDownloaderTest.php
+++ b/tests/Composer/Test/Downloader/ArchiveDownloaderTest.php
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ class ArchiveDownloaderTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
         $method->setAccessible(true);
 
         $expected = 'https://github.com/composer/composer/zipball/master';
-        $url = $method->invoke($downloader, $expected);
+        $url = $method->invoke($downloader, $this->getMock('Composer\Package\PackageInterface'), $expected);
 
         if (extension_loaded('openssl')) {
             $this->assertEquals($expected, $url);