diff --git a/internal/git_clone_test.go b/internal/git_clone_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a4b662779
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/git_clone_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+package internal
+
+import (
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/databricks/cli/libs/git"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func TestAccGitClonePrivateRepository(t *testing.T) {
+	tmpDir := t.TempDir()
+
+	// This is a private repository only accessible to databricks employees
+	err := git.Clone("databricks", "bundle-samples-internal", tmpDir)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// assert examples from the private repository
+	assert.DirExists(t, filepath.Join(tmpDir, "shark_sightings"))
+	assert.DirExists(t, filepath.Join(tmpDir, "wikipedia_clickstream"))
+}
diff --git a/libs/git/clone.go b/libs/git/clone.go
index 419832592..7c191bdab 100644
--- a/libs/git/clone.go
+++ b/libs/git/clone.go
@@ -1,19 +1,40 @@
 package git
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
+	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/databricks/cli/libs/zip"
 )
 
+var errNotFound = errors.New("not found")
+
 func githubZipUrl(org string, name string, ref string) string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf(`https://github.com/%s/%s/archive/%s.zip`, org, name, ref)
+	return fmt.Sprintf(`%s/archive/%s.zip`, githubUrl(org, name), ref)
 }
 
+func githubUrl(org string, name string) string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf(`https://github.com/%s/%s`, org, name)
+}
+
+type RepositoryNotFoundError struct {
+	url string
+}
+
+func (err RepositoryNotFoundError) Error() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("repository not found: %s", err.url)
+}
+
+func (err RepositoryNotFoundError) Is(other error) bool {
+	return other == errNotFound
+}
+
+// TODO: pass context to these the get requests
 func download(url string, dest string) error {
 	resp, err := http.Get(url)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -22,7 +43,7 @@ func download(url string, dest string) error {
 	defer resp.Body.Close()
 
 	if resp.StatusCode == http.StatusNotFound {
-		return fmt.Errorf("repository not found: %s", url)
+		return RepositoryNotFoundError{url}
 	}
 
 	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
@@ -38,7 +59,18 @@ func download(url string, dest string) error {
 	return err
 }
 
-func Clone(org string, repoName string, targetDir string) error {
+func clonePrivate(org string, repoName string, targetDir string) error {
+	zipUrl := githubUrl(org, repoName)
+
+	// We append repoName-main to targetDir to be symmetric to clonePublic
+	targetDir = filepath.Join(targetDir, repoName+"-main")
+
+	// TODO: pass context to the command execution
+	cmd := exec.Command("git", "clone", zipUrl, targetDir, "--branch", "main")
+	return cmd.Run()
+}
+
+func clonePublic(org string, repoName string, targetDir string) error {
 	zipDst := filepath.Join(targetDir, repoName+".zip")
 	zipUrl := githubZipUrl(org, repoName, "main")
 
@@ -57,3 +89,15 @@ func Clone(org string, repoName string, targetDir string) error {
 	// Remove the ZIP file
 	return os.Remove(zipDst)
 }
+
+func Clone(org, repoName string, targetDir string) error {
+	// First we try to clone the repository as a public URL, as that does not
+	// require the git CLI
+	err := clonePublic(org, repoName, targetDir)
+	if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, errNotFound) {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// Since a public repository was not found, we defer to the git CLI
+	return clonePrivate(org, repoName, targetDir)
+}
diff --git a/libs/git/clone_test.go b/libs/git/clone_test.go
index b655d2ec9..a28e43110 100644
--- a/libs/git/clone_test.go
+++ b/libs/git/clone_test.go
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ func TestGitClonePublicRepository(t *testing.T) {
 	tmpDir := t.TempDir()
 	var err error
 
-	err = Clone("databricks", "cli", tmpDir)
+	err = clonePublic("databricks", "cli", tmpDir)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.DirExists(t, filepath.Join(tmpDir, "cli-main"))