diff --git a/lib/utils/template_generator.js b/lib/utils/template_generator.js
index 7cef7ca43..2e238dd46 100644
--- a/lib/utils/template_generator.js
+++ b/lib/utils/template_generator.js
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ class TemplateGenerator {
     const self = this;
     let ext;
     try {
-      ext = this.getExternalProject(uri);
+      ext = await this.getExternalProject(uri);
     } catch (e) {
       console.error(utils.errorMessage(e).red);
       process.exit(1);
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ class TemplateGenerator {
       } catch (err) {
         let {url_fallback, filePath_fallback, browse_fallback, embarkVersion} = ext;
         if (url_fallback) {
-          console.log(__('Retrying with the master branch...').yellow);
+          console.log(__('Retrying with the default branch...').yellow);
           console.log((__(`It may not be compatible with your Embark version`) + ` ${embarkVersion}`).yellow);
           tmpFilePath = fs.tmpDir(filePath_fallback);
           await this.download(url_fallback, tmpFilePath, browse_fallback);
@@ -144,21 +144,39 @@ class TemplateGenerator {
     }
     if(!hgi) { throw new Error('Unsupported template name or git host URL'); }
     url = hgi.tarball();
-    folder = `${hgi.user}/${hgi.project}/${hgi.committish || 'master'}`;
     if (fallback) {
       url_fallback = hgi_fallback.tarball();
       folder_fallback = `${hgi_fallback.user}/${hgi_fallback.project}/master`;
     }
-
-    return {
+    const returnObject = {
       url,
-      filePath: utils.joinPath(".embark/templates/", folder, "archive.zip"),
       browse: decodeURIComponent(hgi.browse()),
       url_fallback,
       filePath_fallback: fallback && utils.joinPath(".embark/templates/", folder_fallback, "archive.zip"),
       browse_fallback: fallback && decodeURIComponent(hgi_fallback.browse()),
       embarkVersion
     };
+    if (hgi.committish) {
+      folder = `${hgi.user}/${hgi.project}/${hgi.committish}`;
+      returnObject.filePath = utils.joinPath(".embark/templates/", folder, "archive.zip");
+      return returnObject;
+    }
+    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+      const request = require('request');
+      request.get({
+        url: `https://api.github.com/repos/${hgi.user}/${hgi.project}`, json: true, headers: {
+          'User-Agent': 'embark'
+        }
+      }, (err, resp, body) => {
+        if (err) {
+          return reject(err);
+        }
+        folder = `${hgi.user}/${hgi.project}/${body.default_branch}`;
+        returnObject.url = returnObject.url.replace('/master', '/' + body.default_branch);
+        returnObject.filePath = utils.joinPath(".embark/templates/", folder, "archive.zip");
+        resolve(returnObject);
+      });
+    });
   }
 }
 module.exports = TemplateGenerator;
diff --git a/test/template.js b/test/template.js
index 9f0cdaac3..85a513678 100644
--- a/test/template.js
+++ b/test/template.js
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
-/*globals describe, it*/
+/*globals describe, it, before*/
 const assert = require('assert');
 const TemplateGenerator = require('../lib/utils/template_generator');
 const semver = require('semver');
+const sinon = require('sinon');
+const request = require('request');
 
 describe('TemplateGenerator', function () {
   describe('getExternalProject', function () {
@@ -9,6 +11,9 @@ describe('TemplateGenerator', function () {
 
     before(() => {
       templateGenerator = new TemplateGenerator();
+      sinon.stub(request, 'get').callsFake((options, callback) => {
+        callback(null, {}, {default_branch: 'master'});
+      });
     });
 
     describe('with named template', function () {
@@ -31,40 +36,40 @@ describe('TemplateGenerator', function () {
 
     describe('with git host URL', function () {
 
-      it('returns correct info for GitHub URL', function () {
-        let result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("http://github.com/embark-framework/embark");
+      it('returns correct info for GitHub URL', async function () {
+        let result = await templateGenerator.getExternalProject("https://github.com/embark-framework/embark");
         assert.strictEqual(result.url, "https://codeload.github.com/embark-framework/embark/tar.gz/master");
 
-        result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("https://github.com/embark-framework/embark");
+        result = await templateGenerator.getExternalProject("https://github.com/embark-framework/embark");
         assert.strictEqual(result.url, "https://codeload.github.com/embark-framework/embark/tar.gz/master");
         assert.strictEqual(result.filePath.replace(/\\/g,'/'), ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/master/archive.zip");
         assert.strictEqual(result.browse, "https://github.com/embark-framework/embark");
 
-        result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("https://github.com/embark-framework/embark#features/branch");
+        result = await templateGenerator.getExternalProject("https://github.com/embark-framework/embark#features/branch");
         assert.strictEqual(result.url, "https://codeload.github.com/embark-framework/embark/tar.gz/features%2Fbranch");
         assert.strictEqual(result.filePath.replace(/\\/g,'/'), ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/features/branch/archive.zip");
         assert.strictEqual(result.browse, "https://github.com/embark-framework/embark/tree/features/branch");
       });
 
-      it('returns correct info for Bitbucket URL', function () {
-        let result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("https://bitbucket.org/embark-framework/embark");
+      it('returns correct info for Bitbucket URL', async function () {
+        let result = await templateGenerator.getExternalProject("https://bitbucket.org/embark-framework/embark");
         assert.strictEqual(result.url, "https://bitbucket.org/embark-framework/embark/get/master.tar.gz");
         assert.strictEqual(result.filePath.replace(/\\/g,'/'), ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/master/archive.zip");
         assert.strictEqual(result.browse, "https://bitbucket.org/embark-framework/embark");
 
-        result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("https://bitbucket.org/embark-framework/embark#features/branch");
+        result = await templateGenerator.getExternalProject("https://bitbucket.org/embark-framework/embark#features/branch");
         assert.strictEqual(result.url, "https://bitbucket.org/embark-framework/embark/get/features%2Fbranch.tar.gz");
         assert.strictEqual(result.filePath.replace(/\\/g,'/'), ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/features/branch/archive.zip");
         assert.strictEqual(result.browse, "https://bitbucket.org/embark-framework/embark/src/features/branch");
       });
 
-      it('returns correct info for GitLab URL', function () {
-        let result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("https://gitlab.com/embark-framework/embark");
+      it('returns correct info for GitLab URL', async function () {
+        let result = await templateGenerator.getExternalProject("https://gitlab.com/embark-framework/embark");
         assert.strictEqual(result.url, "https://gitlab.com/embark-framework/embark/repository/archive.tar.gz?ref=master");
         assert.strictEqual(result.filePath.replace(/\\/g,'/'), ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/master/archive.zip");
         assert.strictEqual(result.browse, "https://gitlab.com/embark-framework/embark");
 
-        result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("https://gitlab.com/embark-framework/embark#features/branch");
+        result = await templateGenerator.getExternalProject("https://gitlab.com/embark-framework/embark#features/branch");
         assert.strictEqual(result.url, "https://gitlab.com/embark-framework/embark/repository/archive.tar.gz?ref=features%2Fbranch");
         assert.strictEqual(result.filePath.replace(/\\/g,'/'), ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/features/branch/archive.zip");
         assert.strictEqual(result.browse, "https://gitlab.com/embark-framework/embark/tree/features/branch");
@@ -74,40 +79,40 @@ describe('TemplateGenerator', function () {
 
     describe('with git host shortcut', function () {
 
-      it('returns correct info for GitHub shortcut', function () {
-        let result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("github:embark-framework/embark");
+      it('returns correct info for GitHub shortcut', async function () {
+        let result = await templateGenerator.getExternalProject("github:embark-framework/embark");
         assert.strictEqual(result.url, "https://codeload.github.com/embark-framework/embark/tar.gz/master");
 
-        result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("embark-framework/embark");
+        result = await templateGenerator.getExternalProject("embark-framework/embark");
         assert.strictEqual(result.url, "https://codeload.github.com/embark-framework/embark/tar.gz/master");
         assert.strictEqual(result.filePath.replace(/\\/g,'/'), ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/master/archive.zip");
         assert.strictEqual(result.browse, "https://github.com/embark-framework/embark");
 
-        result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("embark-framework/embark#features/branch");
+        result = await templateGenerator.getExternalProject("embark-framework/embark#features/branch");
         assert.strictEqual(result.url, "https://codeload.github.com/embark-framework/embark/tar.gz/features%2Fbranch");
         assert.strictEqual(result.filePath.replace(/\\/g,'/'), ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/features/branch/archive.zip");
         assert.strictEqual(result.browse, "https://github.com/embark-framework/embark/tree/features/branch");
       });
 
-      it('returns correct info for Bitbucket shortcut', function () {
-        let result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("bitbucket:embark-framework/embark");
+      it('returns correct info for Bitbucket shortcut', async function () {
+        let result = await templateGenerator.getExternalProject("bitbucket:embark-framework/embark");
         assert.strictEqual(result.url, "https://bitbucket.org/embark-framework/embark/get/master.tar.gz");
         assert.strictEqual(result.filePath.replace(/\\/g,'/'), ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/master/archive.zip");
         assert.strictEqual(result.browse, "https://bitbucket.org/embark-framework/embark");
 
-        result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("bitbucket:embark-framework/embark#features/branch");
+        result = await templateGenerator.getExternalProject("bitbucket:embark-framework/embark#features/branch");
         assert.strictEqual(result.url, "https://bitbucket.org/embark-framework/embark/get/features%2Fbranch.tar.gz");
         assert.strictEqual(result.filePath.replace(/\\/g,'/'), ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/features/branch/archive.zip");
         assert.strictEqual(result.browse, "https://bitbucket.org/embark-framework/embark/src/features/branch");
       });
 
-      it('returns correct info for GitLab shortcut', function () {
-        let result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("gitlab:embark-framework/embark");
+      it('returns correct info for GitLab shortcut', async function () {
+        let result = await templateGenerator.getExternalProject("gitlab:embark-framework/embark");
         assert.strictEqual(result.url, "https://gitlab.com/embark-framework/embark/repository/archive.tar.gz?ref=master");
         assert.strictEqual(result.filePath.replace(/\\/g,'/'), ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/master/archive.zip");
         assert.strictEqual(result.browse, "https://gitlab.com/embark-framework/embark");
 
-        result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("gitlab:embark-framework/embark#features/branch");
+        result = await templateGenerator.getExternalProject("gitlab:embark-framework/embark#features/branch");
         assert.strictEqual(result.url, "https://gitlab.com/embark-framework/embark/repository/archive.tar.gz?ref=features%2Fbranch");
         assert.strictEqual(result.filePath.replace(/\\/g,'/'), ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/features/branch/archive.zip");
         assert.strictEqual(result.browse, "https://gitlab.com/embark-framework/embark/tree/features/branch");