diff --git a/lib/utils/template_generator.js b/lib/utils/template_generator.js
index eaa41681..259144af 100644
--- a/lib/utils/template_generator.js
+++ b/lib/utils/template_generator.js
@@ -75,25 +75,66 @@ class TemplateGenerator {
     console.log('\n' + __('App ready at ').green + templatePath);
   }
 
-  getExternalProject(uri) {
-    let match = uri.match(
-      /\.[a-z]+\/([-a-zA-Z0-9@:%_+.~#?&\/=]+)/
-    );
+  extractGithubUrlAndFolder(uri){
+
+    /*  first matching group is the url, second the repoPart and third the branch with a hash in the beginning (if existing)
+        e.g. (["git@github.com/status-im/dappcon-workshop-dapp#master", "status-im/dappcon-workshop-dapp", "#master" ])
+        should work with all formats of the following:
+        * git@github.com/status-im/dappcon-workshop-dapp#start-here
+        * git@github.com/status-im/dappcon-workshop-dapp
+        * http://www.github.com/status-im/dappcon-workshop-dapp
+        * https://www.github.com/status-im/dappcon-workshop-dapp
+        * github.com/status-im/dappcon-workshop-dapp#start-here
+
+        sadly it doesn't extract from http(s)://github.com/status-im/dappcon-workshop-dapp/tree/start-here
+        thats why we have a special case later
+    */
+    const match = uri.match(/github\.com+\/(.+?)(#.*)?$/);
+    const githubPart = "https://github.com/";
+    let repoPart = match !== null? match[1] : null;
+    let branchName = match !== null? match[2] : null;
+
+    if (branchName && branchName !== '#'){
+      branchName = branchName.substring(1);
+    } else {
+      branchName = "master";
+    }
 
     let url, folder;
+    if (uri.includes("/tree")){
+    //e.g http(s)://github.com/status-im/dappcon-workshop-dapp/tree/start-here
+      let repoPartAndBranch = repoPart.split("/tree/");
+      repoPart = repoPartAndBranch[0];
+      branchName = repoPartAndBranch[1];
+      url = "https://github.com/" + repoPart + "/archive/"+ branchName +".zip";
+      folder = repoPart + "/" + branchName;
+    } else if (repoPart !== undefined) {
+      url = githubPart + repoPart + "/archive/" + branchName + ".zip";
+      folder = repoPart + "/" + branchName;
+   }
 
-    if (uri.startsWith('http')) {
-      url = uri + "/archive/master.zip";
-      folder = match[1];
-    } else if (uri.startsWith('github')) {
-      url = "https://" + uri + "/archive/master.zip";
-      folder = match[1];
-    } else if (uri.split('/').length === 2) {
-      url = "https://github.com/" + uri + "/archive/master.zip";
-      folder = uri;
+    return {
+      'url': url,
+      'folder': folder
+    };
+  }
+
+  getExternalProject(uri) {
+    let url, folder;
+    if (uri.split('/').length === 2) {
+      //e.g embark-framework/embark
+      let repoPartAndBranch = uri.split('#');
+      let repoPart = repoPartAndBranch[0];
+      let branchName = (repoPartAndBranch.length === 2)? repoPartAndBranch[1] : "master";
+      url = "https://github.com/" + repoPart + "/archive/"+ branchName + ".zip";
+      folder = repoPart + "/" + branchName;
     } else if (uri.indexOf('/') === -1) {
       url = "https://github.com/embark-framework/embark-" + uri + "-template/archive/master.zip";
       folder = "embark-framework/embark-" + uri + "-template";
+    } else {
+      let urlAndFolder = this.extractGithubUrlAndFolder(uri);
+      url = urlAndFolder.url;
+      folder = urlAndFolder.folder;
     }
 
     return {
@@ -101,7 +142,5 @@ class TemplateGenerator {
       filePath: utils.joinPath(".embark/templates/", folder, "archive.zip")
     };
   }
-
 }
-
 module.exports = TemplateGenerator;
diff --git a/test/template.js b/test/template.js
index d8673269..796484ff 100644
--- a/test/template.js
+++ b/test/template.js
@@ -15,31 +15,49 @@ describe('TemplateGenerator', function () {
       it('return correct zip filename for https link', function () {
         let result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("https://github.com/embark-framework/embark");
         assert.strictEqual(result.url, "https://github.com/embark-framework/embark/archive/master.zip");
-        assert.strictEqual(result.filePath.replace(/\\/g,'/'), ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/archive.zip");
+        assert.strictEqual(result.filePath.replace(/\\/g,'/'), ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/master/archive.zip");
+      });
+
+      it('return correct zip filename for https link with branch specified', function () {
+        let result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("https://github.com/embark-framework/embark/tree/develop");
+        assert.strictEqual(result.url, "https://github.com/embark-framework/embark/archive/develop.zip");
+        assert.strictEqual(result.filePath.replace(/\\/g,'/'), ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/develop/archive.zip");
       });
 
       it('return correct zip filename for http link', function () {
         let result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("http://github.com/embark-framework/embark");
-        assert.strictEqual(result.url, "http://github.com/embark-framework/embark/archive/master.zip");
-        assert.strictEqual(result.filePath.replace(/\\/g,'/'), ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/archive.zip");
+        assert.strictEqual(result.url, "https://github.com/embark-framework/embark/archive/master.zip");
+        assert.strictEqual(result.filePath.replace(/\\/g,'/'), ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/master/archive.zip");
+      });
+
+      it('return correct zip filename for http link with branch specified', function () {
+        let result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("http://github.com/embark-framework/embark/tree/develop");
+        assert.strictEqual(result.url, "https://github.com/embark-framework/embark/archive/develop.zip");
+        assert.strictEqual(result.filePath.replace(/\\/g,'/'), ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/develop/archive.zip");
       });
 
       it('return correct zip filename without protocol specified ', function () {
         let result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("github.com/embark-framework/embark");
         assert.strictEqual(result.url, "https://github.com/embark-framework/embark/archive/master.zip");
-        assert.strictEqual(result.filePath.replace(/\\/g,'/'), ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/archive.zip");
+        assert.strictEqual(result.filePath.replace(/\\/g,'/'), ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/master/archive.zip");
       });
 
-      it('return correct zip filename without protocol specified ', function () {
-        let result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("github.com/embark-framework/embark");
-        assert.strictEqual(result.url, "https://github.com/embark-framework/embark/archive/master.zip");
-        assert.strictEqual(result.filePath.replace(/\\/g,'/'), ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/archive.zip");
+      it('return correct zip filename without protocol with branch specified', function () {
+        let result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("github.com/embark-framework/embark#develop");
+        assert.strictEqual(result.url, "https://github.com/embark-framework/embark/archive/develop.zip");
+        assert.strictEqual(result.filePath.replace(/\\/g,'/'), ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/develop/archive.zip");
       });
 
       it('return correct zip filename with just username/repo specified', function () {
         let result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("embark-framework/embark");
         assert.strictEqual(result.url, "https://github.com/embark-framework/embark/archive/master.zip");
-        assert.strictEqual(result.filePath.replace(/\\/g,'/'), ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/archive.zip");
+        assert.strictEqual(result.filePath.replace(/\\/g,'/'), ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/master/archive.zip");
+      });
+
+      it('return correct zip filename with just username/repo and branch specified', function () {
+        let result = templateGenerator.getExternalProject("embark-framework/embark#develop");
+        assert.strictEqual(result.url, "https://github.com/embark-framework/embark/archive/develop.zip");
+        assert.strictEqual(result.filePath.replace(/\\/g,'/'), ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark/develop/archive.zip");
       });
 
       it('return correct zip filename with just embark template specified', function () {
@@ -47,7 +65,6 @@ describe('TemplateGenerator', function () {
         assert.strictEqual(result.url, "https://github.com/embark-framework/embark-react-template/archive/master.zip");
         assert.strictEqual(result.filePath.replace(/\\/g,'/'), ".embark/templates/embark-framework/embark-react-template/archive.zip");
       });
-
     });
 
   });