diff --git a/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/pkg/scribblings/git-workflow.scrbl b/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/pkg/scribblings/git-workflow.scrbl
index acd0820918..f7bebae72c 100644
--- a/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/pkg/scribblings/git-workflow.scrbl
+++ b/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/pkg/scribblings/git-workflow.scrbl
@@ -61,14 +61,29 @@ develops only a few of them. The intended workflow is as follows:
  @item{Install all the relevant packages with @command-ref{install}.}
 
  @item{For each package to be developed out of a particular Git
-  repository named by @nonterm{git-pkg-source}, update the installation with
+  repository named by @nonterm{pkg-name}, update the installation with
 
-  @commandline{@command{update} --clone @nonterm{dir} @nonterm{git-pkg-source}}
+  @commandline{@command{update} --clone @nonterm{dir} @nonterm{pkg-name}}
 
   which discards the original installation of the package and replaces
-  it with a local clone as @nonterm{dir}. (As a convenience, when
-  @nonterm{git-pkg-source} and the last element of @nonterm{dir} are
-  the same, then @nonterm{git-pkg-source} can be omitted.)}
+  it with a local clone as @nonterm{dir}.
+
+  As a convenience, when @nonterm{git-pkg-source} and the last element
+  of @nonterm{dir} are the same, then @nonterm{pkg-name} can be
+  omitted. Put another way, the argument to @DFlag{clone} can be a
+  path to @nonterm{pkg-name}:
+
+  @commandline{@command{update} --clone @nonterm{path-to}/@nonterm{pkg-name}}}
+
+ @item{If a package's current installation is not drawn fro a Git
+  repository (e.g., it's drawn from a catalog of built packages for a
+  distribution or snapshot), but @nonterm{catalog} maps the package
+  name to the right Git repository, then combine @DFlag{clone} with
+  @DFlag{lookup} and @DFlag{catalog}:
+
+  @commandline{@command{update} --lookup --catalog @nonterm{catalog} --clone @nonterm{path-to}/@nonterm{pkg-name}}
+
+  A suitable @nonterm{catalog} might be @url{http://pkgs.racket-lang.org}.}
 
  @item{Manage changes to each of the developed packages in the usual
   way with @exec{git} tools, but @command-ref{update} is also available
@@ -82,7 +97,7 @@ affects the branch used for the initial checkout, while a non-empty
 path causes a subdirectory of the checkout to be linked for the
 package.
 
-The @exec{git} tools and @exec{raco pkg} tools interact in specific
+The @exec{git} and @exec{raco pkg} tools interact in specific
 ways:
 
 @itemlist[
@@ -110,10 +125,9 @@ ways:
        does not inherently require clone sharing among the packages,
        but since non-sharing or inconsistent installation modes could
        be confusing, @command-ref{install} and @command-ref{update}
-       reject non-sharing or inconsistent installations unless
-       overridden with @DFlag{multi-clone}. In typical cases,
-       @exec{@DFlag{multi-clone} ask} or @exec{@DFlag{multi-clone}
-       convert} can automatically fix inconsistencies.}
+       report non-sharing or inconsistent installations. In typical cases,
+       the default @exec{@DFlag{multi-clone} ask} mode can automatically
+       fix inconsistencies.}
 
  @item{When pulling changes to repositories that have local copies,
        @command-ref{update} pulls changes with the equivalent of @exec{git
diff --git a/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/pkg/scribblings/pkg.scrbl b/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/pkg/scribblings/pkg.scrbl
index d84da9ee44..d4a9ba5a42 100644
--- a/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/pkg/scribblings/pkg.scrbl
+++ b/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/pkg/scribblings/pkg.scrbl
@@ -578,7 +578,7 @@ argument.
  @item{@DFlag{lookup} --- Causes a @tech{package name} as a @nonterm{pkg-source} to be used
        as a replacement, instead of the name of a installed package that may have updates.
        (If the named package was installed through a package name, then there's effectively
-        no difference.)}
+        no difference unless a different catalog is used.)}
 
  @item{@DFlag{type} @nonterm{type} or @Flag{t} @nonterm{type} --- Same as for @command-ref{install}.}
  @item{@DFlag{name} @nonterm{pkg} or @Flag{n} @nonterm{pkg} --- Same as for @command-ref{install}.}
@@ -593,7 +593,7 @@ argument.
  @item{@DFlag{clone} @nonterm{dir} --- Same as for
     @command-ref{install}, except that a @nonterm{pkg-source} as a
     @tech{package name} is treated as the name of an installed
-    package. In that case, the package must be currently installed
+    package (unless @DFlag{lookup} is specified). In that case, the package must be currently installed
     from a Git or GitHub source---possibly as directed by a
     catalog---and that source is used for the clone (which replaces
     the existing package installation).}
diff --git a/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-test/tests/pkg/tests-clone.rkt b/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-test/tests/pkg/tests-clone.rkt
index 822c956ca1..2edcff7859 100644
--- a/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-test/tests/pkg/tests-clone.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-test/tests/pkg/tests-clone.rkt
@@ -217,6 +217,48 @@
        (delete-directory/files (build-path clone-dir "a"))
        (delete-directory/files a-dir)))
 
+    ;; ----------------------------------------
+    ;; Combining --clone and --lookup
+
+    (with-fake-root
+      (shelly-begin
+       (make-directory a-dir)
+       $ (~a "cd " a-dir "; git init")
+       (set-file (build-path a-dir "main.rkt") "#lang racket/base 1")
+       (~a "cd " a-dir "; git add .; git commit -m change; git update-server-info")
+       $ (commit-changes-cmd)
+       
+       (define (update-a-in-catalog!)
+         (hash-set! *index-ht-1* "a"
+                    (hasheq 'checksum
+                            (current-commit a-dir)
+                            'source
+                            "http://localhost:9998/a/.git")))
+       (update-a-in-catalog!)
+       $ "raco pkg config --set catalogs http://localhost:9990"      
+       
+       $ (~a "raco pkg install " a-dir)
+       $ "racket -l a" =stdout> "1\n"
+
+       (set-file (build-path a-dir "main.rkt") "#lang racket/base 2")
+       ;; didn't commit, yet
+       $ "racket -l a" =stdout> "2\n"
+
+       (shelly-case
+        "convert directory-linked to clone via --lookup"
+        $ (~a "raco pkg update --clone " (build-path clone-dir "a"))
+        =exit> 1
+        $ (~a "raco pkg update --lookup --clone " (build-path clone-dir "a"))
+        =exit> 0
+        $ "racket -l a" =stdout> "1\n"
+        
+        $ (commit-changes-cmd)
+        $ "raco pkg update a"
+        $ "racket -l a" =stdout> "2\n")
+       
+       (delete-directory/files (build-path clone-dir "a"))
+       (delete-directory/files a-dir)))
+
     ;; ----------------------------------------
     ;; Detecting when packages should share a clone
 
diff --git a/racket/collects/pkg/lib.rkt b/racket/collects/pkg/lib.rkt
index 339f606577..8c64034ba4 100644
--- a/racket/collects/pkg/lib.rkt
+++ b/racket/collects/pkg/lib.rkt
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@
                         #:strip (or/c #f 'source 'binary 'binary-lib)
                         #:force-strip? boolean?
                         #:link-dirs? boolean?
+                        #:lookup-for-clone? boolean?
                         #:multi-clone-behavior (or/c 'fail 'force 'convert 'ask))
         (or/c #f 'skip (listof (or/c path-string? (non-empty-listof path-string?)))))]
   [pkg-remove
diff --git a/racket/collects/pkg/main.rkt b/racket/collects/pkg/main.rkt
index cf67adbc1b..65f8c28211 100644
--- a/racket/collects/pkg/main.rkt
+++ b/racket/collects/pkg/main.rkt
@@ -300,6 +300,8 @@
                 scope scope-dir installation user pkg-source a-type #t name
                 (lambda ()
                   install-copy-checks ...
+                  (define clone-path (and (eq? a-type 'clone)
+                                          (path->complete-path clone)))
                   (define setup-collects
                     (with-pkg-lock
                         (parameterize ([current-pkg-catalogs (and catalog
@@ -307,15 +309,15 @@
                           (pkg-update (for/list ([pkg-source (in-list pkg-source)])
                                         (cond
                                          [lookup
-                                          (pkg-desc pkg-source a-type name checksum #f)]
+                                          (pkg-desc pkg-source a-type name checksum #f
+                                                    #:path clone-path)]
                                          [else
                                           (define-values (pkg-name pkg-type) 
                                             (package-source->name+type pkg-source a-type))
                                           (if (eq? pkg-type 'name)
                                               pkg-name
                                               (pkg-desc pkg-source a-type name checksum #f
-                                                        #:path (and (eq? a-type 'clone)
-                                                                    (path->complete-path clone))))]))
+                                                        #:path clone-path))]))
                                       #:from-command-line? #t
                                       #:all? all
                                       #:dep-behavior (or (and auto 'search-auto)
@@ -334,6 +336,7 @@
                                                   (and binary 'binary)
                                                   (and binary-lib 'binary-lib))
                                       #:force-strip? force
+                                      #:lookup-for-clone? lookup
                                       #:multi-clone-behavior (or multi-clone
                                                                  (if batch
                                                                      'fail
diff --git a/racket/collects/pkg/private/install.rkt b/racket/collects/pkg/private/install.rkt
index 9b666ca82f..bf60950c1a 100644
--- a/racket/collects/pkg/private/install.rkt
+++ b/racket/collects/pkg/private/install.rkt
@@ -1080,6 +1080,7 @@
                     #:strip [strip-mode #f]
                     #:force-strip? [force-strip? #f]
                     #:link-dirs? [link-dirs? #f]
+                    #:lookup-for-clone? [lookup-for-clone? #f]
                     #:multi-clone-behavior [clone-behavior 'fail])
   (define download-printf (if quiet? void printf))
   (define metadata-ns (make-metadata-namespace))
@@ -1103,9 +1104,11 @@
                                                     #:use-cache? use-cache?
                                                     #:from-command-line? from-command-line?
                                                     #:link-dirs? link-dirs?)
-                                (map (convert-clone-name-to-clone-repo/update
-                                      db
-                                      from-command-line?)
+                                (map (if lookup-for-clone?
+                                         (convert-clone-name-to-clone-repo/install catalog-lookup-cache
+                                                                                   download-printf)
+                                         (convert-clone-name-to-clone-repo/update db
+                                                                                  from-command-line?))
                                      pkgs)))
   (cond
     [(empty? pkgs)