diff --git a/internal/strategy/git/export_test.go b/internal/strategy/git/export_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3fb1a17
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/strategy/git/export_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+package git
+
+import (
+	"context"
+
+	"github.com/block/cachew/internal/gitclone"
+)
+
+func (s *Strategy) GenerateAndUploadSnapshot(ctx context.Context, repo *gitclone.Repository) error {
+	return s.generateAndUploadSnapshot(ctx, repo)
+}
diff --git a/internal/strategy/git/git.go b/internal/strategy/git/git.go
index c0dd10b..ae698c4 100644
--- a/internal/strategy/git/git.go
+++ b/internal/strategy/git/git.go
@@ -77,8 +77,10 @@ func New(
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "failed to create clone manager")
 	}
-	if err := os.RemoveAll(filepath.Join(cloneManager.Config().MirrorRoot, ".spools")); err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "clean up stale spools")
+	for _, dir := range []string{".spools", ".snapshots"} {
+		if err := os.RemoveAll(filepath.Join(cloneManager.Config().MirrorRoot, dir)); err != nil {
+			return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "clean up stale %s", dir)
+		}
 	}
 
 	s := &Strategy{
diff --git a/internal/strategy/git/snapshot.go b/internal/strategy/git/snapshot.go
index 9d294fc..7d5ae15 100644
--- a/internal/strategy/git/snapshot.go
+++ b/internal/strategy/git/snapshot.go
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"log/slog"
 	"net/http"
+	"net/url"
+	"os"
+	"os/exec"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/alecthomas/errors"
@@ -14,20 +19,54 @@ import (
 	"github.com/block/cachew/internal/snapshot"
 )
 
+func snapshotDirForURL(mirrorRoot, upstreamURL string) string {
+	parsed, err := url.Parse(upstreamURL)
+	if err != nil {
+		return filepath.Join(mirrorRoot, ".snapshots", "unknown")
+	}
+	repoPath := strings.TrimSuffix(parsed.Path, ".git")
+	return filepath.Join(mirrorRoot, ".snapshots", parsed.Host, repoPath)
+}
+
 func (s *Strategy) generateAndUploadSnapshot(ctx context.Context, repo *gitclone.Repository) error {
 	logger := logging.FromContext(ctx)
 	upstream := repo.UpstreamURL()
 
 	logger.InfoContext(ctx, "Snapshot generation started", slog.String("upstream", upstream))
 
+	mirrorRoot := s.cloneManager.Config().MirrorRoot
+	snapshotDir := snapshotDirForURL(mirrorRoot, upstream)
+
+	// Clean any previous snapshot working directory.
+	if err := os.RemoveAll(snapshotDir); err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "remove previous snapshot dir")
+	}
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(snapshotDir), 0o750); err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "create snapshot parent dir")
+	}
+
+	// Local clone from the mirror — git hardlinks objects by default.
+	// #nosec G204 - repo.Path() and snapshotDir are controlled by us
+	cmd := exec.CommandContext(ctx, "git", "clone", repo.Path(), snapshotDir)
+	if output, err := cmd.CombinedOutput(); err != nil {
+		_ = os.RemoveAll(snapshotDir)
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "git clone for snapshot: %s", string(output))
+	}
+
 	cacheKey := cache.NewKey(upstream + ".snapshot")
 	ttl := 7 * 24 * time.Hour
 	excludePatterns := []string{"*.lock"}
 
-	err := errors.Wrap(snapshot.Create(ctx, s.cache, cacheKey, repo.Path(), ttl, excludePatterns), "create snapshot")
+	err := snapshot.Create(ctx, s.cache, cacheKey, snapshotDir, ttl, excludePatterns)
+
+	// Always clean up the snapshot working directory.
+	if rmErr := os.RemoveAll(snapshotDir); rmErr != nil {
+		logger.WarnContext(ctx, "Failed to clean up snapshot dir", slog.String("error", rmErr.Error()))
+	}
+
 	if err != nil {
 		logger.ErrorContext(ctx, "Snapshot generation failed", slog.String("upstream", upstream), slog.String("error", err.Error()))
-		return err
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "create snapshot")
 	}
 
 	logger.InfoContext(ctx, "Snapshot generation completed", slog.String("upstream", upstream))
diff --git a/internal/strategy/git/snapshot_test.go b/internal/strategy/git/snapshot_test.go
index 52b6085..b87e02e 100644
--- a/internal/strategy/git/snapshot_test.go
+++ b/internal/strategy/git/snapshot_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
+	"os"
+	"os/exec"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -14,6 +17,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/block/cachew/internal/githubapp"
 	"github.com/block/cachew/internal/jobscheduler"
 	"github.com/block/cachew/internal/logging"
+	"github.com/block/cachew/internal/snapshot"
 	"github.com/block/cachew/internal/strategy/git"
 )
 
@@ -75,38 +79,89 @@ func TestSnapshotHTTPEndpoint(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, 404, w.Code)
 }
 
-func TestSnapshotInterval(t *testing.T) {
-	_, ctx := logging.Configure(context.Background(), logging.Config{})
-	tmpDir := t.TempDir()
+// createTestMirrorRepo creates a bare mirror-style repo at mirrorPath with one commit.
+func createTestMirrorRepo(t *testing.T, mirrorPath string) {
+	t.Helper()
+	tmpWork := t.TempDir()
+
+	for _, args := range [][]string{
+		{"init", tmpWork},
+		{"-C", tmpWork, "config", "user.email", "test@test.com"},
+		{"-C", tmpWork, "config", "user.name", "Test"},
+	} {
+		cmd := exec.Command("git", args...)
+		output, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
+		assert.NoError(t, err, string(output))
+	}
+
+	assert.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(tmpWork, "hello.txt"), []byte("hello\n"), 0o644))
 
-	tests := []struct {
-		name             string
-		snapshotInterval time.Duration
-	}{
-		{
-			name:             "CustomInterval",
-			snapshotInterval: 1 * time.Hour,
-		},
-		{
-			name:             "DefaultInterval",
-			snapshotInterval: 0,
-		},
+	for _, args := range [][]string{
+		{"-C", tmpWork, "add", "."},
+		{"-C", tmpWork, "commit", "-m", "initial"},
+		{"clone", "--mirror", tmpWork, mirrorPath},
+	} {
+		cmd := exec.Command("git", args...)
+		output, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
+		assert.NoError(t, err, string(output))
 	}
+}
 
-	for _, tt := range tests {
-		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			memCache, err := cache.NewMemory(ctx, cache.MemoryConfig{})
-			assert.NoError(t, err)
-			mux := newTestMux()
-
-			cm := gitclone.NewManagerProvider(ctx, gitclone.Config{
-				MirrorRoot: tmpDir,
-			}, nil)
-			s, err := git.New(ctx, git.Config{
-				SnapshotInterval: tt.snapshotInterval,
-			}, jobscheduler.New(ctx, jobscheduler.Config{}), memCache, mux, cm, func() (*githubapp.TokenManager, error) { return nil, nil }) //nolint:nilnil
-			assert.NoError(t, err)
-			assert.NotZero(t, s)
-		})
+func TestSnapshotGenerationViaLocalClone(t *testing.T) {
+	if _, err := exec.LookPath("git"); err != nil {
+		t.Skip("git not found in PATH")
 	}
+
+	_, ctx := logging.Configure(context.Background(), logging.Config{})
+	tmpDir := t.TempDir()
+	mirrorRoot := filepath.Join(tmpDir, "mirrors")
+	upstreamURL := "https://github.com/org/repo"
+
+	// Create a mirror repo at the path the clone manager would use.
+	mirrorPath := filepath.Join(mirrorRoot, "github.com", "org", "repo")
+	createTestMirrorRepo(t, mirrorPath)
+
+	memCache, err := cache.NewMemory(ctx, cache.MemoryConfig{})
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	mux := newTestMux()
+
+	cm := gitclone.NewManagerProvider(ctx, gitclone.Config{MirrorRoot: mirrorRoot}, nil)
+	s, err := git.New(ctx, git.Config{}, jobscheduler.New(ctx, jobscheduler.Config{}), memCache, mux, cm, func() (*githubapp.TokenManager, error) { return nil, nil }) //nolint:nilnil
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// GetOrCreate so the strategy knows about the repo.
+	manager, err := cm()
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	repo, err := manager.GetOrCreate(ctx, upstreamURL)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, gitclone.StateReady, repo.State())
+
+	// Generate the snapshot.
+	err = s.GenerateAndUploadSnapshot(ctx, repo)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// Verify snapshot was uploaded to cache.
+	cacheKey := cache.NewKey(upstreamURL + ".snapshot")
+	_, headers, err := memCache.Open(ctx, cacheKey)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, "application/zstd", headers.Get("Content-Type"))
+
+	// Restore the snapshot and verify it is a working (non-bare) checkout.
+	restoreDir := filepath.Join(tmpDir, "restored")
+	err = snapshot.Restore(ctx, memCache, cacheKey, restoreDir)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// A non-bare clone has a .git directory (not a bare repo).
+	_, err = os.Stat(filepath.Join(restoreDir, ".git"))
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// The working tree should contain the committed file.
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(restoreDir, "hello.txt"))
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, "hello\n", string(data))
+
+	// Snapshot working directory should have been cleaned up.
+	snapshotWorkDir := filepath.Join(mirrorRoot, ".snapshots", "github.com", "org", "repo")
+	_, err = os.Stat(snapshotWorkDir)
+	assert.True(t, os.IsNotExist(err))
 }