diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/install.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/install.py
index 02b0c31e0bd..516e9511496 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/test/install.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/install.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 import shutil
 import sys
 
+import pathlib
 import pytest
 
 import llnl.util.filesystem as fs
@@ -630,3 +631,15 @@ def test_install_from_binary_with_missing_patch_succeeds(
     s.package.do_install(package_cache_only=True, dependencies_cache_only=True, unsigned=True)
 
     assert temporary_store.db.query_local_by_spec_hash(s.dag_hash())
+
+
+@pytest.mark.regression("38484")
+def test_git_ref_version_can_be_reused(monkeypatch, mock_git_version_info, install_mockery):
+    repo_path, filename, commits = mock_git_version_info
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        spack.package_base.PackageBase, "git", pathlib.Path(repo_path).as_uri(), raising=False
+    )
+    spec = spack.spec.Spec("git-test-commit@git.v1.0=1.0+generic_install+feature").concretized()
+    spec.package.do_install()
+    new_spec = spack.spec.Spec("git-test-commit@git.v1.0=1.0+generic_install~feature")
+    new_spec.concretize()
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin.mock/packages/git-test-commit/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin.mock/packages/git-test-commit/package.py
index 66eb64e5436..c445fdbf49b 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin.mock/packages/git-test-commit/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin.mock/packages/git-test-commit/package.py
@@ -17,10 +17,14 @@ class GitTestCommit(Package):
     version("1.2", tag="1.2")  # not a typo
     version("2.0", tag="v2.0")
 
+    variant("generic_install", default=False, description="Override install feature for original implementations tests")
+    variant("feature", default=False, description="A very cool feature")
+
     def install(self, spec, prefix):
         # It is assumed for the test which installs this package, that it will
         # be using the earliest commit, which is contained in the range @:0
-        assert spec.satisfies("@:0")
+        if not spec.variants["generic_install"].value:
+            assert spec.satisfies("@:0")
         mkdir(prefix.bin)
 
         # This will only exist for some second commit