diff --git a/swh/loader/git/loader.py b/swh/loader/git/loader.py
--- a/swh/loader/git/loader.py
+++ b/swh/loader/git/loader.py
@@ -44,12 +44,15 @@
     """Repository representation for a Software Heritage origin."""
 
     def __init__(
-        self, storage, base_snapshot: Optional[Snapshot] = None, ignore_history=False
+        self,
+        storage,
+        base_snapshot: Optional[Snapshot] = None,
+        incremental: bool = True,
     ):
         self.storage = storage
-        self.ignore_history = ignore_history
+        self.incremental = incremental
 
-        if base_snapshot and not ignore_history:
+        if base_snapshot and incremental:
             self.base_snapshot: Snapshot = base_snapshot
         else:
             self.base_snapshot = Snapshot(branches={})
@@ -114,7 +117,7 @@
         storage: StorageInterface,
         url: str,
         base_url: Optional[str] = None,
-        ignore_history: bool = False,
+        incremental: bool = True,
         repo_representation: Type[RepoRepresentation] = RepoRepresentation,
         pack_size_bytes: int = 4 * 1024 * 1024 * 1024,
         temp_file_cutoff: int = 100 * 1024 * 1024,
@@ -127,6 +130,10 @@
             repo_representation: swh's repository representation
             which is in charge of filtering between known and remote
             data.
+            ...
+
+            incremental: If True, the default, this starts from the last known snapshot
+                (if any) references. Otherwise, this loads the full repository.
 
         """
         super().__init__(
@@ -136,7 +143,7 @@
         )
         self.origin_url = url
         self.base_url = base_url
-        self.ignore_history = ignore_history
+        self.incremental = incremental
         self.repo_representation = repo_representation
         self.pack_size_bytes = pack_size_bytes
         self.temp_file_cutoff = temp_file_cutoff
@@ -235,7 +242,7 @@
 
         prev_snapshot: Optional[Snapshot] = None
 
-        if not self.ignore_history:
+        if self.incremental:
             prev_snapshot = self.get_full_snapshot(self.origin.url)
 
         if self.base_url and prev_snapshot is None:
@@ -254,7 +261,7 @@
         base_repo = self.repo_representation(
             storage=self.storage,
             base_snapshot=self.base_snapshot,
-            ignore_history=self.ignore_history,
+            incremental=self.incremental,
         )
 
         def do_progress(msg: bytes) -> None:
@@ -508,12 +515,12 @@
         help="Ignore the repository history",
         default=False,
     )
-    def main(origin_url: str, base_url: str, ignore_history: bool) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    def main(origin_url: str, base_url: str, incremental: bool) -> Dict[str, Any]:
         from swh.storage import get_storage
 
         storage = get_storage(cls="memory")
         loader = GitLoader(
-            storage, origin_url, base_url=base_url, ignore_history=ignore_history,
+            storage, origin_url, base_url=base_url, incremental=incremental,
         )
         return loader.load()
 
diff --git a/swh/loader/git/tests/test_from_disk.py b/swh/loader/git/tests/test_from_disk.py
--- a/swh/loader/git/tests/test_from_disk.py
+++ b/swh/loader/git/tests/test_from_disk.py
@@ -151,7 +151,13 @@
         }
 
         res = self.loader.load()
-        assert res == {"status": "uneventful"}
+        if hasattr(self.loader, "incremental"):  # some loader don't have the flag
+            assert (self.loader.incremental and res == {"status": "uneventful"}) or (
+                not self.loader.incremental and res == {"status": "eventful"}
+            )
+        else:
+            res == {"status": "uneventful"}
+
         stats1 = get_stats(self.loader.storage)
         expected_stats = copy.deepcopy(stats0)
         expected_stats["origin_visit"] += 1
diff --git a/swh/loader/git/tests/test_loader.py b/swh/loader/git/tests/test_loader.py
--- a/swh/loader/git/tests/test_loader.py
+++ b/swh/loader/git/tests/test_loader.py
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@
         )
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("incremental", [True, False])
 class TestGitLoader(FullGitLoaderTests, CommonGitLoaderNotFound):
     """Prepare a git directory repository to be loaded through a GitLoader.
     This tests all git loader scenario.
@@ -98,15 +99,15 @@
     """
 
     @pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
-    def init(self, swh_storage, datadir, tmp_path):
+    def init(self, swh_storage, datadir, tmp_path, incremental):
         archive_name = "testrepo"
         archive_path = os.path.join(datadir, f"{archive_name}.tgz")
         tmp_path = str(tmp_path)
         self.repo_url = prepare_repository_from_archive(
-            archive_path, archive_name, tmp_path=tmp_path
+            archive_path, archive_name, tmp_path=tmp_path,
         )
         self.destination_path = os.path.join(tmp_path, archive_name)
-        self.loader = GitLoader(swh_storage, self.repo_url)
+        self.loader = GitLoader(swh_storage, self.repo_url, incremental=incremental)
         self.repo = dulwich.repo.Repo(self.destination_path)