diff --git a/src/repository/api/base/ArcanistRepositoryAPI.php b/src/repository/api/base/ArcanistRepositoryAPI.php
index 534b2408..d97aa882 100644
--- a/src/repository/api/base/ArcanistRepositoryAPI.php
+++ b/src/repository/api/base/ArcanistRepositoryAPI.php
@@ -160,6 +160,7 @@ abstract class ArcanistRepositoryAPI {
   abstract public function getCanonicalRevisionName($string);
   abstract public function supportsRelativeLocalCommits();
   abstract public function getWorkingCopyRevision();
+  abstract public function updateWorkingCopy();
   abstract public function loadWorkingCopyDifferentialRevisions(
     ConduitClient $conduit,
     array $query);
diff --git a/src/repository/api/git/ArcanistGitAPI.php b/src/repository/api/git/ArcanistGitAPI.php
index 0b8fb562..ecbc5b45 100644
--- a/src/repository/api/git/ArcanistGitAPI.php
+++ b/src/repository/api/git/ArcanistGitAPI.php
@@ -672,4 +672,8 @@ final class ArcanistGitAPI extends ArcanistRepositoryAPI {
     return $results;
   }
 
+  public function updateWorkingCopy() {
+    $this->execxLocal('pull');
+  }
+
 }
diff --git a/src/repository/api/mercurial/ArcanistMercurialAPI.php b/src/repository/api/mercurial/ArcanistMercurialAPI.php
index 9804dde5..c78f38ee 100644
--- a/src/repository/api/mercurial/ArcanistMercurialAPI.php
+++ b/src/repository/api/mercurial/ArcanistMercurialAPI.php
@@ -430,4 +430,8 @@ final class ArcanistMercurialAPI extends ArcanistRepositoryAPI {
     return $results;
   }
 
+  public function updateWorkingCopy() {
+    $this->execxLocal('up');
+  }
+
 }
diff --git a/src/repository/api/subversion/ArcanistSubversionAPI.php b/src/repository/api/subversion/ArcanistSubversionAPI.php
index 4498b60a..9c0c3ae6 100644
--- a/src/repository/api/subversion/ArcanistSubversionAPI.php
+++ b/src/repository/api/subversion/ArcanistSubversionAPI.php
@@ -549,4 +549,8 @@ EODIFF;
     return $results;
   }
 
+  public function updateWorkingCopy() {
+    $this->execxLocal('up');
+  }
+
 }
diff --git a/src/workflow/patch/ArcanistPatchWorkflow.php b/src/workflow/patch/ArcanistPatchWorkflow.php
index 2241fe66..536154d6 100644
--- a/src/workflow/patch/ArcanistPatchWorkflow.php
+++ b/src/workflow/patch/ArcanistPatchWorkflow.php
@@ -298,27 +298,9 @@ EOTEXT
   }
 
   private function updateWorkingCopy() {
-    $repository_api = $this->getRepositoryAPI();
-    if ($repository_api instanceof ArcanistSubversionAPI) {
-      execx(
-        '(cd %s; svn up)',
-        $repository_api->getPath());
-      $message = "Updated to HEAD.  ";
-    } else if ($repository_api instanceof ArcanistGitAPI) {
-      execx(
-        '(cd %s; git pull)',
-        $repository_api->getPath());
-      $message = "Updated to HEAD.  ";
-    } else if ($repository_api instanceof ArcanistMercurialAPI) {
-      execx(
-        '(cd %s; hg up)',
-        $repository_api->getPath());
-      $message = "Updated to tip.  ";
-    } else {
-      throw new Exception('Unknown version control system.');
-    }
-
-    echo phutil_console_format($message."\n");
+    echo "Updating working copy...\n";
+    $this->getRepositoryAPI()->updateWorkingCopy();
+    echo "Done.\n";
   }
 
   public function run() {
@@ -367,10 +349,12 @@ EOTEXT
 
     $try_encoding = nonempty($this->getArgument('encoding'), null);
     if (!$try_encoding) {
-      try {
-        $try_encoding = $this->getRepositoryEncoding();
-      } catch (ConduitClientException $e) {
-        $try_encoding = null;
+      if ($this->requiresConduit()) {
+        try {
+          $try_encoding = $this->getRepositoryEncoding();
+        } catch (ConduitClientException $e) {
+          $try_encoding = null;
+        }
       }
     }