diff --git a/plugins/modules/sorcery.py b/plugins/modules/sorcery.py
index b6ed07cfb9..4fcf46a052 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/sorcery.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/sorcery.py
@@ -255,9 +255,11 @@ def codex_fresh(codex, module):
     return True
 
 
-def codex_list(module):
+def codex_list(module, skip_new=False):
     """ List valid grimoire collection. """
 
+    params = module.params
+
     codex = {}
 
     cmd_scribe = "%s index" % SORCERY['scribe']
@@ -276,6 +278,10 @@ def codex_list(module):
         if match:
             codex[match.group('grim')] = match.group('ver')
 
+    # return only specified grimoires unless requested to skip new
+    if params['repository'] and not skip_new:
+        codex = dict((x, codex.get(x, NA)) for x in params['name'])
+
     if not codex:
         module.fail_json(msg="no grimoires to operate on; add at least one")
 
@@ -337,6 +343,9 @@ def update_codex(module):
 
             cmd_scribe = "%s update" % SORCERY['scribe']
 
+            if params['repository']:
+                cmd_scribe += ' %s' % ' '.join(codex.keys())
+
             rc, stdout, stderr = module.run_command(cmd_scribe)
 
             if rc != 0:
@@ -485,7 +494,7 @@ def manage_grimoires(module):
     grimoires = params['name']
     url = params['repository']
 
-    codex = codex_list(module)
+    codex = codex_list(module, True)
 
     if url == '*':
         if params['state'] in ('present', 'latest', 'absent'):