diff --git a/git_river/cli.py b/git_river/cli.py
index 13439cb..29b7581 100644
--- a/git_river/cli.py
+++ b/git_river/cli.py
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ def main(ctx: click.Context) -> None:
 main.add_command(git_river.commands.clone.main)
 main.add_command(git_river.commands.config.main)
 main.add_command(git_river.commands.forge.main)
-main.add_command(git_river.commands.repo.fetch_remotes)
+main.add_command(git_river.commands.repo.update_remotes)
 main.add_command(git_river.commands.repo.merge_feature_branches)
 main.add_command(git_river.commands.repo.tidy_branches)
 main.add_command(git_river.commands.repo.rebase)
diff --git a/git_river/commands/forge.py b/git_river/commands/forge.py
index d408866..7ae54f0 100644
--- a/git_river/commands/forge.py
+++ b/git_river/commands/forge.py
@@ -207,9 +207,9 @@ def configure_remotes(workspace: RepositoryManager) -> None:
         repo.configure_remotes()
 
 
-@main.command(name="fetch")
+@main.command(name="update")
 @click.pass_obj
-def fetch_remotes(workspace: RepositoryManager) -> None:
+def update_remotes(workspace: RepositoryManager) -> None:
     """Fetch configured remotes for each repository."""
     with git_river.ext.click.progressbar(
         iterable=workspace.existing(),
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ def fetch_remotes(workspace: RepositoryManager) -> None:
         logger_name=__name__,
     ) as progress:
         for repo in progress:
-            repo.fetch_remotes()
+            repo.update_remotes()
 
 
 @main.command(name="tidy")
diff --git a/git_river/commands/repo.py b/git_river/commands/repo.py
index 16a1d65..2587161 100644
--- a/git_river/commands/repo.py
+++ b/git_river/commands/repo.py
@@ -89,11 +89,11 @@
 )
 
 
-@click.command(name="fetch")
+@click.command(name="update")
 @click_repo_option
-def fetch_remotes(path: pathlib.Path) -> None:
-    """Fetch all remotes."""
-    git_river.repository.LocalRepository.from_path(path).fetch_remotes()
+def update_remotes(path: pathlib.Path) -> None:
+    """Update and prune all remotes."""
+    git_river.repository.LocalRepository.from_path(path).update_remotes()
 
 
 @click.command(name="merge")
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ def tidy_branches(path: pathlib.Path, dry_run: bool, mainline: typing.Optional[s
 
     mainline = repo.discover_mainline_branch(mainline)
 
-    repo.fetch_remotes(prune=True)
+    repo.update_remotes()
     repo.remove_merged_branches(mainline, dry_run=dry_run)
 
 
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ def end(
     repo.fetch_branch_from_remote(mainline, remote=upstream)
     repo.switch_to_branch(mainline)
     repo.remove_merged_branches(mainline, dry_run=False)
-    repo.fetch_remotes(prune=True)
+    repo.update_remotes()
 
     if downstream := repo.discover_optional_downstream_remote(downstream):
         repo.push_to_remote(mainline, remote=downstream)
diff --git a/git_river/repository.py b/git_river/repository.py
index 95520bb..def8474 100644
--- a/git_river/repository.py
+++ b/git_river/repository.py
@@ -223,12 +223,11 @@ def create_remote(self, name: str, url: str) -> None:
             log.warning("Updating remote", remote=name, new={url}, old=set(remote.urls))
             remote.set_url(url)
 
-    def fetch_remotes(self, prune: bool = True) -> None:
+    def update_remotes(self, prune: bool = True) -> None:
+        """Update (and prune) all remotes using 'git remote update'."""
         log = self.bind(logger)
-        log.info("Fetching remotes")
-        for remote in self.repo.remotes:
-            log.debug("Fetching remote", remote=remote.name)
-            remote.fetch(prune=prune, tags=True)
+        log.info("Updating remotes")
+        self.repo.git._call_process("remote", "update", insert_kwargs_after="update", prune=prune)
 
     def remove_merged_branches(self, target: str, *, dry_run: bool = True) -> None:
         """Remove branches that have been merged into the repo's default branch."""
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 49134e2..f486064 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [tool.poetry]
 name = "git-river"
-version = "1.3.1"
+version = "1.4.0"
 readme = "README.md"
 description = "Tools for working with upstream repositories"
 homepage = "https://pypi.org/project/git-river/"