diff --git a/Assistant/Sync.hs b/Assistant/Sync.hs
index b071bc80fd..1e94335eff 100644
--- a/Assistant/Sync.hs
+++ b/Assistant/Sync.hs
@@ -155,5 +155,6 @@ manualPull currentbranch remotes = do
 syncNewRemote :: Remote -> Assistant ()
 syncNewRemote remote = do
 	updateSyncRemotes
-	thread <- asIO2 reconnectRemotes
-	void $ liftIO $ forkIO $ thread False [remote]
+	thread <- asIO $ do
+		reconnectRemotes False [remote]
+	void $ liftIO $ forkIO $ thread
diff --git a/Assistant/WebApp/Configurators/Local.hs b/Assistant/WebApp/Configurators/Local.hs
index fbf748d55c..1ef1eb447b 100644
--- a/Assistant/WebApp/Configurators/Local.hs
+++ b/Assistant/WebApp/Configurators/Local.hs
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import Init
 import qualified Git
 import qualified Git.Construct
 import qualified Git.Config
+import qualified Git.Command
 import qualified Annex
 import Locations.UserConfig
 import Utility.FreeDesktop
@@ -281,11 +282,19 @@ inDir dir a = do
 	state <- Annex.new =<< Git.Config.read =<< Git.Construct.fromPath dir
 	Annex.eval state a
 
-{- Initializes a git-annex repository in a directory with a description. -}
 initRepo :: FilePath -> Maybe String -> IO UUID
 initRepo dir desc = inDir dir $ do
+	{- Initialize a git-annex repository in a directory with a description. -}
 	unlessM isInitialized $
 		initialize desc
+	unlessM (Git.Config.isBare <$> gitRepo) $
+		{- Initialize the master branch, so things that expect
+		 - to have it will work, before any files are added. -}
+		void $ inRepo $ Git.Command.runBool "commit"
+			[ Param "--allow-empty"
+			, Param "-m"
+			, Param "created repository"
+			]
 	getUUID
 
 {- Adds a directory to the autostart file. -}
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 34d8199494..36a7253a6b 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ git-annex (3.20121018) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
     to test a key's presence.
   * The standalone tarball's runshell now takes care of installing a
     ~/.ssh/git-annex-shell wrapper the first time it's run.
+  * webapp: Make an initial, empty commit so there is a master branch 
 
  -- Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>  Wed, 17 Oct 2012 14:24:10 -0400