diff --git a/Commands.hs b/Commands.hs
index 6018ed8223..015a2d822a 100644
--- a/Commands.hs
+++ b/Commands.hs
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ fixCleanup file = do
 	Annex.queue "add" [] file
 	return True
 
-{- Stores description for the repository. -}
+{- Stores description for the repository etc. -}
 initStart :: String -> Annex (Maybe SubCmdPerform)
 initStart description = do
 	if (null description)
@@ -359,6 +359,7 @@ initPerform description = do
 	g <- Annex.gitRepo
 	u <- getUUID g
 	describeUUID u description
+	liftIO $ gitAttributes g
 	return $ Just $ initCleanup
 initCleanup :: Annex Bool
 initCleanup = do
diff --git a/Core.hs b/Core.hs
index 13177588d0..80bf56cc40 100644
--- a/Core.hs
+++ b/Core.hs
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import Utility
 startup :: Annex Bool
 startup = do
 	g <- Annex.gitRepo
-	liftIO $ gitAttributes g
 	prepUUID
 	return True
 
diff --git a/doc/git-annex.mdwn b/doc/git-annex.mdwn
index 3645d37f2a..417ff7e58d 100644
--- a/doc/git-annex.mdwn
+++ b/doc/git-annex.mdwn
@@ -91,7 +91,8 @@ Many git-annex subcommands will stage changes for later `git commit` by you.
 
 * init description
 
-  Initializes git-annex with a description of the git repository.
+  Initializes git-annex with a description of the git repository,
+  and sets up `.gitattributes` and the pre-commit hook.
   This is an optional, but recommended step.
 
 * unannex [path ...]
@@ -106,6 +107,10 @@ Many git-annex subcommands will stage changes for later `git commit` by you.
   Fixes up symlinks that have become broken to again point to annexed content.
   This is useful to run if you have been moving the symlinks around.
 
+  You do not normally need to run this by hand since `git-annex init`
+  installs a pre-commit hook that automatically fixes up symlinks when
+  they are committed.
+
 * fromkey file
 
   This can be used to maually set up a file to link to a specified key