diff --git a/CmdLine.hs b/CmdLine.hs
index ff1758f0dc..0590f11124 100644
--- a/CmdLine.hs
+++ b/CmdLine.hs
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ import Control.Monad (when)
 import qualified Annex
 import qualified AnnexQueue
 import qualified Git
-import qualified Branch
 import Content
 import Types
 import Command
@@ -60,16 +59,7 @@ parseCmd argv header cmds options = do
 
 {- Checks that the command can be run in the current environment. -}
 checkCmdEnviron :: Command -> Annex ()
-checkCmdEnviron command = do
-	when (cmdusesrepo command) $ checkVersion $ do
-		{- Automatically initialize if there is already a git-annex
-		   branch from somewhere. Otherwise, require a manual init
-		   to avoid git-annex accidentially being run in git
-		   repos that did not intend to use it. -}
-		annexed <- Branch.hasSomeBranch
-		if annexed
-			then initialize
-			else error "First run: git-annex init"
+checkCmdEnviron command = when (cmdusesrepo command) $ checkVersion $ initializeSafe
 
 {- Usage message with lists of commands and options. -}
 usage :: String -> [Command] -> [Option] -> String
diff --git a/Init.hs b/Init.hs
index 41256a9530..36d3ed0fac 100644
--- a/Init.hs
+++ b/Init.hs
@@ -5,7 +5,11 @@
  - Licensed under the GNU GPL version 3 or higher.
  -}
 
-module Init (initialize, uninitialize) where
+module Init (
+	initialize,
+	initializeSafe,
+	uninitialize
+) where
 
 import Control.Monad.State (liftIO)
 import Control.Monad (unless)
@@ -34,6 +38,17 @@ uninitialize = do
 	g <- Annex.gitRepo
 	gitPreCommitHookUnWrite g
 
+{- Call to automatically initialize if there is already a git-annex
+   branch from somewhere. Otherwise, require a manual init
+   to avoid git-annex accidentially being run in git
+   repos that did not intend to use it. -}
+initializeSafe :: Annex ()
+initializeSafe = do
+	annexed <- Branch.hasSomeBranch
+	if annexed
+		then initialize
+		else error "First run: git-annex init"
+
 {- set up a git pre-commit hook, if one is not already present -}
 gitPreCommitHookWrite :: Git.Repo -> Annex ()
 gitPreCommitHookWrite repo = do
diff --git a/Remote/Git.hs b/Remote/Git.hs
index d4847d6105..c588cc73bb 100644
--- a/Remote/Git.hs
+++ b/Remote/Git.hs
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import Utility.RsyncFile
 import Remote.Helper.Ssh
 import qualified Remote.Helper.Url as Url
 import Config
+import Init
 
 remote :: RemoteType Annex
 remote = RemoteType {
@@ -79,7 +80,9 @@ tryGitConfigRead r
 	| Git.repoIsSsh r = store $ onRemote r (pipedconfig, r) "configlist" []
 	| Git.repoIsHttp r = store $ safely $ geturlconfig
 	| Git.repoIsUrl r = return r
-	| otherwise = store $ safely $ Git.configRead r
+	| otherwise = store $ safely $ do
+		onLocal r initializeSafe
+		Git.configRead r
 	where
 		-- Reading config can fail due to IO error or
 		-- for other reasons; catch all possible exceptions.
@@ -124,11 +127,7 @@ inAnnex r key
 	| Git.repoIsUrl r = checkremote
 	| otherwise = safely checklocal
 	where
-		checklocal = do
-			-- run a local check inexpensively,
-			-- by making an Annex monad using the remote
-			a <- Annex.new r
-			Annex.eval a (Content.inAnnex key)
+		checklocal = onLocal r (Content.inAnnex key)
 		checkremote = do
 			showAction $ "checking " ++ Git.repoDescribe r
 			inannex <- onRemote r (boolSystem, False) "inannex" 
@@ -137,6 +136,13 @@ inAnnex r key
 		checkhttp = Url.exists $ keyUrl r key
 		safely a = liftIO (try a ::IO (Either IOException Bool))
 
+{- Runs an action on a local repository inexpensively, by making an annex
+ - monad using that repository. -}
+onLocal :: Git.Repo -> Annex a -> IO a
+onLocal r a = do
+	annex <- Annex.new r
+	Annex.eval annex a
+
 keyUrl :: Git.Repo -> Key -> String
 keyUrl r key = Git.repoLocation r ++ "/" ++ annexLocation key
 
@@ -163,13 +169,11 @@ copyToRemote r key
 		g <- Annex.gitRepo
 		let keysrc = gitAnnexLocation g key
 		-- run copy from perspective of remote
-		liftIO $ do
-			a <- Annex.new r
-			Annex.eval a $ do
-				ok <- Content.getViaTmp key $
-					rsyncOrCopyFile r keysrc
-				Content.saveState
-				return ok
+		liftIO $ onLocal r $ do
+			ok <- Content.getViaTmp key $
+				rsyncOrCopyFile r keysrc
+			Content.saveState
+			return ok
 	| Git.repoIsSsh r = do
 		g <- Annex.gitRepo
 		let keysrc = gitAnnexLocation g key