diff --git a/Init.hs b/Init.hs
index 8c000cc413..7e0f104053 100644
--- a/Init.hs
+++ b/Init.hs
@@ -20,6 +20,26 @@ import Logs.UUID
 import Annex.Version
 import Annex.UUID
 
+import System.Posix.User
+
+genDescription :: Maybe String -> Annex String
+genDescription (Just d) = return d
+genDescription Nothing = do
+	hostname <- getHostname
+	let at = if null hostname then "" else "@"
+	username <- clicketyclickety
+	reldir <- liftIO . relHome =<< fromRepo Git.repoPath
+	return $ concat [username, at, hostname, ":", reldir]
+	where
+		{- Haskell lacks uname(2) bindings, except in the
+		 - Bindings.Uname addon. Rather than depend on that,
+		 - use uname -n when available. -}
+		getHostname = liftIO $ catchDefaultIO uname_node ""
+		uname_node = takeWhile (/= '\n') <$>
+			readProcess "uname" ["-n"]	
+		clicketyclickety = liftIO $ userName <$>
+			(getUserEntryForID =<< getEffectiveUserID)
+
 initialize :: Maybe String -> Annex ()
 initialize mdescription = do
 	prepUUID
@@ -27,7 +47,7 @@ initialize mdescription = do
 	setVersion
 	gitPreCommitHookWrite
 	u <- getUUID
-	maybe (recordUUID u) (describeUUID u) mdescription
+	describeUUID u =<< genDescription mdescription
 
 uninitialize :: Annex ()
 uninitialize = do
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 82bf5009a1..081d1ac9f8 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ git-annex (3.20120722) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
 
   * initremote: Avoid recording remote's description before checking
     that its config is valid.
+  * init: If no description is provided for a new repository, one will
+    automatically be generated, like "joey@gnu:~/foo"
 
  -- Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>  Fri, 27 Jul 2012 21:04:47 -0400
 
diff --git a/doc/git-annex.mdwn b/doc/git-annex.mdwn
index 6a1c70a4c3..02cf298c0b 100644
--- a/doc/git-annex.mdwn
+++ b/doc/git-annex.mdwn
@@ -204,7 +204,8 @@ subdirectories).
   using it in a repository that was not intended to have an annex.
 
   It's useful, but not mandatory, to initialize each new clone
-  of a repository with its own description.
+  of a repository with its own description. If you don't provide one,
+  one will be generated.
 
 * describe repository description