diff --git a/Command/WebApp.hs b/Command/WebApp.hs
index a3294911f9..e2442c37ec 100644
--- a/Command/WebApp.hs
+++ b/Command/WebApp.hs
@@ -16,12 +16,13 @@ import Assistant.Threads.WebApp
 import Utility.WebApp
 import Utility.ThreadScheduler
 import Utility.Daemon (checkDaemon)
+import Init
 import qualified Command.Watch
 
 import Control.Concurrent.STM
 
 def :: [Command]
-def = [oneShot $ noRepo firstRun $
+def = [oneShot $ noRepo firstRun $ dontCheck repoExists $
 	withOptions [Command.Watch.foregroundOption, Command.Watch.stopOption] $
         command "webapp" paramNothing seek "launch webapp"]
 
@@ -34,14 +35,15 @@ start :: Bool -> Bool -> CommandStart
 start foreground stopdaemon = notBareRepo $ do
 	if stopdaemon
 		then stopDaemon
-		else do
+		else ifM (isInitialized) ( go , liftIO firstRun )
+	stop
+	where
+		go = do
 			f <- liftIO . absPath =<< fromRepo gitAnnexHtmlShim
 			ifM (checkpid <&&> checkshim f) $
 				( liftIO $ openBrowser f 
 				, startDaemon True foreground $ Just openBrowser
 				)
-	stop
-	where
 		checkpid = do
 			pidfile <- fromRepo gitAnnexPidFile
 			liftIO $ isJust <$> checkDaemon pidfile
diff --git a/Init.hs b/Init.hs
index bddcc696e0..8c000cc413 100644
--- a/Init.hs
+++ b/Init.hs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 module Init (
 	ensureInitialized,
+	isInitialized,
 	initialize,
 	uninitialize
 ) where
@@ -45,6 +46,10 @@ ensureInitialized = getVersion >>= maybe needsinit checkVersion
 				, error "First run: git-annex init"
 				)
 
+{- Checks if a repository is initialized. Does not check version for ugrade. -}
+isInitialized :: Annex Bool
+isInitialized = maybe Annex.Branch.hasSibling (const $ return True) =<< getVersion
+
 {- set up a git pre-commit hook, if one is not already present -}
 gitPreCommitHookWrite :: Annex ()
 gitPreCommitHookWrite = unlessBare $ do