diff --git a/src/Data/Git/Local.hs b/src/Data/Git/Local.hs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c103518
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Data/Git/Local.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+{- This file is part of Vervis.
+ -
+ - Written in 2016 by fr33domlover <fr33domlover@riseup.net>.
+ -
+ - ♡ Copying is an act of love. Please copy, reuse and share.
+ -
+ - The author(s) have dedicated all copyright and related and neighboring
+ - rights to this software to the public domain worldwide. This software is
+ - distributed without any warranty.
+ -
+ - You should have received a copy of the CC0 Public Domain Dedication along
+ - with this software. If not, see
+ - <http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/>.
+ -}
+
+module Data.Git.Local
+    ( initRepo
+    )
+where
+
+import Prelude
+
+import Control.Monad (when)
+import System.Directory.Tree
+
+import qualified Data.ByteString as B (ByteString, writeFile)
+
+initialConfig :: B.ByteString
+initialConfig =
+    "[core]\n\
+    \    repositoryformatversion = 0\n\
+    \    filemode = true\n\
+    \    bare = true"
+
+initialDescription :: B.ByteString
+initialDescription =
+    "Unnamed repository; edit this file to name the repository."
+
+initialHead :: B.ByteString
+initialHead = "ref: refs/heads/master"
+
+initialExclude :: B.ByteString
+initialExclude = ""
+
+initialRepoTree :: FileName -> DirTree B.ByteString
+initialRepoTree repo =
+    Dir repo
+        [ Dir "branches" []
+        , File "config" initialConfig
+        , File "description" initialDescription
+        , File "HEAD" initialHead
+        , Dir "hooks" []
+        , Dir "info"
+            [ File "exclude" initialExclude
+            ]
+        , Dir "objects"
+            [ Dir "info" []
+            , Dir "pack" []
+            ]
+        , Dir "refs"
+            [ Dir "heads" []
+            , Dir "tags" []
+            ]
+        ]
+
+-- | initialize a new bare repository at a specific location.
+--
+-- Currently in the @hit@ package, i.e. version 0.6.3, the initRepo function
+-- creates a directory which the git executable doesn't recognize as a git
+-- repository. The version here creates a properly initialized repo.
+initRepo
+    :: FilePath
+    -- ^ Parent directory which already exists
+    -> String
+    -- ^ Name of new repo, i.e. new directory to create under the parent
+    -> IO ()
+initRepo path name = do
+    let tree = path :/ initialRepoTree name
+    result <- writeDirectoryWith B.writeFile tree
+    let errs = failures $ dirTree result
+    when (not . null $ errs) $ error $ show errs
diff --git a/src/Vervis/Handler/Repo.hs b/src/Vervis/Handler/Repo.hs
index 35eda19..65fed81 100644
--- a/src/Vervis/Handler/Repo.hs
+++ b/src/Vervis/Handler/Repo.hs
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ import Data.Git.Graph
 import Data.Git.Harder
 import Data.Git.Named (RefName (..))
 import Data.Git.Ref (toHex)
-import Data.Git.Repository
+import Data.Git.Repository hiding (initRepo)
 import Data.Git.Storage (withRepo, getObject_)
 import Data.Git.Storage.Object (Object (..))
 import Data.Git.Types (Blob (..), Commit (..), Person (..), entName)
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ import qualified Data.Set as S (member)
 import qualified Data.Text.Lazy.Encoding as L (decodeUtf8With)
 
 import Data.ByteString.Char8.Local (takeLine)
+import Data.Git.Local (initRepo)
 import Text.FilePath.Local (breakExt)
 import Vervis.Form.Repo
 import Vervis.Foundation
@@ -97,9 +98,9 @@ postReposR user = do
     case result of
         FormSuccess repo -> do
             parent <- askSharerDir user
-            let path = parent </> unpack (repoIdent repo)
-            liftIO $ createDirectoryIfMissing True parent
-            liftIO $ initRepo $ fromString path
+            liftIO $ do
+                createDirectoryIfMissing True parent
+                initRepo parent (unpack $ repoIdent repo)
             runDB $ insert_ repo
             setMessage "Repo added."
             redirectUltDest HomeR
diff --git a/vervis.cabal b/vervis.cabal
index 7f624c1..2e27c45 100644
--- a/vervis.cabal
+++ b/vervis.cabal
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ library
                        Data.ByteString.Char8.Local
                        Data.ByteString.Local
                        Data.Char.Local
+                       Data.Git.Local
                        Data.List.Local
                        Network.SSH.Local
                        Text.FilePath.Local
@@ -109,6 +110,8 @@ library
                      , containers
                      , data-default
                      , directory
+                       -- for Data.Git.Local
+                     , directory-tree
                      , dlist
                      , esqueleto
                      , fast-logger
@@ -117,7 +120,9 @@ library
                      , filepath
                      , formatting
                      , hashable
+                       -- for source file highlighting
                      , highlighter2
+                       -- for pandoc inline code highlighting
                      , highlighting-kate
                      , hit
                      , hit-graph >= 0.1