diff --git a/extensions/git/src/api/api1.ts b/extensions/git/src/api/api1.ts
index 89f511f08674f86a0a799d76f1845a4a6abdf624..56ff982df8c21230cbb7a3c92716af5470b9ed87 100644
--- a/extensions/git/src/api/api1.ts
+++ b/extensions/git/src/api/api1.ts
@@ -252,6 +252,13 @@ export class ApiImpl implements API {
 		return result ? new ApiRepository(result) : null;
 	}
 
+	async init(root: Uri): Promise<Repository | null> {
+		const path = root.fsPath;
+		await this._model.git.init(path);
+		await this._model.openRepository(path);
+		return this.getRepository(root) || null;
+	}
+
 	registerRemoteSourceProvider(provider: RemoteSourceProvider): Disposable {
 		return this._model.registerRemoteSourceProvider(provider);
 	}
diff --git a/extensions/git/src/api/git.d.ts b/extensions/git/src/api/git.d.ts
index 27daf6b954c625798a723f6e78731e391824e933..866b91100386bb286065f16711d9aca024970cc9 100644
--- a/extensions/git/src/api/git.d.ts
+++ b/extensions/git/src/api/git.d.ts
@@ -216,6 +216,7 @@ export interface API {
 
 	toGitUri(uri: Uri, ref: string): Uri;
 	getRepository(uri: Uri): Repository | null;
+	init(root: Uri): Promise<Repository | null>;
 	registerRemoteSourceProvider(provider: RemoteSourceProvider): Disposable;
 }