diff --git a/pkg/git/init.go b/pkg/git/init.go
index fe262780..30ffa1ae 100644
--- a/pkg/git/init.go
+++ b/pkg/git/init.go
@@ -5,14 +5,19 @@ import (
 
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/log"
 	"github.com/go-git/go-git/v5"
+	"github.com/go-git/go-git/v5/plumbing"
 	"github.com/go-git/go-git/v5/plumbing/object"
 )
 
 // Init inits a new repo and commits all the stuff if you want
 func Init(repoPath string, commit bool, gitName, gitEmail string) error {
-	if _, err := git.PlainInit(repoPath, false); err != nil {
+	repo, err := git.PlainInit(repoPath, false)
+	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("git init: %s", err)
 	}
+	if err = SwitchToMain(repo); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("git branch rename: %s", err)
+	}
 	log.Debugf("initialised new git repo in %s", repoPath)
 
 	if commit {
@@ -42,3 +47,21 @@ func Init(repoPath string, commit bool, gitName, gitEmail string) error {
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+// Set the default branch for the passed repo as "main"
+func SwitchToMain(repo *git.Repository) error {
+	ref := plumbing.NewSymbolicReference(plumbing.HEAD, plumbing.ReferenceName("refs/heads/main"))
+	if err := repo.Storer.SetReference(ref); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("set reference: %s", err)
+	}
+	cfg, err := repo.Config()
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("repo config: %s", err)
+	}
+	cfg.Init.DefaultBranch = "main"
+	if err := repo.SetConfig(cfg); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("repo set config: %s", err)
+	}
+	log.Debug("set 'main' as the default branch.")
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/git/init_test.go b/pkg/git/init_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..29fcb057
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/git/init_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+package git
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/go-git/go-git/v5"
+	"github.com/go-git/go-git/v5/plumbing"
+	"github.com/go-git/go-git/v5/storage/memory"
+)
+
+// Verify that SwitchToMain has the desired effect on the repo
+func TestSwitchToMain(t *testing.T) {
+	storage := memory.NewStorage()
+	repo, err := git.Init(storage, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to create in-memory repository: %v", err)
+	}
+	err = SwitchToMain(repo)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("SwitchToMain failed: %v", err)
+	}
+	ref, err := repo.Reference(plumbing.HEAD, false)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to get HEAD reference: %v", err)
+	}
+	if ref.Target().String() != "refs/heads/main" {
+		t.Errorf("expected HEAD to point to 'refs/heads/main', got %s", ref.Target().String())
+	}
+	cfg, err := repo.Config()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to get repository config: %v", err)
+	}
+	if cfg.Init.DefaultBranch != "main" {
+		t.Errorf("expected default branch to be 'main', got %s", cfg.Init.DefaultBranch)
+	}
+}