diff --git a/bin/mp-commit b/bin/mp-commit
index 6c88a446..6933953e 100755
--- a/bin/mp-commit
+++ b/bin/mp-commit
@@ -3,13 +3,19 @@
 
 . shell-error
 
+INIT=
+if [ "$1" = "-i" ]; then
+	INIT=yes
+	shift
+fi
+
 [ -d "$1" ] || fatal "$1 is not an existing directory"
 
 if type -t git >&/dev/null && pushd "$1" >/dev/null; then
 	if [ -z "$(git config --global user.name)" ]; then
 		exit 0
 	fi
-	if [ ! -d .git ]; then
+	if [ -n "$INIT" -a ! -d .git ]; then
 		git init -q || fatal "git init failed"
 	fi
 	if [ -n "$(git status -s)" ]; then
diff --git a/lib/profile.mk b/lib/profile.mk
index 049805cb..ffa62f8a 100644
--- a/lib/profile.mk
+++ b/lib/profile.mk
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ profile/init: distclean
 		fi >&2; \
 		exit 1; \
 	fi; \
-	mp-commit "$(BUILDDIR)" "derivative profile initialized"; \
+	mp-commit -i "$(BUILDDIR)" "derivative profile initialized"; \
 	if [ -w . ]; then \
 		rm -f "$(SYMLINK)" && \
 		ln -s "$(BUILDDIR)" "$(SYMLINK)" && \