diff --git a/src/plugins/git/branchview.cpp b/src/plugins/git/branchview.cpp
index 406304608dd..4619a21e7ec 100644
--- a/src/plugins/git/branchview.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/git/branchview.cpp
@@ -67,7 +67,6 @@ BranchView::BranchView() :
     m_model(new BranchModel(GitPlugin::client(), this))
 {
     m_addButton->setIcon(Utils::Icons::PLUS_TOOLBAR.icon());
-    m_addButton->setToolTip(tr("Add Branch"));
     m_addButton->setProperty("noArrow", true);
     connect(m_addButton, &QToolButton::clicked, this, &BranchView::add);
 
@@ -126,10 +125,12 @@ void BranchView::refresh(const QString &repository, bool force)
     m_repository = repository;
     if (m_repository.isEmpty()) {
         m_repositoryLabel->setText(tr("<No repository>"));
+        m_addButton->setToolTip(tr("Create Git Repository..."));
         m_branchView->setEnabled(false);
     } else {
         m_repositoryLabel->setText(QDir::toNativeSeparators(m_repository));
         m_repositoryLabel->setToolTip(GitPlugin::msgRepositoryLabel(m_repository));
+        m_addButton->setToolTip(tr("Add Branch..."));
         m_branchView->setEnabled(true);
     }
     QString errorMessage;
@@ -252,6 +253,11 @@ QModelIndex BranchView::selectedIndex()
 
 bool BranchView::add()
 {
+    if (m_repository.isEmpty()) {
+        GitPlugin::instance()->initRepository();
+        return true;
+    }
+
     QModelIndex trackedIndex = selectedIndex();
     QString trackedBranch = m_model->fullName(trackedIndex);
     if (trackedBranch.isEmpty()) {
diff --git a/src/plugins/git/gitplugin.cpp b/src/plugins/git/gitplugin.cpp
index cafcc554702..87aac67ef09 100644
--- a/src/plugins/git/gitplugin.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/git/gitplugin.cpp
@@ -1319,6 +1319,11 @@ void GitPlugin::manageRemotes()
     showNonModalDialog(currentState().topLevel(), m_remoteDialog);
 }
 
+void GitPlugin::initRepository()
+{
+    createRepository();
+}
+
 void GitPlugin::stashList()
 {
     showNonModalDialog(currentState().topLevel(), m_stashDialog);
diff --git a/src/plugins/git/gitplugin.h b/src/plugins/git/gitplugin.h
index fde722bd4b8..8722cc058d8 100644
--- a/src/plugins/git/gitplugin.h
+++ b/src/plugins/git/gitplugin.h
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ public:
     QObject *remoteCommand(const QStringList &options, const QString &workingDirectory,
                            const QStringList &args) override;
     void manageRemotes();
+    void initRepository();
 
 protected:
     void updateActions(VcsBase::VcsBasePlugin::ActionState) override;