diff --git a/jupyterlab_git/git.py b/jupyterlab_git/git.py
index 77888b60..39b1e639 100644
--- a/jupyterlab_git/git.py
+++ b/jupyterlab_git/git.py
@@ -1323,6 +1323,15 @@ async def init(self, path):
             }
         return {"code": code, "actions": actions}
 
+    async def _empty_commit_for_init(self, path):
+        cmd = ["git", "commit", "--allow-empty", "-m", '"First Commit"']
+
+        code, _, error = await self.__execute(cmd, cwd=path)
+
+        if code != 0:
+            return {"code": code, "command": " ".join(cmd), "message": error}
+        return {"code": code}
+
     async def _maybe_run_actions(self, name, cwd):
         code = 0
         actions = None
diff --git a/jupyterlab_git/handlers.py b/jupyterlab_git/handlers.py
index 1a109dad..5bdc4abb 100644
--- a/jupyterlab_git/handlers.py
+++ b/jupyterlab_git/handlers.py
@@ -715,6 +715,9 @@ async def post(self, path: str = ""):
         """
         body = await self.git.init(self.url2localpath(path))
 
+        if body["code"] == 0:
+            body = await self.git._empty_commit_for_init(self.url2localpath(path))
+
         if body["code"] != 0:
             self.set_status(500)