diff --git a/pungi/wrappers/scm.py b/pungi/wrappers/scm.py
index 1f464295..a099a902 100644
--- a/pungi/wrappers/scm.py
+++ b/pungi/wrappers/scm.py
@@ -168,6 +168,8 @@ class GitWrapper(ScmBase):
                 % (e, e.output)
             )
             try:
+                # Re-run git init in case of previous failure breaking .git dir
+                run(["git", "init"], workdir=destdir)
                 run(["git", "remote", "add", "origin", repo], workdir=destdir)
                 self.retry_run(["git", "remote", "update", "origin"], workdir=destdir)
                 run(["git", "checkout", branch], workdir=destdir)
diff --git a/tests/test_scm.py b/tests/test_scm.py
index 1cb7f35f..ae18985f 100644
--- a/tests/test_scm.py
+++ b/tests/test_scm.py
@@ -192,6 +192,7 @@ class GitSCMTestCase(SCMBaseTest):
                     "git://example.com/git/repo.git",
                     "master",
                 ],
+                ["git", "init"],
                 ["git", "remote", "add", "origin", url],
                 ["git", "remote", "update", "origin"],
                 ["git", "checkout", "master"],