diff --git a/git-pull.sh b/git-pull.sh
index ed04e7d8d8..e23beb685d 100755
--- a/git-pull.sh
+++ b/git-pull.sh
@@ -44,10 +44,10 @@ do
 	shift
 done
 
-orig_head=$(git-rev-parse --verify HEAD) || die "Pulling into a black hole?"
+orig_head=$(git-rev-parse --verify HEAD 2>/dev/null)
 git-fetch --update-head-ok --reflog-action=pull "$@" || exit 1
 
-curr_head=$(git-rev-parse --verify HEAD)
+curr_head=$(git-rev-parse --verify HEAD 2>/dev/null)
 if test "$curr_head" != "$orig_head"
 then
 	# The fetch involved updating the current branch.
@@ -80,6 +80,11 @@ case "$merge_head" in
 	exit 0
 	;;
 ?*' '?*)
+	if test -z "$orig_head"
+	then
+		echo >&2 "Cannot merge multiple branches into empty head"
+		exit 1
+	fi
 	var=`git-repo-config --get pull.octopus`
 	if test -n "$var"
 	then
@@ -95,6 +100,13 @@ case "$merge_head" in
 	;;
 esac
 
+if test -z "$orig_head"
+then
+	git-update-ref -m "initial pull" HEAD $merge_head "" &&
+	git-read-tree --reset -u HEAD || exit 1
+	exit
+fi
+
 case "$strategy_args" in
 '')
 	strategy_args=$strategy_default_args
diff --git a/t/t5520-pull.sh b/t/t5520-pull.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..f841574573
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/t5520-pull.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+test_description='pulling into void'
+
+. ./test-lib.sh
+
+D=`pwd`
+
+test_expect_success setup '
+
+	echo file >file &&
+	git add file &&
+	git commit -a -m original
+
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'pulling into void' '
+	mkdir cloned &&
+	cd cloned &&
+	git init-db &&
+	git pull ..
+'
+
+cd "$D"
+
+test_expect_success 'checking the results' '
+	test -f file &&
+	test -f cloned/file &&
+	diff file cloned/file
+'
+
+test_done
+