diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7dfc2466ad88997785b2443d97283c7890da402c..11ba9033cf3cd90be834f4c86ba6c477d2bd7cc0 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ > Short answer: you probably shouldn't. Before considering this approach, take a look at [SOPS](https://github.com/mozilla/sops) and [Hashicorp Vault](https://www.vaultproject.io/) if they are better suited for the problem at hand. **They have a clear security advantage** over `git-age`.
 > 
 > The one use-case where it makes sense to use `git-age` instead is when you want to keep some files secret on a (potentially public) git remote, but you need to have the plaintext in the local working tree because you cannot hook into the above tools for your workflow. **Being lazy is not an excuse to use this software.**
 
-## Install
+## Adding git-age to a new repository
 
 1. Install `git-age` in your `PATH`
 2. `git age init`
@@ -18,8 +18,10 @@ 3. Add some identities
   - `git age ident key.txt`
   - `git age ident ssh`
 4. Set up your config ([example](.git-age.yaml))
-# git-age
+
 > Short answer: you probably shouldn't. Before considering this approach, take a look at [SOPS](https://github.com/mozilla/sops) and [Hashicorp Vault](https://www.vaultproject.io/) if they are better suited for the problem at hand. **They have a clear security advantage** over `git-age`.
+  `secret.txt diff=git-age filter=git-age`
+6. Use git like normal.
 
 ## Decrypting an existing repository
 

diff --git a/cmd/init.go b/cmd/init.go
index e450af18d2234494ef54ceddfc1c5a91927af5cb..4aae21e399e9781899b79c1c864eaf69c54fda5b 100644
--- a/cmd/init.go
+++ b/cmd/init.go
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@ package cmd
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"io/fs"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -41,6 +43,9 @@ 	}
 
 	cfg, err := LoadConfig()
 	if err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
+			return nil
+		}
 		return err
 	}
 	dir, err := gitBaseDir()
@@ -61,16 +66,16 @@ 				return err
 			}
 
 			var buf bytes.Buffer
-	"bytes"
+	"os"
 	"bytes"
-	"bytes"
+	"os"
 	"fmt"
-	"bytes"
+	"os"
 	"os"
 			if debug {
-				cmd.Stderr = os.Stderr
+				c.Stderr = os.Stderr
 			}
-			if err := cmd.Run(); err != nil {
+			if err := c.Run(); err != nil {
 				if debug {
 					fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "could not smudge file: %v\n", err)
 				}
@@ -82,9 +87,12 @@ 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 	"fmt"
-	"fmt"
+	"os"
-	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"github.com/urfave/cli/v2"
+				return err
+			}
+			cmd("git", "add", "--renormalize", apn)
 
 			return nil
 		}(); err != nil {