diff --git a/gitc_utils.py b/gitc_utils.py
index dd38f89..0f3e181 100644
--- a/gitc_utils.py
+++ b/gitc_utils.py
@@ -24,23 +24,13 @@
 import git_config
 import wrapper
 
-GITC_FS_ROOT_DIR = '/gitc/manifest-rw/'
 NUM_BATCH_RETRIEVE_REVISIONID = 300
 
 def get_gitc_manifest_dir():
   return wrapper.Wrapper().get_gitc_manifest_dir()
 
 def parse_clientdir(gitc_fs_path):
-  """Parse a path in the GITC FS and return its client name.
-
-  @param gitc_fs_path: A subdirectory path within the GITC_FS_ROOT_DIR.
-
-  @returns: The GITC client name
-  """
-  if (gitc_fs_path == GITC_FS_ROOT_DIR or
-      not gitc_fs_path.startswith(GITC_FS_ROOT_DIR)):
-    return None
-  return gitc_fs_path.split(GITC_FS_ROOT_DIR)[1].split('/')[0]
+  return wrapper.Wrapper().gitc_parse_clientdir(gitc_fs_path)
 
 def _set_project_revisions(projects):
   """Sets the revisionExpr for a list of projects.
diff --git a/repo b/repo
index 502bb32..d1c5427 100755
--- a/repo
+++ b/repo
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@
 REPO_MAIN = S_repo + '/main.py' # main script
 MIN_PYTHON_VERSION = (2, 6)     # minimum supported python version
 GITC_CONFIG_FILE = '/gitc/.config'
+GITC_FS_ROOT_DIR = '/gitc/manifest-rw/'
 
 
 import errno
@@ -221,7 +222,7 @@
                help='Optional manifest file to use for this GITC client.')
   g.add_option('-c', '--gitc-client',
                dest='gitc_client',
-               help='The name for the new gitc_client instance.')
+               help='The name of the gitc_client instance to create or modify.')
 
 _gitc_manifest_dir = None
 def get_gitc_manifest_dir():
@@ -238,6 +239,28 @@
       pass
   return _gitc_manifest_dir
 
+def gitc_parse_clientdir(gitc_fs_path):
+  """Parse a path in the GITC FS and return its client name.
+
+  @param gitc_fs_path: A subdirectory path within the GITC_FS_ROOT_DIR.
+
+  @returns: The GITC client name
+  """
+  if gitc_fs_path == GITC_FS_ROOT_DIR:
+    return None
+  if not gitc_fs_path.startswith(GITC_FS_ROOT_DIR):
+    manifest_dir = get_gitc_manifest_dir()
+    if manifest_dir == '':
+      return None
+    if manifest_dir[-1] != '/':
+      manifest_dir += '/'
+    if gitc_fs_path == manifest_dir:
+      return None
+    if not gitc_fs_path.startswith(manifest_dir):
+      return None
+    return gitc_fs_path.split(manifest_dir)[1].split('/')[0]
+  return gitc_fs_path.split(GITC_FS_ROOT_DIR)[1].split('/')[0]
+
 class CloneFailure(Exception):
   """Indicate the remote clone of repo itself failed.
   """
@@ -276,10 +299,13 @@
         _print('fatal: GITC filesystem is not available. Exiting...',
                file=sys.stderr)
         sys.exit(1)
-      if not opt.gitc_client:
+      gitc_client = opt.gitc_client
+      if not gitc_client:
+        gitc_client = gitc_parse_clientdir(os.getcwd())
+      if not gitc_client:
         _print('fatal: GITC client (-c) is required.', file=sys.stderr)
         sys.exit(1)
-      client_dir = os.path.join(gitc_manifest_dir, opt.gitc_client)
+      client_dir = os.path.join(gitc_manifest_dir, gitc_client)
       if not os.path.exists(client_dir):
         os.makedirs(client_dir)
       os.chdir(client_dir)
@@ -772,9 +798,13 @@
 
 
 def main(orig_args):
-  repo_main, rel_repo_dir = _FindRepo()
   cmd, opt, args = _ParseArguments(orig_args)
 
+  repo_main, rel_repo_dir = None, None
+  # Don't use the local repo copy, make sure to switch to the gitc client first.
+  if cmd != 'gitc-init':
+    repo_main, rel_repo_dir = _FindRepo()
+
   wrapper_path = os.path.abspath(__file__)
   my_main, my_git = _RunSelf(wrapper_path)
 
diff --git a/subcmds/gitc_init.py b/subcmds/gitc_init.py
index 4f9d734..2726eae 100644
--- a/subcmds/gitc_init.py
+++ b/subcmds/gitc_init.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 from command import GitcAvailableCommand
 from manifest_xml import GitcManifest
 from subcmds import init
+import wrapper
 
 
 class GitcInit(init.Init, GitcAvailableCommand):
@@ -55,18 +56,15 @@
                  help='Optional manifest file to use for this GITC client.')
     g.add_option('-c', '--gitc-client',
                  dest='gitc_client',
-                 help='The name for the new gitc_client instance.')
+                 help='The name of the gitc_client instance to create or modify.')
 
   def Execute(self, opt, args):
-    if not opt.gitc_client:
-      print('fatal: gitc client (-c) is required', file=sys.stderr)
+    gitc_client = gitc_utils.parse_clientdir(os.getcwd())
+    if not gitc_client or (opt.gitc_client and gitc_client != opt.gitc_client):
+      print('fatal: Please update your repo command. See go/gitc for instructions.', file=sys.stderr)
       sys.exit(1)
     self.client_dir = os.path.join(gitc_utils.get_gitc_manifest_dir(),
-                                   opt.gitc_client)
-    if not os.path.exists(gitc_utils.get_gitc_manifest_dir()):
-      os.makedirs(gitc_utils.get_gitc_manifest_dir())
-    if not os.path.exists(self.client_dir):
-      os.mkdir(self.client_dir)
+                                   gitc_client)
     super(GitcInit, self).Execute(opt, args)
 
     manifest_file = self.manifest.manifestFile
@@ -77,8 +75,8 @@
         sys.exit(1)
       manifest_file = opt.manifest_file
 
-    manifest = GitcManifest(self.repodir, opt.gitc_client)
+    manifest = GitcManifest(self.repodir, gitc_client)
     manifest.Override(manifest_file)
     gitc_utils.generate_gitc_manifest(None, manifest)
     print('Please run `cd %s` to view your GITC client.' %
-          os.path.join(gitc_utils.GITC_FS_ROOT_DIR, opt.gitc_client))
+          os.path.join(wrapper.Wrapper().GITC_FS_ROOT_DIR, gitc_client))
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/gitc_config b/tests/fixtures/gitc_config
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a7f3d1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/gitc_config
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+gitc_dir=/test/usr/local/google/gitc
diff --git a/tests/test_wrapper.py b/tests/test_wrapper.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fb32e38
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_wrapper.py
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2015 The Android Open Source Project
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+import os
+import unittest
+
+import wrapper
+
+def fixture(*paths):
+  """Return a path relative to tests/fixtures.
+  """
+  return os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'fixtures', *paths)
+
+class RepoWrapperUnitTest(unittest.TestCase):
+  """Tests helper functions in the repo wrapper
+  """
+  def setUp(self):
+    """Load the wrapper module every time
+    """
+    wrapper._wrapper_module = None
+    self.wrapper = wrapper.Wrapper()
+
+  def test_get_gitc_manifest_dir_no_gitc(self):
+    """
+    Test reading a missing gitc config file
+    """
+    self.wrapper.GITC_CONFIG_FILE = fixture('missing_gitc_config')
+    val = self.wrapper.get_gitc_manifest_dir()
+    self.assertEqual(val, '')
+
+  def test_get_gitc_manifest_dir(self):
+    """
+    Test reading the gitc config file and parsing the directory
+    """
+    self.wrapper.GITC_CONFIG_FILE = fixture('gitc_config')
+    val = self.wrapper.get_gitc_manifest_dir()
+    self.assertEqual(val, '/test/usr/local/google/gitc')
+
+  def test_gitc_parse_clientdir_no_gitc(self):
+    """
+    Test parsing the gitc clientdir without gitc running
+    """
+    self.wrapper.GITC_CONFIG_FILE = fixture('missing_gitc_config')
+    self.assertEqual(self.wrapper.gitc_parse_clientdir('/something'), None)
+    self.assertEqual(self.wrapper.gitc_parse_clientdir('/gitc/manifest-rw/test'), 'test')
+
+  def test_gitc_parse_clientdir(self):
+    """
+    Test parsing the gitc clientdir
+    """
+    self.wrapper.GITC_CONFIG_FILE = fixture('gitc_config')
+    self.assertEqual(self.wrapper.gitc_parse_clientdir('/something'), None)
+    self.assertEqual(self.wrapper.gitc_parse_clientdir('/gitc/manifest-rw/test'), 'test')
+    self.assertEqual(self.wrapper.gitc_parse_clientdir('/gitc/manifest-rw/test/'), 'test')
+    self.assertEqual(self.wrapper.gitc_parse_clientdir('/gitc/manifest-rw/test/extra'), 'test')
+    self.assertEqual(self.wrapper.gitc_parse_clientdir('/test/usr/local/google/gitc/test'), 'test')
+    self.assertEqual(self.wrapper.gitc_parse_clientdir('/test/usr/local/google/gitc/test/'), 'test')
+    self.assertEqual(self.wrapper.gitc_parse_clientdir('/test/usr/local/google/gitc/test/extra'), 'test')
+    self.assertEqual(self.wrapper.gitc_parse_clientdir('/gitc/manifest-rw/'), None)
+    self.assertEqual(self.wrapper.gitc_parse_clientdir('/test/usr/local/google/gitc/'), None)
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+  unittest.main()