Index: vcpx/repository/git.py
===================================================================
--- vcpx/repository/git.py	(revision 1188)
+++ vcpx/repository/git.py	(revision 1189)
@@ -26,5 +26,5 @@
         Repository._load(self, project)
         self.EXECUTABLE = project.config.get(self.name, 'git-command', 'git')
-        self.PARENT_REPO = project.config.get(self.name, 'parent-repo', '')
+        self.PARENT_REPO = project.config.get(self.name, 'parent-repo')
         self.BRANCHPOINT = project.config.get(self.name, 'branchpoint', 'HEAD')
 
@@ -350,5 +350,5 @@
 
         if not exists(join(self.basedir, self.repository.METADIR)):
-            if self.repository.PARENT_REPO == '':
+            if not self.repository.PARENT_REPO:
                 cmd = self.repository.command("init-db")
                 init = ExternalCommand(cwd=self.basedir, command=cmd)
@@ -414,3 +414,3 @@
         SynchronizableTargetWorkingDir.importFirstRevision(
             self, source_repo, changeset,
-            initial or self.target.PARENT_REPO)
+            initial or self.repository.PARENT_REPO)
Index: vcpx/repository/__init__.py
===================================================================
--- vcpx/repository/__init__.py	(revision 1187)
+++ vcpx/repository/__init__.py	(revision 1190)
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@
         self.which = which
         self.projectref = ref(project)
-        self._load(project)
         self.log = getLogger('tailor.vcpx.%s.%s' % (self.__class__.__name__,
                                                     which))
+        self._load(project)
         self._validateConfiguration()