diff --git a/gradle/changelog/changed_initializer_commits.yaml b/gradle/changelog/changed_initializer_commits.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..88441e507e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gradle/changelog/changed_initializer_commits.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+- type: changed
+  description: Each repository initializer step is now executed with his own commit
diff --git a/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/RepositoryContentInitializer.java b/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/RepositoryContentInitializer.java
index a6eeab1004..cec6f24fe7 100644
--- a/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/RepositoryContentInitializer.java
+++ b/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/RepositoryContentInitializer.java
@@ -59,6 +59,14 @@ public interface RepositoryContentInitializer {
      */
     CreateFile create(String path);
 
+    /**
+     * create new file which will be included in initial repository commit.
+     *
+     * @param path full path of the file to be created
+     * @param useDefaultPath Wether the default path of the repository should be prefixed to the specified path. For example "/trunk", if it is a SVN repository.
+     */
+    CreateFile createWithDefaultPath(String path, boolean useDefaultPath);
+
     /**
      * Returns the context entry with the given key and unmarshalls it to the given type.
      * It no entry with the given key is available an empty optional is returned.
diff --git a/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/api/ModifyCommandBuilder.java b/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/api/ModifyCommandBuilder.java
index 03913dd54f..4de502d807 100644
--- a/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/api/ModifyCommandBuilder.java
+++ b/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/api/ModifyCommandBuilder.java
@@ -157,6 +157,10 @@ public class ModifyCommandBuilder {
     }
   }
 
+  public boolean isEmpty() {
+    return request.isEmpty();
+  }
+
   /**
    * Set the commit message for the new commit.
    * @return This builder instance.
diff --git a/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/spi/ModifyCommandRequest.java b/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/spi/ModifyCommandRequest.java
index 6a255fe645..848b09503e 100644
--- a/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/spi/ModifyCommandRequest.java
+++ b/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/spi/ModifyCommandRequest.java
@@ -65,6 +65,10 @@ public class ModifyCommandRequest implements Resetable, Validateable, CommandWit
     this.requests.add(request);
   }
 
+  public boolean isEmpty() {
+    return requests.isEmpty();
+  }
+
   public void setAuthor(Person author) {
     this.author = author;
   }
diff --git a/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/RepositoryInitializer.java b/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/RepositoryInitializer.java
index 1e1e3922a9..3ff4c4bda7 100644
--- a/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/RepositoryInitializer.java
+++ b/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/RepositoryInitializer.java
@@ -60,18 +60,19 @@ public class RepositoryInitializer {
 
   public void initialize(Repository repository, Map<String, JsonNode> contextEntries) {
     try (RepositoryService service = serviceFactory.create(repository)) {
-      ModifyCommandBuilder modifyCommandBuilder = service.getModifyCommand();
-
-      InitializerContextImpl initializerContext = new InitializerContextImpl(repository, modifyCommandBuilder, contextEntries);
 
       for (RepositoryContentInitializer initializer : contentInitializers) {
+        ModifyCommandBuilder modifyCommandBuilder = service.getModifyCommand();
+        InitializerContextImpl initializerContext = new InitializerContextImpl(repository, modifyCommandBuilder, contextEntries);
+
         initializer.initialize(initializerContext);
+
+        if (!modifyCommandBuilder.isEmpty()) {
+          modifyCommandBuilder.setCommitMessage("initialize repository");
+          String revision = modifyCommandBuilder.execute();
+          LOG.info("initialized repository {} as revision {}", repository, revision);
+        }
       }
-
-      modifyCommandBuilder.setCommitMessage("initialize repository");
-      String revision = modifyCommandBuilder.execute();
-      LOG.info("initialized repository {} as revision {}", repository, revision);
-
     } catch (IOException e) {
       throw new InternalRepositoryException(repository, "failed to initialize repository", e);
     }
@@ -109,6 +110,11 @@ public class RepositoryInitializer {
     public RepositoryContentInitializer.CreateFile create(String path) {
       return new CreateFileImpl(this, builder.useDefaultPath(true).createFile(path).setOverwrite(true));
     }
+
+    @Override
+    public RepositoryContentInitializer.CreateFile createWithDefaultPath(String path, boolean useDefaultPath) {
+      return new CreateFileImpl(this, builder.useDefaultPath(useDefaultPath).createFile(path).setOverwrite(true));
+    }
   }
 
   private static class CreateFileImpl implements RepositoryContentInitializer.CreateFile {
diff --git a/scm-webapp/src/test/java/sonia/scm/repository/RepositoryInitializerTest.java b/scm-webapp/src/test/java/sonia/scm/repository/RepositoryInitializerTest.java
index d0cc9cdd29..ebafa7f32e 100644
--- a/scm-webapp/src/test/java/sonia/scm/repository/RepositoryInitializerTest.java
+++ b/scm-webapp/src/test/java/sonia/scm/repository/RepositoryInitializerTest.java
@@ -79,6 +79,23 @@ class RepositoryInitializerTest {
     when(repositoryService.getModifyCommand()).thenReturn(modifyCommand);
   }
 
+  @Test
+  void shouldNotCommitIfInitializerDidNotMakeAnyChanges() {
+    when(modifyCommand.isEmpty()).thenReturn(true);
+
+    Set<RepositoryContentInitializer> repositoryContentInitializers = ImmutableSet.of(
+      new NoOpInitializer()
+    );
+
+    RepositoryInitializer initializer = new RepositoryInitializer(repositoryServiceFactory, repositoryContentInitializers);
+    initializer.initialize(repository, Collections.emptyMap());
+
+    verify(modifyCommand, never()).setCommitMessage("initialize repository");
+    verify(modifyCommand, never()).execute();
+
+    verify(repositoryService).close();
+  }
+
   @Test
   void shouldCallRepositoryContentInitializer() throws IOException {
     ModifyCommandBuilder.WithOverwriteFlagContentLoader readmeContentLoader = mockContentLoader("README.md");
@@ -95,8 +112,8 @@ class RepositoryInitializerTest {
     verifyFileCreation(readmeContentLoader, "# HeartOfGold");
     verifyFileCreation(licenseContentLoader, "MIT");
 
-    verify(modifyCommand).setCommitMessage("initialize repository");
-    verify(modifyCommand).execute();
+    verify(modifyCommand, times(2)).setCommitMessage("initialize repository");
+    verify(modifyCommand, times(2)).execute();
 
     verify(repositoryService).close();
   }
@@ -257,6 +274,14 @@ class RepositoryInitializerTest {
     }
   }
 
+  @Priority(3)
+  private static class NoOpInitializer implements RepositoryContentInitializer {
+
+    @Override
+    public void initialize(InitializerContext context) {
+    }
+  }
+
   private static class StreamingContentInitializer implements RepositoryContentInitializer {
 
     @Override