diff --git a/src/pkgmgr/actions/repository/create/git_bootstrap.py b/src/pkgmgr/actions/repository/create/git_bootstrap.py
index 9c63a16..001d4b5 100644
--- a/src/pkgmgr/actions/repository/create/git_bootstrap.py
+++ b/src/pkgmgr/actions/repository/create/git_bootstrap.py
@@ -10,10 +10,12 @@ from pkgmgr.core.git.commands import (
     push_upstream,
 )
 
+DEFAULT_BRANCH = "main"
+
 
 class GitBootstrapper:
     def init_repo(self, repo_dir: str, preview: bool) -> None:
-        init(cwd=repo_dir, preview=preview)
+        init(initial_branch=DEFAULT_BRANCH, cwd=repo_dir, preview=preview)
         add_all(cwd=repo_dir, preview=preview)
         try:
             commit("Initial commit", cwd=repo_dir, preview=preview)
@@ -21,15 +23,8 @@ class GitBootstrapper:
             print(f"[WARN] Initial commit failed (continuing): {exc}")
 
     def push_default_branch(self, repo_dir: str, preview: bool) -> None:
+        branch_move(DEFAULT_BRANCH, cwd=repo_dir, preview=preview)
         try:
-            branch_move("main", cwd=repo_dir, preview=preview)
-            push_upstream("origin", "main", cwd=repo_dir, preview=preview)
-            return
-        except GitPushUpstreamError:
-            pass
-
-        try:
-            branch_move("master", cwd=repo_dir, preview=preview)
-            push_upstream("origin", "master", cwd=repo_dir, preview=preview)
+            push_upstream("origin", DEFAULT_BRANCH, cwd=repo_dir, preview=preview)
         except GitPushUpstreamError as exc:
             print(f"[WARN] Push failed: {exc}")
diff --git a/src/pkgmgr/core/git/commands/init.py b/src/pkgmgr/core/git/commands/init.py
index a3683c9..45bd285 100644
--- a/src/pkgmgr/core/git/commands/init.py
+++ b/src/pkgmgr/core/git/commands/init.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-from ..errors import GitRunError, GitCommandError
+from ..errors import GitCommandError, GitRunError
 from ..run import run
 
 
@@ -8,14 +8,17 @@ class GitInitError(GitCommandError):
     """Raised when `git init` fails."""
 
 
-def init(*, cwd: str = ".", preview: bool = False) -> None:
+def init(*, initial_branch: str, cwd: str = ".", preview: bool = False) -> None:
     """
-    Initialize a repository.
+    Initialize a repository with an explicit initial branch.
 
     Equivalent to:
-      git init
+      git init -b <initial_branch>
+
+    initial_branch: required, so the branch never depends on the ambient
+      `init.defaultBranch` git config (which is `master` unless configured).
     """
     try:
-        run(["init"], cwd=cwd, preview=preview)
+        run(["init", "-b", initial_branch], cwd=cwd, preview=preview)
     except GitRunError as exc:
         raise GitInitError("Failed to initialize git repository.", cwd=cwd) from exc
diff --git a/tests/unit/pkgmgr/actions/repository/create/test_git_bootstrap_default_branch.py b/tests/unit/pkgmgr/actions/repository/create/test_git_bootstrap_default_branch.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7d8253a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/pkgmgr/actions/repository/create/test_git_bootstrap_default_branch.py
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import unittest
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+from pkgmgr.actions.repository.create.git_bootstrap import GitBootstrapper
+from pkgmgr.core.git.commands import GitPushUpstreamError
+
+
+class TestGitBootstrapperDefaultBranch(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_init_repo_uses_main_as_initial_branch(self):
+        with (
+            patch("pkgmgr.actions.repository.create.git_bootstrap.init") as init,
+            patch("pkgmgr.actions.repository.create.git_bootstrap.add_all"),
+            patch("pkgmgr.actions.repository.create.git_bootstrap.commit"),
+        ):
+            GitBootstrapper().init_repo("/repo", preview=False)
+
+        init.assert_called_once_with(
+            initial_branch="main", cwd="/repo", preview=False
+        )
+
+    def test_push_default_branch_pushes_main(self):
+        with (
+            patch(
+                "pkgmgr.actions.repository.create.git_bootstrap.branch_move"
+            ) as branch_move,
+            patch(
+                "pkgmgr.actions.repository.create.git_bootstrap.push_upstream"
+            ) as push_upstream,
+        ):
+            GitBootstrapper().push_default_branch("/repo", preview=False)
+
+        branch_move.assert_called_once_with("main", cwd="/repo", preview=False)
+        push_upstream.assert_called_once_with(
+            "origin", "main", cwd="/repo", preview=False
+        )
+
+    def test_failed_push_does_not_fall_back_to_master(self):
+        with (
+            patch(
+                "pkgmgr.actions.repository.create.git_bootstrap.branch_move"
+            ) as branch_move,
+            patch(
+                "pkgmgr.actions.repository.create.git_bootstrap.push_upstream",
+                side_effect=GitPushUpstreamError("boom"),
+            ) as push_upstream,
+        ):
+            GitBootstrapper().push_default_branch("/repo", preview=False)
+
+        self.assertEqual(
+            [call.args[0] for call in branch_move.call_args_list], ["main"]
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(
+            [call.args[1] for call in push_upstream.call_args_list], ["main"]
+        )
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main()