diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/repo/new.html b/appview/pages/templates/repo/new.html
index ebf85f8e..e71ee250 100644
--- a/appview/pages/templates/repo/new.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/repo/new.html
@@ -16,6 +16,16 @@
           class="w-full max-w-md"
           />
       <p class="text-sm text-gray-500">All repositories are publicly visible.</p>
+
+      <label for="name" class="block uppercase font-bold text-sm">Default branch</label>
+      <input
+          type="text"
+          id="branch"
+          name="branch"
+          required
+          class="w-full max-w-md"
+          />
+      <p class="text-sm text-gray-500">The default branch is <span class="font-bold">main</span></p>
     </div>
 
     <fieldset class="space-y-3">
diff --git a/appview/state/signer.go b/appview/state/signer.go
index 9c32d1b2..e35789fd 100644
--- a/appview/state/signer.go
+++ b/appview/state/signer.go
@@ -77,17 +77,20 @@ func (s *SignedClient) Init(did string) (*http.Response, error) {
 	return s.client.Do(req)
 }
 
-func (s *SignedClient) NewRepo(did, repoName string) (*http.Response, error) {
+func (s *SignedClient) NewRepo(did, repoName, defaultBranch string) (*http.Response, error) {
 	const (
 		Method   = "PUT"
 		Endpoint = "/repo/new"
 	)
 
 	body, _ := json.Marshal(map[string]interface{}{
-		"did":  did,
-		"name": repoName,
+		"did":            did,
+		"name":           repoName,
+		"default_branch": defaultBranch,
 	})
 
+	fmt.Println(body)
+
 	req, err := s.newRequest(Method, Endpoint, body)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/appview/state/state.go b/appview/state/state.go
index 6372af7e..6ca97190 100644
--- a/appview/state/state.go
+++ b/appview/state/state.go
@@ -508,6 +508,11 @@ func (s *State) AddRepo(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 			return
 		}
 
+		defaultBranch := r.FormValue("branch")
+		if defaultBranch == "" {
+			defaultBranch = "main"
+		}
+
 		ok, err := s.enforcer.E.Enforce(user.Did, domain, domain, "repo:create")
 		if err != nil || !ok {
 			s.pages.Notice(w, "repo", "You do not have permission to create a repo in this knot.")
@@ -526,7 +531,7 @@ func (s *State) AddRepo(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 			return
 		}
 
-		resp, err := client.NewRepo(user.Did, repoName)
+		resp, err := client.NewRepo(user.Did, repoName, defaultBranch)
 		if err != nil {
 			s.pages.Notice(w, "repo", "Failed to create repository on knot server.")
 			return
diff --git a/knotserver/routes.go b/knotserver/routes.go
index cf2f8ef6..3b7a0539 100644
--- a/knotserver/routes.go
+++ b/knotserver/routes.go
@@ -505,8 +505,9 @@ func (h *Handle) NewRepo(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		return
 	}
 
+	log.Println("branch", data.DefaultBranch)
 	if data.DefaultBranch == "" {
-		data.DefaultBranch = "main"
+		data.DefaultBranch = h.c.Repo.MainBranch
 	}
 
 	did := data.Did