diff --git a/src/ViewModels/Clone.cs b/src/ViewModels/Clone.cs
index d17028607..3a2bef1a0 100644
--- a/src/ViewModels/Clone.cs
+++ b/src/ViewModels/Clone.cs
@@ -113,11 +113,12 @@ public override Task<bool> Sure()
 
                 CallUIThread(() =>
                 {
-                    var repo = Preference.AddRepository(path, Path.Combine(path, ".git"));
                     var node = new RepositoryNode()
                     {
-                        Id = repo.FullPath,
-                        Name = Path.GetFileName(repo.FullPath),
+                        Id = path,
+                        FullPath = path,
+                        Name = Path.GetFileName(path),
+                        GitDir = Path.Combine(path, ".git"),
                         Bookmark = 0,
                         IsRepository = true,
                     };
diff --git a/src/ViewModels/Init.cs b/src/ViewModels/Init.cs
index 5f1e846e2..46c241f77 100644
--- a/src/ViewModels/Init.cs
+++ b/src/ViewModels/Init.cs
@@ -31,11 +31,12 @@ public override Task<bool> Sure()
 
                 CallUIThread(() =>
                 {
-                    var repo = Preference.AddRepository(_targetPath, gitDir);
                     var node = new RepositoryNode()
                     {
-                        Id = repo.FullPath,
-                        Name = Path.GetFileName(repo.FullPath),
+                        Id = _targetPath,
+                        FullPath = _targetPath,
+                        Name = Path.GetFileName(_targetPath),
+                        GitDir = gitDir,
                         Bookmark = 0,
                         IsRepository = true,
                     };
diff --git a/src/ViewModels/Preference.cs b/src/ViewModels/Preference.cs
index cf4883287..d8f6d8da5 100644
--- a/src/ViewModels/Preference.cs
+++ b/src/ViewModels/Preference.cs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Collections.ObjectModel;
 using System.IO;
 using System.Text.Json;
 using System.Text.Json.Serialization;
@@ -267,11 +268,25 @@ public string ExternalMergeToolDiffCmd
             set => SetProperty(ref _externalMergeToolDiffCmd, value);
         }
 
-        public List<Repository> Repositories
+        [JsonIgnore]
+        public IEnumerable<Repository> Repositories
         {
-            get;
-            set;
-        } = new List<Repository>();
+            get
+            {
+                var result = new Collection<Repository>();
+                foreach (var m in RepositoryNodes)
+                {
+                    result.Add(new Repository()
+                    {
+                        FullPath = m.Id,
+                        GitDir = Path.GetFullPath(Path.Combine(m.Id, ".git")),
+                        Filters = m.Filters,
+                        CommitMessages = m.CommitMessages
+                    });
+                }
+                return result;
+            }
+        } 
 
         public AvaloniaList<RepositoryNode> RepositoryNodes
         {
@@ -376,19 +391,22 @@ public static Repository AddRepository(string rootDir, string gitDir)
         {
             var normalized = rootDir.Replace('\\', '/');
             var repo = FindRepository(normalized);
+            if (repo == null)
+            {
+                var node = new RepositoryNode()
+                {
+                    Id = normalized,
+                    Name = Path.GetFileName(normalized), 
+                    IsRepository = true
+                };
+                _instance.RepositoryNodes.Add(node);
+            }
+            
+            repo = FindRepository(normalized);
             if (repo != null)
             {
                 repo.GitDir = gitDir;
-                return repo;
             }
-
-            repo = new Repository()
-            {
-                FullPath = normalized,
-                GitDir = gitDir
-            };
-
-            _instance.Repositories.Add(repo);
             return repo;
         }
 
diff --git a/src/ViewModels/Repository.cs b/src/ViewModels/Repository.cs
index 73a500b52..fe025bea9 100644
--- a/src/ViewModels/Repository.cs
+++ b/src/ViewModels/Repository.cs
@@ -1305,11 +1305,12 @@ public ContextMenu CreateContextMenuForSubmodule(string submodule)
             {
                 var root = Path.GetFullPath(Path.Combine(_fullpath, submodule));
                 var gitDir = new Commands.QueryGitDir(root).Result();
-                var repo = Preference.AddRepository(root, gitDir);
                 var node = new RepositoryNode()
                 {
-                    Id = repo.FullPath,
-                    Name = Path.GetFileName(repo.FullPath),
+                    Id = root,
+                    FullPath = root,
+                    Name = Path.GetFileName(root),
+                    GitDir = gitDir,
                     Bookmark = 0,
                     IsRepository = true,
                 };
diff --git a/src/ViewModels/RepositoryNode.cs b/src/ViewModels/RepositoryNode.cs
index b0b6e73ed..739f23286 100644
--- a/src/ViewModels/RepositoryNode.cs
+++ b/src/ViewModels/RepositoryNode.cs
@@ -17,6 +17,29 @@ public string Id
                 SetProperty(ref _id, normalized);
             }
         }
+        
+        public string FullPath
+        {
+            get => _fullpath;
+            set
+            {
+                if (value != null)
+                {
+                    var normalized = value.Replace('\\', '/');
+                    SetProperty(ref _fullpath, normalized);
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    SetProperty(ref _fullpath, null);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        
+        public string GitDir
+        {
+            get => _gitDir;
+            set => SetProperty(ref _gitDir, value);
+        }
 
         public string Name
         {
@@ -55,6 +78,18 @@ public AvaloniaList<RepositoryNode> SubNodes
             set => SetProperty(ref _subNodes, value);
         }
 
+        public AvaloniaList<string> Filters
+        {
+            get;
+            set;
+        } = new AvaloniaList<string>();
+
+        public AvaloniaList<string> CommitMessages
+        {
+            get;
+            set;
+        } = new AvaloniaList<string>();
+
         public void Edit()
         {
             if (PopupHost.CanCreatePopup())
@@ -89,6 +124,8 @@ public void Delete()
 
         private string _id = string.Empty;
         private string _name = string.Empty;
+        private string _gitDir = string.Empty;
+        private string _fullpath = string.Empty;
         private bool _isRepository = false;
         private int _bookmark = 0;
         private bool _isExpanded = false;
diff --git a/src/Views/Welcome.axaml.cs b/src/Views/Welcome.axaml.cs
index 53ef2b5a6..e165fc7a9 100644
--- a/src/Views/Welcome.axaml.cs
+++ b/src/Views/Welcome.axaml.cs
@@ -256,11 +256,12 @@ private Task OpenOrInitRepository(string path, ViewModels.RepositoryNode parent
                 var gitDir = new Commands.QueryGitDir(root).Result();
                 Dispatcher.UIThread.Invoke(() =>
                 {
-                    var repo = ViewModels.Preference.AddRepository(root, gitDir);
                     var node = new ViewModels.RepositoryNode()
                     {
-                        Id = repo.FullPath,
-                        Name = Path.GetFileName(repo.FullPath),
+                        Id = root,
+                        FullPath = root,
+                        Name = Path.GetFileName(root),
+                        GitDir = gitDir,
                         Bookmark = 0,
                         IsRepository = true,
                     };