diff --git a/gitosis/serve.py b/gitosis/serve.py
index 867249e..d83b1d8 100644
--- a/gitosis/serve.py
+++ b/gitosis/serve.py
@@ -130,8 +130,7 @@ def serve(
            'git extension should have been stripped: %r' % relpath
     repopath = '%s.git' % relpath
     fullpath = os.path.join(topdir, repopath)
-    if (not os.path.exists(fullpath)
-        and verb in COMMANDS_WRITE):
+    if not os.path.exists(fullpath):
         # it doesn't exist on the filesystem, but the configuration
         # refers to it, we're serving a write request, and the user is
         # authorized to do that: create the repository on the fly
diff --git a/gitosis/test/test_serve.py b/gitosis/test/test_serve.py
index f1c1930..9884694 100644
--- a/gitosis/test/test_serve.py
+++ b/gitosis/test/test_serve.py
@@ -215,6 +215,30 @@ def test_simple_read_space():
         )
     eq(got, "git upload-pack '%s/foo.git'" % tmp)
 
+def test_read_inits_if_needed():
+    # a clone of a non-existent repository (but where config
+    # authorizes you to do that) will create the repository on the fly
+    tmp = util.maketemp()
+    cfg = RawConfigParser()
+    cfg.add_section('gitosis')
+    repositories = os.path.join(tmp, 'repositories')
+    os.mkdir(repositories)
+    cfg.set('gitosis', 'repositories', repositories)
+    generated = os.path.join(tmp, 'generated')
+    os.mkdir(generated)
+    cfg.set('gitosis', 'generate-files-in', generated)
+    cfg.add_section('group foo')
+    cfg.set('group foo', 'members', 'jdoe')
+    cfg.set('group foo', 'readonly', 'foo')
+    got = serve.serve(
+        cfg=cfg,
+        user='jdoe',
+        command="git-upload-pack 'foo'",
+        )
+    eq(got, "git-upload-pack '%s/foo.git'" % repositories)
+    eq(os.listdir(repositories), ['foo.git'])
+    assert os.path.isfile(os.path.join(repositories, 'foo.git', 'HEAD'))
+
 def test_simple_write_dash():
     tmp = util.maketemp()
     repository.init(os.path.join(tmp, 'foo.git'))