diff --git a/pym/_emerge/actions.py b/pym/_emerge/actions.py
index 9bb4774..4947786 100644
--- a/pym/_emerge/actions.py
+++ b/pym/_emerge/actions.py
@@ -2176,17 +2176,36 @@ def _sync_repo(emerge_config, repo):
 				writemsg_level("!!! %s\n" % l,
 					level=logging.ERROR, noiselevel=-1)
 			return 1
-		msg = ">>> Starting git pull in %s..." % repo.location
-		emergelog(xterm_titles, msg )
-		writemsg_level(msg + "\n")
-		exitcode = portage.process.spawn_bash("cd %s ; git pull" % \
+		# Test if the directory is a valid git repo, and run
+		# git clone if not
+		exitcode = portage.process.spawn_bash("cd %s ; git rev-parse" %\
 			(portage._shell_quote(repo.location),),
 			**portage._native_kwargs(spawn_kwargs))
-		if exitcode != os.EX_OK:
-			msg = "!!! git pull error in %s." % repo.location
+		if exitcode == 128:
+			msg = "!!! Git repo does not already exist, cloning from upstream..."
 			emergelog(xterm_titles, msg)
-			writemsg_level(msg + "\n", level=logging.ERROR, noiselevel=-1)
-			return exitcode
+			writemsg_level(msg + "\n")
+			exitcode = portage.process.spawn_bash("cd %s ; git clone %s ." % \
+				(portage._shell_quote(repo.location),
+				portage._shell_quote(repo.sync_uri)),
+				**portage._native_kwargs(spawn_kwargs))
+			if exitcode != os.EX_OK:
+				msg = "!!! git clone error in %s." % repo.location
+				emergelog(xterm_titles, msg)
+				writemsg_level(msg + "\n", level=logging.ERROR, noiselevel=-1)
+				return exitcode
+		else:
+			msg = ">>> Starting git pull in %s..." % repo.location
+			emergelog(xterm_titles, msg )
+			writemsg_level(msg + "\n")
+			exitcode = portage.process.spawn_bash("cd %s ; git pull" % \
+				(portage._shell_quote(repo.location),),
+				**portage._native_kwargs(spawn_kwargs))
+			if exitcode != os.EX_OK:
+				msg = "!!! git pull error in %s." % repo.location
+				emergelog(xterm_titles, msg)
+				writemsg_level(msg + "\n", level=logging.ERROR, noiselevel=-1)
+				return exitcode
 		msg = ">>> Git pull in %s successful" % repo.location
 		emergelog(xterm_titles, msg)
 		writemsg_level(msg + "\n")