diff --git a/project.py b/project.py
index a84857e6..cdce1e84 100644
--- a/project.py
+++ b/project.py
@@ -1872,11 +1872,6 @@ class Project(object):
       time.sleep(random.randint(30, 45))
 
     if initial:
-      # Ensure that some refs exist.  Otherwise, we probably aren't looking
-      # at a real git repository and may have a bad url.
-      if not self.bare_ref.all:
-        ok = False
-
       if alt_dir:
         if old_packed != '':
           _lwrite(packed_refs, old_packed)