diff --git a/manifest_xml.py b/manifest_xml.py
index 9189eec4..c9e5c405 100644
--- a/manifest_xml.py
+++ b/manifest_xml.py
@@ -228,7 +228,11 @@ class XmlManifest(object):
   @property
   def manifest_server(self):
     self._Load()
-    return self._manifest_server
+
+    if self._manifest_server:
+      return self._manifest_server
+
+    return self.manifestProject.config.GetString('repo.manifest-server')
 
   @property
   def IsMirror(self):
diff --git a/repo b/repo
index 0e779833..1c71f072 100755
--- a/repo
+++ b/repo
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
 del magic
 
 # increment this whenever we make important changes to this script
-VERSION = (1, 13)
+VERSION = (1, 14)
 
 # increment this if the MAINTAINER_KEYS block is modified
 KEYRING_VERSION = (1,0)
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ def _Init(args):
   """Installs repo by cloning it over the network.
   """
   opt, args = init_optparse.parse_args(args)
-  if args or not opt.manifest_url:
+  if args:
     init_optparse.print_usage()
     sys.exit(1)
 
diff --git a/subcmds/init.py b/subcmds/init.py
index 1c23d620..e80d698b 100644
--- a/subcmds/init.py
+++ b/subcmds/init.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ from error import ManifestParseError
 from project import SyncBuffer
 from git_config import GitConfig
 from git_command import git_require, MIN_GIT_VERSION
+from git_config import GitConfig
 
 class Init(InteractiveCommand, MirrorSafeCommand):
   common = True
@@ -36,6 +37,20 @@ The latest repo source code and manifest collection is downloaded
 from the server and is installed in the .repo/ directory in the
 current working directory.
 
+The optional -u argument can be used to specify a URL to the
+manifest project. It is also possible to have a git configuration
+section as below to use 'identifier' as argument to -u:
+
+  [repo-manifest "identifier"]
+    url = ...
+    server = ...
+    reference = ...
+
+Only the url is required - the others are optional.
+
+If no -u argument is specified, the 'repo-manifest' section named
+'default' will be used if present.
+
 The optional -b argument can be used to select the manifest branch
 to checkout and use.  If no branch is specified, master is assumed.
 
@@ -69,7 +84,7 @@ to update the working directory files.
     # Manifest
     g = p.add_option_group('Manifest options')
     g.add_option('-u', '--manifest-url',
-                 dest='manifest_url',
+                 dest='manifest_url', default='default',
                  help='manifest repository location', metavar='URL')
     g.add_option('-b', '--manifest-branch',
                  dest='manifest_branch',
@@ -102,10 +117,25 @@ to update the working directory files.
   def _SyncManifest(self, opt):
     m = self.manifest.manifestProject
     is_new = not m.Exists
+    manifest_server = None
+
+    # The manifest url may point out a manifest section in the config
+    key = 'repo-manifest.%s.' % opt.manifest_url
+    if GitConfig.ForUser().GetString(key + 'url'):
+      opt.manifest_url = GitConfig.ForUser().GetString(key + 'url')
+
+      # Also copy other options to the manifest config if not specified already.
+      if not opt.reference:
+        opt.reference = GitConfig.ForUser().GetString(key + 'reference')
+      manifest_server = GitConfig.ForUser().GetString(key + 'server')
 
     if is_new:
-      if not opt.manifest_url:
-        print >>sys.stderr, 'fatal: manifest url (-u) is required.'
+      if not opt.manifest_url or opt.manifest_url == 'default':
+        print >>sys.stderr, """\
+fatal: missing manifest url (-u) and no default found.
+
+  tip: The global git configuration key 'repo-manifest.default.url' can
+       be used to specify a default url."""
         sys.exit(1)
 
       if not opt.quiet:
@@ -129,6 +159,9 @@ to update the working directory files.
       r.ResetFetch()
       r.Save()
 
+    if manifest_server:
+      m.config.SetString('repo.manifest-server', manifest_server)
+
     if opt.reference:
       m.config.SetString('repo.reference', opt.reference)