# If '.git-HEAD' is appended to the version, you are seeing an unreleased
 # version of vcsh; the master branch is supposed to be clean at all times
 # so you can most likely just use it nonetheless
-VERSION='1.20141009'
+VERSION='1.20141026'
 SELF=$(basename $0)
 
 fatal() {
        echo "$SELF: fatal: $1" >&2
-       [ -z $2] && exit 1
+       [ -z $2 ] && exit 1
        exit $2
 }
 
    -v                   Enable verbose mode
 
    commands:
-   clone <remote> \\
+   clone [-b <branch>] \\
+         <remote> \\
          [<repo>]       Clone from an existing repository
    commit               Commit in all repositories
    delete <repo>        Delete an existing repository
        hook pre-clone
        init
        git remote add origin "$GIT_REMOTE"
-       git config branch.master.remote origin
-       git config branch.master.merge  refs/heads/master
-       VCSH_CLONE_ERROR=$(git ls-remote origin master 2>&1)
-       if [ -n "$VCSH_CLONE_ERROR" ]; then
-               rm -rf "$GIT_DIR"
-               fatal "$VCSH_CLONE_ERROR" 1
+       git checkout -b "$VCSH_BRANCH" || return $?
+       git config branch."$VCSH_BRANCH".remote origin
+       git config branch."$VCSH_BRANCH".merge  refs/heads/"$VCSH_BRANCH"
+       if [ $(git ls-remote origin "$VCSH_BRANCH" 2> /dev/null | wc -l ) -lt 1 ]; then
+               info "remote is empty, not merging anything.
+  You should add files to your new repository."
+               exit
        fi
-       git fetch
+       git fetch origin "$VCSH_BRANCH"
        hook pre-merge
-       git ls-tree -r --name-only origin/master | (while read object; do
+       git ls-tree -r --name-only origin/"$VCSH_BRANCH" | (while read object; do
                [ -e "$object" ] &&
                        error "'$object' exists." &&
                        VCSH_CONFLICT=1
        [ x"$VCSH_CONFLICT" = x'1' ]) &&
                fatal "will stop after fetching and not try to merge!
   Once this situation has been resolved, run 'vcsh $VCSH_REPO_NAME pull' to finish cloning." 17
-       git merge origin/master
+       git merge origin/"$VCSH_BRANCH"
        hook post-merge
        hook post-clone
        retire
 esac    
 
 if [ x"$VCSH_COMMAND" = x'clone' ]; then
+       VCSH_BRANCH=
+       if [ "$2" = -b ]; then
+               VCSH_BRANCH=$3
+               shift
+               shift
+       fi
        [ -z "$2" ] && fatal "$VCSH_COMMAND: please specify a remote" 1
        GIT_REMOTE="$2"
-       [ -n "$3" ] && VCSH_REPO_NAME=$3 || VCSH_REPO_NAME=$(basename "${GIT_REMOTE#*:}" .git)
+       [ -n "$VCSH_BRANCH" ] || if [ "$3" = -b ]; then
+               VCSH_BRANCH=$4
+               shift
+               shift
+       fi
+       if [ -n "$3" ]; then
+               VCSH_REPO_NAME=$3
+               [ -z "$VCSH_BRANCH" ] && [ "$4" = -b ] && VCSH_BRANCH=$5
+       else
+               VCSH_REPO_NAME=$(basename "${GIT_REMOTE#*:}" .git)
+       fi
        [ -z "$VCSH_REPO_NAME" ] && fatal "$VCSH_COMMAND: could not determine repository name" 1
        export VCSH_REPO_NAME
+       [ -n "$VCSH_BRANCH" ] || VCSH_BRANCH=master
        GIT_DIR=$VCSH_REPO_D/$VCSH_REPO_NAME.git; export GIT_DIR
 elif [ "$VCSH_COMMAND" = 'version' ]; then
        echo "$SELF $VERSION"
 verbose "$VCSH_COMMAND begin"
 VCSH_COMMAND=$(echo "$VCSH_COMMAND" | sed 's/-/_/g'); export VCSH_COMMAND
 
+# Source repo-specific configuration file
+[ -r "$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/vcsh/config.d/$VCSH_REPO_NAME" ] && . "$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/vcsh/config.d/$VCSH_REPO_NAME"
+
 # source overlay functions
 for overlay in "$VCSH_OVERLAY_D/$VCSH_COMMAND"* "$VCSH_OVERLAY_D/$VCSH_REPO_NAME.$VCSH_COMMAND"*; do
        [ -r "$overlay" ] || continue