diff --git a/contrib/examples/git-svnimport.perl b/contrib/examples/git-svnimport.perl
index 4576c4a86..6c4cab363 100755
--- a/contrib/examples/git-svnimport.perl
+++ b/contrib/examples/git-svnimport.perl
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ ($$)
 unless(-d $git_dir) {
 	system("git init");
 	die "Cannot init the GIT db at $git_tree: $?\n" if $?;
-	system("git read-tree");
+	system("git read-tree --empty");
 	die "Cannot init an empty tree: $?\n" if $?;
 
 	$last_branch = $opt_o;
diff --git a/git-cvsimport.perl b/git-cvsimport.perl
index 9e03eee45..7ab7bbc9e 100755
--- a/git-cvsimport.perl
+++ b/git-cvsimport.perl
@@ -611,7 +611,7 @@ sub munge_user_filename {
 unless (-d $git_dir) {
 	system(qw(git init));
 	die "Cannot init the GIT db at $git_tree: $?\n" if $?;
-	system(qw(git read-tree));
+	system(qw(git read-tree --empty));
 	die "Cannot init an empty tree: $?\n" if $?;
 
 	$last_branch = $opt_o;