diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 2149fb8cea..a4e96435a0 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ PROGRAMS = \
 	git-convert-objects$X git-diff-files$X \
 	git-diff-index$X git-diff-stages$X \
 	git-diff-tree$X git-fetch-pack$X git-fsck-objects$X \
-	git-hash-object$X git-index-pack$X git-init-db$X git-local-fetch$X \
+	git-hash-object$X git-index-pack$X git-local-fetch$X \
 	git-ls-files$X git-ls-tree$X git-mailinfo$X git-merge-base$X \
 	git-merge-index$X git-mktag$X git-mktree$X git-pack-objects$X git-patch-id$X \
 	git-peek-remote$X git-prune-packed$X git-read-tree$X \
@@ -170,7 +170,8 @@ PROGRAMS = \
 
 BUILT_INS = git-log$X git-whatchanged$X git-show$X \
 	git-count-objects$X git-diff$X git-push$X \
-	git-grep$X git-rev-list$X git-check-ref-format$X
+	git-grep$X git-rev-list$X git-check-ref-format$X \
+	git-init-db$X
 
 # what 'all' will build and 'install' will install, in gitexecdir
 ALL_PROGRAMS = $(PROGRAMS) $(SIMPLE_PROGRAMS) $(SCRIPTS)
@@ -218,7 +219,8 @@ LIB_OBJS = \
 
 BUILTIN_OBJS = \
 	builtin-log.o builtin-help.o builtin-count.o builtin-diff.o builtin-push.o \
-	builtin-grep.o builtin-rev-list.o builtin-check-ref-format.o
+	builtin-grep.o builtin-rev-list.o builtin-check-ref-format.o \
+	builtin-init-db.o
 
 GITLIBS = $(LIB_FILE) $(XDIFF_LIB)
 LIBS = $(GITLIBS) -lz
@@ -473,6 +475,7 @@ strip: $(PROGRAMS) git$X
 
 git$X: git.c common-cmds.h $(BUILTIN_OBJS) $(GITLIBS)
 	$(CC) -DGIT_VERSION='"$(GIT_VERSION)"' \
+		-DDEFAULT_GIT_TEMPLATE_DIR='"$(template_dir_SQ)"' \
 		$(ALL_CFLAGS) -o $@ $(filter %.c,$^) \
 		$(BUILTIN_OBJS) $(ALL_LDFLAGS) $(LIBS)
 
@@ -565,10 +568,6 @@ git-http-push$X: revision.o http.o http-push.o $(LIB_FILE)
 	$(CC) $(ALL_CFLAGS) -o $@ $(ALL_LDFLAGS) $(filter %.o,$^) \
 		$(LIBS) $(CURL_LIBCURL) $(EXPAT_LIBEXPAT)
 
-init-db.o: init-db.c
-	$(CC) -c $(ALL_CFLAGS) \
-		-DDEFAULT_GIT_TEMPLATE_DIR='"$(template_dir_SQ)"' $*.c
-
 $(LIB_OBJS) $(BUILTIN_OBJS): $(LIB_H)
 $(patsubst git-%$X,%.o,$(PROGRAMS)): $(GITLIBS)
 $(DIFF_OBJS): diffcore.h
diff --git a/init-db.c b/builtin-init-db.c
similarity index 95%
rename from init-db.c
rename to builtin-init-db.c
index ff294960f2..2a1384ccb0 100644
--- a/init-db.c
+++ b/builtin-init-db.c
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
  * Copyright (C) Linus Torvalds, 2005
  */
 #include "cache.h"
+#include "builtin.h"
 
 #ifndef DEFAULT_GIT_TEMPLATE_DIR
 #define DEFAULT_GIT_TEMPLATE_DIR "/usr/share/git-core/templates/"
@@ -116,7 +117,7 @@ static void copy_templates_1(char *path, int baselen,
 	}
 }
 
-static void copy_templates(const char *git_dir, int len, char *template_dir)
+static void copy_templates(const char *git_dir, int len, const char *template_dir)
 {
 	char path[PATH_MAX];
 	char template_path[PATH_MAX];
@@ -163,7 +164,7 @@ static void copy_templates(const char *git_dir, int len, char *template_dir)
 	closedir(dir);
 }
 
-static void create_default_files(const char *git_dir, char *template_path)
+static void create_default_files(const char *git_dir, const char *template_path)
 {
 	unsigned len = strlen(git_dir);
 	static char path[PATH_MAX];
@@ -234,15 +235,16 @@ static const char init_db_usage[] =
  * On the other hand, it might just make lookup slower and messier. You
  * be the judge.  The default case is to have one DB per managed directory.
  */
-int main(int argc, char **argv)
+int cmd_init_db(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
 {
 	const char *git_dir;
 	const char *sha1_dir;
-	char *path, *template_dir = NULL;
+	const char *template_dir = NULL;
+	char *path;
 	int len, i;
 
 	for (i = 1; i < argc; i++, argv++) {
-		char *arg = argv[1];
+		const char *arg = argv[1];
 		if (!strncmp(arg, "--template=", 11))
 			template_dir = arg+11;
 		else if (!strcmp(arg, "--shared"))
diff --git a/builtin.h b/builtin.h
index ff559dec7e..60541262c4 100644
--- a/builtin.h
+++ b/builtin.h
@@ -26,5 +26,6 @@ extern int cmd_push(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp);
 extern int cmd_grep(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp);
 extern int cmd_rev_list(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp);
 extern int cmd_check_ref_format(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp);
+extern int cmd_init_db(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/git.c b/git.c
index d0650bb409..3216d311b2 100644
--- a/git.c
+++ b/git.c
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ static void handle_internal_command(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
 		{ "diff", cmd_diff },
 		{ "grep", cmd_grep },
 		{ "rev-list", cmd_rev_list },
+		{ "init-db", cmd_init_db },
 		{ "check-ref-format", cmd_check_ref_format }
 	};
 	int i;