diff --git a/.changeset/unlucky-horses-sneeze.md b/.changeset/unlucky-horses-sneeze.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d1ec647
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/unlucky-horses-sneeze.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+'gov4git-desktop-app': patch
+---
+
+Fix initializing id repos
+
+- Addresses #109
diff --git a/src/electron/services/Gov4GitService.ts b/src/electron/services/Gov4GitService.ts
index c1b29fa..7fe43a1 100644
--- a/src/electron/services/Gov4GitService.ts
+++ b/src/electron/services/Gov4GitService.ts
@@ -113,14 +113,17 @@ export class Gov4GitService {
     command: string[],
     community?: Community,
     skipConfig = false,
+    configPath = '',
   ): Promise<T> => {
-    if (!skipConfig) {
+    if (!skipConfig && configPath === '') {
       const configPathResponse = await this.loadConfigPath(community)
       if (!configPathResponse.ok) {
         throw new Error(`${configPathResponse.error}`)
       } else {
         command.push('--config', configPathResponse.data)
       }
+    } else if (configPath !== '') {
+      command.push('--config', configPath)
     }
 
     command.push('-v')
@@ -171,7 +174,11 @@ export class Gov4GitService {
 
     if (isPublicEmpty || isPrivateEmpty) {
       try {
-        await this.mustRun(['init-id'])
+        const response = await this.settingsService.generateConfig(user)
+        if (!response.ok) {
+          return response
+        }
+        await this.mustRun(['init-id'], undefined, false, response.data)
         return {
           ok: true,
           statusCode: 201,
diff --git a/src/electron/services/SettingsService.ts b/src/electron/services/SettingsService.ts
index 5f22fbf..0a3eb7a 100644
--- a/src/electron/services/SettingsService.ts
+++ b/src/electron/services/SettingsService.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 import { existsSync, mkdirSync, writeFileSync } from 'fs'
-import { dirname } from 'path'
+import { dirname, resolve } from 'path'
 
 import type { ServiceResponse } from '~/shared'
 
+import { CONFIG_PATH } from '../configs.js'
 import { DB } from '../db/db.js'
 import { communities, Community, User, users } from '../db/schema.js'
 import { Services } from './Services.js'
@@ -22,33 +23,21 @@ export class SettingsService {
 
   public generateConfig = async (
     user: User,
-    community: Community,
-  ): Promise<ServiceResponse<null>> => {
-    const config = {
+    community?: Community,
+  ): Promise<ServiceResponse<string>> => {
+    let config: Record<string, any> = {
       notice:
         'Do not modify this file. It will be overwritten by Gov4Git application',
-      configPath: community.configPath,
-      community_name: community.name,
-      project_repo: community.projectUrl,
       user: {
         username: user.username,
         pat: user.pat,
       },
-      gov_public_url: community.url,
-      gov_public_branch: community.branch,
-      gov_private_url: community.privateUrl,
-      gov_private_branch: community.branch,
+
       member_public_url: user.memberPublicUrl,
       member_public_branch: user.memberPublicBranch,
       member_private_url: user.memberPrivateUrl,
       member_private_branch: user.memberPrivateBranch,
       auth: {
-        [community.url]: {
-          access_token: user.pat,
-        },
-        [community.privateUrl]: {
-          access_token: user.pat,
-        },
         [user.memberPublicUrl]: {
           access_token: user.pat,
         },
@@ -58,29 +47,49 @@ export class SettingsService {
       },
     }
 
+    let configPath = resolve(CONFIG_PATH, 'user-config.json')
+    if (community != null) {
+      configPath = community.configPath
+      config = {
+        ...config,
+        configPath: community.configPath,
+        community_name: community.name,
+        project_repo: community.projectUrl,
+        gov_public_url: community.url,
+        gov_public_branch: community.branch,
+        gov_private_url: community.privateUrl,
+        gov_private_branch: community.branch,
+        auth: {
+          ...config['auth'],
+          [community.url]: {
+            access_token: user.pat,
+          },
+          [community.privateUrl]: {
+            access_token: user.pat,
+          },
+        },
+      }
+    }
+
     try {
-      const dir = dirname(community.configPath)
+      const dir = dirname(configPath)
       if (!existsSync(dir)) {
         mkdirSync(dir, { recursive: true })
       }
 
-      writeFileSync(
-        community.configPath,
-        JSON.stringify(config, undefined, 2),
-        'utf-8',
-      )
+      writeFileSync(configPath, JSON.stringify(config, undefined, 2), 'utf-8')
     } catch (ex) {
       return {
         ok: false,
         statusCode: 500,
-        error: `Failed to write config file ${community.configPath}. ${ex}`,
+        error: `Failed to write config file ${configPath}. ${ex}`,
       }
     }
 
     return {
       ok: true,
       statusCode: 200,
-      data: null,
+      data: configPath,
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/src/electron/services/UserService.ts b/src/electron/services/UserService.ts
index 72cee81..d6b3350 100644
--- a/src/electron/services/UserService.ts
+++ b/src/electron/services/UserService.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { AbstractUserService, serialAsync } from '~/shared'
 import { DB } from '../db/db.js'
 import { communities, motions, User, users } from '../db/schema.js'
 import { GitHubService } from './GitHubService.js'
+import { Gov4GitService } from './Gov4GitService.js'
 import { Services } from './Services.js'
 import { SettingsService } from './SettingsService.js'
 
@@ -20,14 +21,18 @@ export class UserService extends AbstractUserService {
   private declare readonly repoUrlBase: string
   private declare readonly db: DB
   private declare readonly settingsService: SettingsService
+  private declare readonly govService: Gov4GitService
+  private declare initialized: boolean
 
   constructor({
     services,
     identityRepoName = 'gov4git-identity',
   }: UserServiceOptions) {
     super()
+    this.initialized = false
     this.services = services
     this.db = this.services.load<DB>('db')
+    this.govService = this.services.load<Gov4GitService>('gov4git')
     this.gitHubService = this.services.load<GitHubService>('github')
     this.settingsService = this.services.load<SettingsService>('settings')
     this.identityRepoName = identityRepoName
@@ -49,11 +54,19 @@ export class UserService extends AbstractUserService {
     ])
   }
 
-  public getUser = async (): Promise<User | null> => {
+  public getUser = serialAsync(async (): Promise<User | null> => {
     const userInfo = (await this.db.select().from(users).limit(1))[0]
 
+    if (!this.initialized) {
+      const errors = await this.initializeIdRepos()
+      if (errors.length === 0) {
+        await this.govService.initId()
+      }
+      this.initialized = true
+    }
+
     return userInfo ?? null
-  }
+  })
 
   /**
    * Bypasses interactive user login flow and verification.