diff --git a/binderhub/static/js/src/repo.js b/binderhub/static/js/src/repo.js
index 42004f72f..d0ce58499 100644
--- a/binderhub/static/js/src/repo.js
+++ b/binderhub/static/js/src/repo.js
@@ -35,11 +35,21 @@ export function updateRepoText(baseUrl) {
 export async function detectPastedRepo(baseUrl) {
   const repoField = $("#repository").val().trim();
   const fields = await detect(baseUrl, repoField);
+  // Special case: The BinderHub UI supports https://git{hub,lab}.com/ in the
+  // repository (it's stripped out later in the UI).
+  // To keep the UI consistent insert it back if it was originally included.
   console.log(fields);
   if (fields) {
+    let repo = fields.repository;
+    if (repoField.startsWith("https://github.com/")) {
+      repo = "https://github.com/" + repo;
+    }
+    if (repoField.startsWith("https://gitlab.com/")) {
+      repo = "https://gitlab.com/" + repo;
+    }
     $("#provider_prefix-selected").text(fields.providerName);
     $("#provider_prefix").val(fields.providerPrefix);
-    $("#repository").val(fields.repository);
+    $("#repository").val(repo);
     if (fields.ref) {
       $("#ref").val(fields.ref);
     }