diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/resources/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/internal/CLIText.properties b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/resources/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/internal/CLIText.properties
index a5142802d..83846ee8e 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/resources/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/internal/CLIText.properties
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/resources/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/internal/CLIText.properties
@@ -432,7 +432,7 @@ usage_updateRef=reference to update
 usage_updateRemoteRefsFromAnotherRepository=Update remote refs from another repository
 usage_useNameInsteadOfOriginToTrackUpstream=use <name> instead of 'origin' to track upstream
 usage_checkoutBranchAfterClone=check out named branch instead of remote's HEAD
-usage_initialBranch=initial branch in the newly created repository (default 'master')
+usage_initialBranch=initial branch of the newly created repository (default 'master', can be configured via config option init.defaultBranch)
 usage_viewCommitHistory=View commit history
 usage_orphan=Create a new orphan branch. The first commit made on this new branch will have no parents and it will be the root of a new history totally disconnected from other branches and commits.
 usernameFor=Username for {0}:
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/InitCommandTest.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/InitCommandTest.java
index 14c52c207..48d835ed2 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/InitCommandTest.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/InitCommandTest.java
@@ -22,8 +22,10 @@
 import org.eclipse.jgit.errors.NoWorkTreeException;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.junit.MockSystemReader;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.junit.RepositoryTestCase;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.ConfigConstants;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.Constants;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.Repository;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.StoredConfig;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.util.SystemReader;
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
@@ -63,6 +65,56 @@ public void testInitRepositoryMainInitialBranch()
 		}
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testInitRepositoryCustomDefaultBranch()
+			throws Exception {
+		File directory = createTempDirectory("testInitRepository");
+		InitCommand command = new InitCommand();
+		command.setDirectory(directory);
+		MockSystemReader reader = (MockSystemReader) SystemReader.getInstance();
+		StoredConfig c = reader.getUserConfig();
+		String old = c.getString(ConfigConstants.CONFIG_INIT_SECTION, null,
+				ConfigConstants.CONFIG_KEY_DEFAULT_BRANCH);
+		c.setString(ConfigConstants.CONFIG_INIT_SECTION, null,
+				ConfigConstants.CONFIG_KEY_DEFAULT_BRANCH, "main");
+		try (Git git = command.call()) {
+			Repository r = git.getRepository();
+			assertNotNull(r);
+			assertEquals("refs/heads/main", r.getFullBranch());
+		} finally {
+			c.setString(ConfigConstants.CONFIG_INIT_SECTION, null,
+					ConfigConstants.CONFIG_KEY_DEFAULT_BRANCH, old);
+		}
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testInitRepositoryNullInitialBranch() throws Exception {
+		File directory = createTempDirectory("testInitRepository");
+		InitCommand command = new InitCommand();
+		command.setDirectory(directory);
+		command.setInitialBranch("main");
+		command.setInitialBranch(null);
+		try (Git git = command.call()) {
+			Repository r = git.getRepository();
+			assertNotNull(r);
+			assertEquals("refs/heads/master", r.getFullBranch());
+		}
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testInitRepositoryEmptyInitialBranch() throws Exception {
+		File directory = createTempDirectory("testInitRepository");
+		InitCommand command = new InitCommand();
+		command.setDirectory(directory);
+		command.setInitialBranch("main");
+		command.setInitialBranch("");
+		try (Git git = command.call()) {
+			Repository r = git.getRepository();
+			assertNotNull(r);
+			assertEquals("refs/heads/master", r.getFullBranch());
+		}
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void testInitNonEmptyRepository() throws IOException,
 			JGitInternalException, GitAPIException {
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/api/InitCommand.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/api/InitCommand.java
index b2f7354ed..240290f4f 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/api/InitCommand.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/api/InitCommand.java
@@ -17,11 +17,14 @@
 import org.eclipse.jgit.api.errors.GitAPIException;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.api.errors.InvalidRefNameException;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.api.errors.JGitInternalException;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.errors.ConfigInvalidException;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.internal.JGitText;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.ConfigConstants;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.Constants;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.Repository;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.RepositoryBuilder;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.util.FS;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.util.StringUtils;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.util.SystemReader;
 
 /**
@@ -39,7 +42,7 @@ public class InitCommand implements Callable<Git> {
 
 	private FS fs;
 
-	private String initialBranch = Constants.MASTER;
+	private String initialBranch;
 
 	/**
 	 * {@inheritDoc}
@@ -90,12 +93,16 @@ public Git call() throws GitAPIException {
 					builder.setWorkTree(new File(dStr));
 				}
 			}
-			builder.setInitialBranch(initialBranch);
+			builder.setInitialBranch(StringUtils.isEmptyOrNull(initialBranch)
+					? SystemReader.getInstance().getUserConfig().getString(
+							ConfigConstants.CONFIG_INIT_SECTION, null,
+							ConfigConstants.CONFIG_KEY_DEFAULT_BRANCH)
+					: initialBranch);
 			Repository repository = builder.build();
 			if (!repository.getObjectDatabase().exists())
 				repository.create(bare);
 			return new Git(repository, true);
-		} catch (IOException e) {
+		} catch (IOException | ConfigInvalidException e) {
 			throw new JGitInternalException(e.getMessage(), e);
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/ConfigConstants.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/ConfigConstants.java
index 7381c905b..03c1ef904 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/ConfigConstants.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/ConfigConstants.java
@@ -715,4 +715,17 @@ public final class ConfigConstants {
 	 */
 	public static final String CONFIG_KEY_VERSION = "version";
 
+	/**
+	 * The "init" section
+	 *
+	 * @since 5.11
+	 */
+	public static final String CONFIG_INIT_SECTION = "init";
+
+	/**
+	 * The "defaultBranch" key
+	 *
+	 * @since 5.11
+	 */
+	public static final String CONFIG_KEY_DEFAULT_BRANCH = "defaultbranch";
 }