diff --git a/web/src/lib/bones/repo-repoindexview--panel-skeleton-fixture.bones.json b/web/src/lib/bones/repo-repoindexview--panel-skeleton-fixture.bones.json
index be3ab5af3..792ba8498 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/bones/repo-repoindexview--panel-skeleton-fixture.bones.json
+++ b/web/src/lib/bones/repo-repoindexview--panel-skeleton-fixture.bones.json
@@ -177,5 +177,5 @@
 			]
 		}
 	},
-	"_hash": "2ab80eb1e5a617132cfe2e21814c0de3"
+	"_hash": "1e8e66beb6d5ae96fa80d586da3a56ad"
 }
diff --git a/web/src/lib/bones/repo-repoindexview--skeleton-fixture.bones.json b/web/src/lib/bones/repo-repoindexview--skeleton-fixture.bones.json
index cb52ed2e6..d2b07fcff 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/bones/repo-repoindexview--skeleton-fixture.bones.json
+++ b/web/src/lib/bones/repo-repoindexview--skeleton-fixture.bones.json
@@ -215,5 +215,5 @@
 			]
 		}
 	},
-	"_hash": "8e893676859109439808d2a974b04c8f"
+	"_hash": "7f46cbff4337c8e330230430162cb2d6"
 }
diff --git a/web/src/lib/components/profile/tabs/RepoListTab.svelte b/web/src/lib/components/profile/tabs/RepoListTab.svelte
index 4c4dc91a0..7495a5ff1 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/components/profile/tabs/RepoListTab.svelte
+++ b/web/src/lib/components/profile/tabs/RepoListTab.svelte
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@
 						name="q"
 						bind:value={queryValue}
 						placeholder="Search repositories..."
-						class="rounded-l rounded-r-none pr-10 pl-3 flex-1"
+						class="flex-1 rounded-l rounded-r-none pr-10 pl-3"
 					/>
 					<a
 						href={resolve(`${page.url.pathname}?tab=repos` as "/")}
diff --git a/web/src/lib/components/repo/EmptyRepo.svelte b/web/src/lib/components/repo/EmptyRepo.svelte
index 3981faf67..cd2f260d8 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/components/repo/EmptyRepo.svelte
+++ b/web/src/lib/components/repo/EmptyRepo.svelte
@@ -8,10 +8,15 @@
 
 	interface Props {
 		repo: RepoInfo;
+		/**
+		 * Overrides the SSH key lookup, for deterministic stories/tests or when preloaded.
+		 * Left unset in real usage, in which case it's figured out from the API.
+		 */
 		hasSshKey?: boolean;
+		defaultBranch?: string;
 	}
 
-	let { repo, hasSshKey }: Props = $props();
+	let { repo, hasSshKey, defaultBranch }: Props = $props();
 
 	const auth = getAuth();
 	const isOwner = $derived(auth.currentDid === repo.ownerDid);
@@ -23,17 +28,19 @@
 	);
 	const remote = $derived(`git@${sshHost}:${repo.repoDid ?? `${repo.ownerHandle}/${repo.name}`}`);
 
-	let defaultBranch = $state("main");
+	let customBranch = $state<string | undefined>();
 	$effect(() => {
-		void repo.defaultBranch.then((b) => {
-			defaultBranch = b;
-		});
-	});
-	const keyStatus = createLoad(async (): Promise<boolean | undefined> => {
-		if (hasSshKey !== undefined) {
-			return hasSshKey;
+		if (!defaultBranch) {
+			void repo.defaultBranch.then((b) => {
+				customBranch = b;
+			});
 		}
+	});
+	const resolvedBranch = $derived(defaultBranch ?? customBranch ?? "main");
 
+	// Only load on demand if hasSshKey was not provided
+	const keyStatus = createLoad(async (): Promise<boolean | undefined> => {
+		if (hasSshKey !== undefined) return hasSshKey;
 		const owner = isOwner;
 		const did = auth.currentDid;
 		const serviceUrl = auth.bobbinUrl;
@@ -46,6 +53,11 @@
 			return false;
 		}
 	});
+
+	const ownerHasKey = $derived(hasSshKey !== undefined ? hasSshKey : keyStatus.data);
+	const loadingKey = $derived(
+		hasSshKey === undefined && (keyStatus.loading || keyStatus.data === undefined)
+	);
 </script>
 
 {#snippet bullet(n: number)}
@@ -64,9 +76,9 @@
 {/snippet}
 
 {#if isOwner}
-	{#if keyStatus.loading || keyStatus.data === undefined}
+	{#if loadingKey}
 		<div class="py-6" aria-hidden="true"></div>
-	{:else if keyStatus.data}
+	{:else if ownerHasKey}
 		<div class="flex w-full place-content-center">
 			<div class="flex w-fit flex-col gap-5 py-6 typography-paragraph-small">
 				<p>This is an empty repository.</p>
@@ -79,9 +91,9 @@
 						"git init",
 						"git add README.md",
 						'git commit -m "initial commit"',
-						`git branch -M ${defaultBranch}`,
+						`git branch -M ${resolvedBranch}`,
 						`git remote add origin ${remote}`,
-						`git push -u origin ${defaultBranch}`
+						`git push -u origin ${resolvedBranch}`
 					])}
 				</div>
 				<div class="flex flex-col gap-2">
@@ -90,8 +102,8 @@
 					</p>
 					{@render codeBlock([
 						`git remote add origin ${remote}`,
-						`git branch -M ${defaultBranch}`,
-						`git push -u origin ${defaultBranch}`
+						`git branch -M ${resolvedBranch}`,
+						`git push -u origin ${resolvedBranch}`
 					])}
 				</div>
 			</div>
diff --git a/web/src/lib/components/repo/RepoIndexSkeleton.svelte b/web/src/lib/components/repo/RepoIndexSkeleton.svelte
deleted file mode 100644
index 68dc1e7e5..000000000
--- a/web/src/lib/components/repo/RepoIndexSkeleton.svelte
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-<script lang="ts">
-	import RepoIndexPanelSkeleton from "$lib/components/repo/RepoIndexPanelSkeleton.svelte";
-	import RepoReadmeSkeleton from "$lib/components/repo/RepoReadmeSkeleton.svelte";
-</script>
-
-<RepoIndexPanelSkeleton />
-<RepoReadmeSkeleton />
diff --git a/web/src/routes/[handle]/[repo]/+page.svelte b/web/src/routes/[handle]/[repo]/+page.svelte
index bc6ec51fc..85a44d1d6 100644
--- a/web/src/routes/[handle]/[repo]/+page.svelte
+++ b/web/src/routes/[handle]/[repo]/+page.svelte
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 <script lang="ts">
 	import { liveCommitStatuses } from "$lib/api/liveCommitStatuses.svelte";
-	import RepoIndexSkeleton from "$lib/components/repo/RepoIndexSkeleton.svelte";
+	import Bones from "$lib/components/ui/Bones.svelte";
+	import repoRepoindexviewSkeletonFixture from "$lib/bones/repo-repoindexview--skeleton-fixture.bones.json";
 	import RepoIndexView from "$lib/components/repo/RepoIndexView.svelte";
 	import Pending from "$lib/components/ui/Pending.svelte";
 
@@ -16,7 +17,7 @@
 
 <Pending>
 	{#snippet skeleton()}
-		<RepoIndexSkeleton />
+		<Bones capture={repoRepoindexviewSkeletonFixture} />
 	{/snippet}
 	{@const repo = await data.repo}
 	<RepoIndexView {repo} {data} bobbinUrl={data.publicConfig.bobbinUrl} {pipelineStatuses} />