diff --git a/lib/flatpak-installation.c b/lib/flatpak-installation.c
index ccd8ff3b..059b60d6 100644
--- a/lib/flatpak-installation.c
+++ b/lib/flatpak-installation.c
@@ -1003,6 +1003,8 @@ flatpak_installation_install_bundle (FlatpakInstallation    *self,
 
   /* Pull, prune, etc are not threadsafe, so we work on a copy */
   dir_clone = flatpak_dir_clone (dir);
+  if (flatpak_dir_ensure_repo (dir_clone, cancellable, error))
+    return NULL;
 
   if (!flatpak_dir_install_bundle (dir_clone, file, NULL, &ref,
                                    cancellable, error))
@@ -1071,6 +1073,8 @@ flatpak_installation_install_full (FlatpakInstallation    *self,
 
   /* Pull, prune, etc are not threadsafe, so we work on a copy */
   dir_clone = flatpak_dir_clone (dir);
+  if (flatpak_dir_ensure_repo (dir_clone, cancellable, error))
+    return NULL;
 
   /* Work around ostree-pull spinning the default main context for the sync calls */
   main_context = g_main_context_new ();
@@ -1195,6 +1199,8 @@ flatpak_installation_update_full (FlatpakInstallation    *self,
 
   /* Pull, prune, etc are not threadsafe, so we work on a copy */
   dir_clone = flatpak_dir_clone (dir);
+  if (flatpak_dir_ensure_repo (dir_clone, cancellable, error))
+    return NULL;
 
   /* Work around ostree-pull spinning the default main context for the sync calls */
   main_context = g_main_context_new ();
@@ -1299,6 +1305,8 @@ flatpak_installation_uninstall (FlatpakInstallation    *self,
 
   /* prune, etc are not threadsafe, so we work on a copy */
   dir_clone = flatpak_dir_clone (dir);
+  if (flatpak_dir_ensure_repo (dir_clone, cancellable, error))
+    return FALSE;
 
   if (!flatpak_dir_uninstall (dir_clone, ref, FLATPAK_HELPER_UNINSTALL_FLAGS_NONE,
                               cancellable, error))
@@ -1520,6 +1528,8 @@ flatpak_installation_update_appstream_sync (FlatpakInstallation *self,
 
   /* Pull, prune, etc are not threadsafe, so we work on a copy */
   dir_clone = flatpak_dir_clone (dir);
+  if (flatpak_dir_ensure_repo (dir_clone, cancellable, error))
+    return FALSE;
 
   if (main_context)
     g_main_context_pop_thread_default (main_context);