Index: src/checkin.c
==================================================================
--- src/checkin.c
+++ src/checkin.c
@@ -1836,11 +1836,10 @@
                     "   AND value=%Q", TAG_BRANCH, vid, sCiInfo.zBranch))
   ){
     fossil_fatal("cannot commit against a closed leaf");
   }
 
-  if( useCksum ) vfile_aggregate_checksum_disk(vid, &cksum1);
   if( zComment ){
     blob_zero(&comment);
     blob_append(&comment, zComment, -1);
   }else if( zComFile ){
     blob_zero(&comment);
@@ -1869,15 +1868,45 @@
   }else{
     db_multi_exec("REPLACE INTO vvar VALUES('ci-comment',%B)", &comment);
     db_end_transaction(0);
     db_begin_transaction();
   }
+
+  /* Step 0: If the repository does not have any artifacts yet
+  ** and a non-empty commit is being prepared, create an additional
+  ** empty check-in for compatibility with fossil<1.28. This
+  ** section can be removed when Fossil 1.27 is not used any more.
+  */
+
+  if( !db_exists("SELECT 1 FROM blob") && db_exists("SELECT 1 FROM vfile")){
+    int rid;
+    const char *zDate;
+    Blob hash;
+    blob_zero(&manifest);
+    blob_appendf(&manifest, "C initial\\sempty\\scheck-in\n");
+    zDate = date_in_standard_format(sCiInfo.zDateOvrd ? sCiInfo.zDateOvrd : "now");
+    blob_appendf(&manifest, "D %s\n", zDate);
+    md5sum_init();
+    /* The R-card is necessary here because without it
+     * fossil versions earlier than versions 1.27 would
+     * interpret this artifact as a "control". */
+    blob_appendf(&manifest, "R %s\n", md5sum_finish(0));
+    blob_appendf(&manifest, "T *branch * %F\n", sCiInfo.zBranch);
+    blob_appendf(&manifest, "T *sym-%F *\n", sCiInfo.zBranch);
+    blob_appendf(&manifest, "U %F\n", g.zLogin);
+    md5sum_blob(&manifest, &hash);
+    blob_appendf(&manifest, "Z %b\n", &hash);
+    blob_reset(&hash);
+    vid = content_put(&manifest);
+    manifest_crosslink(vid, &manifest, MC_NONE);
+  }
 
   /* Step 1: Insert records for all modified files into the blob
   ** table. If there were arguments passed to this command, only
   ** the identified files are inserted (if they have been modified).
   */
+  if( useCksum ) vfile_aggregate_checksum_disk(vid, &cksum1);
   db_prepare(&q,
     "SELECT id, %Q || pathname, mrid, %s, chnged, %s, %s FROM vfile "
     "WHERE chnged==1 AND NOT deleted AND is_selected(id)",
     g.zLocalRoot,
     glob_expr("pathname", db_get("crnl-glob","")),

Index: src/db.c
==================================================================
--- src/db.c
+++ src/db.c
@@ -1666,10 +1666,11 @@
 void create_repository_cmd(void){
   char *zPassword;
   const char *zTemplate;      /* Repository from which to copy settings */
   const char *zDate;          /* Date of the initial check-in */
   const char *zDefaultUser;   /* Optional name of the default user */
+  int makeServerCodes = find_option("docker", 0, 0)==0
 
   zTemplate = find_option("template",0,1);
   zDate = find_option("date-override",0,1);
   zDefaultUser = find_option("admin-user","A",1);
   /* We should be done with options.. */
@@ -1686,16 +1687,17 @@
   db_create_repository(g.argv[2]);
   db_open_repository(g.argv[2]);
   db_open_config(0);
   if( zTemplate ) db_attach(zTemplate, "settingSrc");
   db_begin_transaction();
-  if( zDate==0 ) zDate = "now";
-  db_initial_setup(zTemplate, zDate, zDefaultUser, 1);
+  db_initial_setup(zTemplate, zDate, zDefaultUser, makeServerCodes);
   db_end_transaction(0);
   if( zTemplate ) db_detach("settingSrc");
-  fossil_print("project-id: %s\n", db_get("project-code", 0));
-  fossil_print("server-id:  %s\n", db_get("server-code", 0));
+  if( makeServerCodes ){
+    fossil_print("project-id: %s\n", db_get("project-code", 0));
+    fossil_print("server-id:  %s\n", db_get("server-code", 0));
+  }
   zPassword = db_text(0, "SELECT pw FROM user WHERE login=%Q", g.zLogin);
   fossil_print("admin-user: %s (initial password is \"%s\")\n",
                g.zLogin, zPassword);
 }