diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp/Core/GitRepositoryInitOptions.cs b/LibGit2Sharp/Core/GitRepositoryInitOptions.cs
index f639a0d8..1b7b0e66 100644
--- a/LibGit2Sharp/Core/GitRepositoryInitOptions.cs
+++ b/LibGit2Sharp/Core/GitRepositoryInitOptions.cs
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ internal class GitRepositoryInitOptions : IDisposable
         public IntPtr InitialHead;
         public IntPtr OriginUrl;
 
-        public static GitRepositoryInitOptions BuildFrom(FilePath workdirPath, bool isBare)
+        public static GitRepositoryInitOptions BuildFrom(InitOptions initOptions)
         {
             var opts = new GitRepositoryInitOptions
             {
@@ -24,18 +24,28 @@ public static GitRepositoryInitOptions BuildFrom(FilePath workdirPath, bool isBa
                 Mode = 0  /* GIT_REPOSITORY_INIT_SHARED_UMASK  */
             };
 
-            if (workdirPath != null)
+            if (initOptions == null)
             {
-                Debug.Assert(!isBare);
+                return opts;
+            }
+
+            if (initOptions.WorkdirPath != null)
+            {
+                Debug.Assert(!initOptions.IsBare);
 
-                opts.WorkDirPath = StrictFilePathMarshaler.FromManaged(workdirPath);
+                opts.WorkDirPath = StrictFilePathMarshaler.FromManaged(initOptions.WorkdirPath);
             }
 
-            if (isBare)
+            if (initOptions.IsBare)
             {
                 opts.Flags |= GitRepositoryInitFlags.GIT_REPOSITORY_INIT_BARE;
             }
 
+            if (initOptions.InitialHead != null)
+            {
+                opts.InitialHead = StrictUtf8Marshaler.FromManaged(initOptions.InitialHead);
+            }
+
             return opts;
         }
 
@@ -43,6 +53,9 @@ public void Dispose()
         {
             EncodingMarshaler.Cleanup(WorkDirPath);
             WorkDirPath = IntPtr.Zero;
+
+            EncodingMarshaler.Cleanup(InitialHead);
+            InitialHead = IntPtr.Zero;
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp/Core/NativeMethods.cs b/LibGit2Sharp/Core/NativeMethods.cs
index 7dd99ac3..9fdd5db7 100644
--- a/LibGit2Sharp/Core/NativeMethods.cs
+++ b/LibGit2Sharp/Core/NativeMethods.cs
@@ -1261,6 +1261,11 @@ internal static extern unsafe int git_remote_create_with_fetchspec(
             [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.CustomMarshaler, MarshalCookie = UniqueId.UniqueIdentifier, MarshalTypeRef = typeof(StrictUtf8Marshaler))] string url,
             [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.CustomMarshaler, MarshalCookie = UniqueId.UniqueIdentifier, MarshalTypeRef = typeof(StrictUtf8Marshaler))] string refspec);
 
+        [DllImport(libgit2, CallingConvention = CallingConvention.Cdecl)]
+        internal static extern unsafe int git_remote_default_branch(
+            GitBuf res,
+            git_remote* remote);
+
         [DllImport(libgit2, CallingConvention = CallingConvention.Cdecl)]
         internal static extern unsafe int git_remote_delete(
             git_repository* repo,
diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp/Core/Proxy.cs b/LibGit2Sharp/Core/Proxy.cs
index fd070f45..b9b0db93 100644
--- a/LibGit2Sharp/Core/Proxy.cs
+++ b/LibGit2Sharp/Core/Proxy.cs
@@ -2167,6 +2167,17 @@ public static unsafe void git_remote_connect(RemoteHandle remote, GitDirection d
             }
         }
 
+        public static unsafe string git_remote_default_branch(RemoteHandle remote)
+        {
+            using (var buf = new GitBuf())
+            {
+                int res = NativeMethods.git_remote_default_branch(buf, remote);
+                Ensure.ZeroResult(res);
+
+                return LaxUtf8Marshaler.FromNative(buf.ptr);
+            }
+        }
+
         public static unsafe void git_remote_delete(RepositoryHandle repo, string name)
         {
             int res = NativeMethods.git_remote_delete(repo, name);
@@ -2470,18 +2481,14 @@ public static unsafe IndexHandle git_repository_index(RepositoryHandle repo)
         }
 
         public static unsafe RepositoryHandle git_repository_init_ext(
-            FilePath workdirPath,
             FilePath gitdirPath,
-            bool isBare)
+            GitRepositoryInitOptions opts)
         {
-            using (var opts = GitRepositoryInitOptions.BuildFrom(workdirPath, isBare))
-            {
-                git_repository* repo;
-                int res = NativeMethods.git_repository_init_ext(out repo, gitdirPath, opts);
-                Ensure.ZeroResult(res);
+            git_repository* repo;
+            int res = NativeMethods.git_repository_init_ext(out repo, gitdirPath, opts);
+            Ensure.ZeroResult(res);
 
-                return new RepositoryHandle(repo, true);
-            }
+            return new RepositoryHandle(repo, true);
         }
 
         public static unsafe bool git_repository_is_bare(RepositoryHandle repo)
diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp/InitOptions.cs b/LibGit2Sharp/InitOptions.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6b3f3486
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LibGit2Sharp/InitOptions.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+namespace LibGit2Sharp
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Options controlling Repository Init behavior.
+    /// </summary>
+    public sealed class InitOptions
+    {
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Initializes a new instance of the <see cref="InitOptions"/> class.
+        /// <para>
+        ///   Default behavior:
+        ///     The workdirPath is null.
+        ///     Not a bare repository.
+        ///     Default initial head.
+        /// </para>
+        /// </summary>
+        public InitOptions()
+        {
+            WorkdirPath = null;
+            IsBare = false;
+            InitialHead = null;
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// The path to the working directory. Null if it's the same directory where ".git" repository is created.
+        /// </summary>
+        public string WorkdirPath { get; set; }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// True to initialize a bare repository. False otherwise, to initialize a standard ".git" repository.
+        /// </summary>
+        public bool IsBare { get; set; }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// The name of the head to point HEAD at.
+        /// If null, then this will be treated as "master" and the HEAD ref will be set to "refs/heads/master".
+        /// If this begins with "refs/" it will be used verbatim; otherwise "refs/heads/" will be prefixed.
+        /// </summary>
+        public string InitialHead { get; set; }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp/Repository.cs b/LibGit2Sharp/Repository.cs
index b6399af4..e67fca74 100644
--- a/LibGit2Sharp/Repository.cs
+++ b/LibGit2Sharp/Repository.cs
@@ -495,11 +495,9 @@ public static string Init(string path, bool isBare)
         {
             Ensure.ArgumentNotNullOrEmptyString(path, "path");
 
-            using (RepositoryHandle repo = Proxy.git_repository_init_ext(null, path, isBare))
-            {
-                FilePath repoPath = Proxy.git_repository_path(repo);
-                return repoPath.Native;
-            }
+            var initOptions = new InitOptions { IsBare = isBare };
+            
+            return Init(path, initOptions);
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -518,9 +516,28 @@ public static string Init(string workingDirectoryPath, string gitDirectoryPath)
             // to pass a path relatively to his current directory.
             string wd = Path.GetFullPath(workingDirectoryPath);
 
+            var initOptions = new InitOptions { WorkdirPath = wd };
+
             // TODO: Shouldn't we ensure that the working folder isn't under the gitDir?
 
-            using (RepositoryHandle repo = Proxy.git_repository_init_ext(wd, gitDirectoryPath, false))
+            return Init(gitDirectoryPath, initOptions);
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Initialize a repository at the specified <paramref name="path"/>,
+        /// providing optional behavioral overrides through the <paramref name="options"/> parameter.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="path">The path to the working folder when initializing a standard ".git" repository. Otherwise, when initializing a bare repository, the path to the expected location of this later.</param>
+        /// <param name="options">Options controlling init behavior.</param>
+        /// <returns>The path to the created repository.</returns>
+        public static string Init(string path, InitOptions options)
+        {
+            Ensure.ArgumentNotNullOrEmptyString(path, "path");
+            
+            options = options ?? new InitOptions();
+
+            using (var opts = GitRepositoryInitOptions.BuildFrom(options))
+            using (RepositoryHandle repo = Proxy.git_repository_init_ext(path, opts))
             {
                 FilePath repoPath = Proxy.git_repository_path(repo);
                 return repoPath.Native;
@@ -656,7 +673,24 @@ internal Commit LookupCommit(string committish)
         /// <returns>The references in the remote repository.</returns>
         public static IEnumerable<Reference> ListRemoteReferences(string url)
         {
-            return ListRemoteReferences(url, null);
+            string _defaultBranch;
+            return ListRemoteReferences(url, null, out _defaultBranch);
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Lists the Remote Repository References.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <para>
+        /// Does not require a local Repository. The retrieved
+        /// <see cref="IBelongToARepository.Repository"/>
+        /// throws <see cref="InvalidOperationException"/> in this case.
+        /// </para>
+        /// <param name="url">The url to list from.</param>
+        /// <param name="defaultBranch">The name of the Repository's default branch.</param>
+        /// <returns>The references in the remote repository.</returns>
+        public static IEnumerable<Reference> ListRemoteReferences(string url, out string defaultBranch)
+        {
+            return ListRemoteReferences(url, null, out defaultBranch);
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -671,6 +705,24 @@ public static IEnumerable<Reference> ListRemoteReferences(string url)
         /// <param name="credentialsProvider">The <see cref="Func{Credentials}"/> used to connect to remote repository.</param>
         /// <returns>The references in the remote repository.</returns>
         public static IEnumerable<Reference> ListRemoteReferences(string url, CredentialsHandler credentialsProvider)
+        {
+            string _defaultBranch;
+            return ListRemoteReferences(url, credentialsProvider, out _defaultBranch);
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Lists the Remote Repository References.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <para>
+        /// Does not require a local Repository. The retrieved
+        /// <see cref="IBelongToARepository.Repository"/>
+        /// throws <see cref="InvalidOperationException"/> in this case.
+        /// </para>
+        /// <param name="url">The url to list from.</param>
+        /// <param name="credentialsProvider">The <see cref="Func{Credentials}"/> used to connect to remote repository.</param>
+        /// <param name="defaultBranch">The name of the Repository's default branch.</param>
+        /// <returns>The references in the remote repository.</returns>
+        public static IEnumerable<Reference> ListRemoteReferences(string url, CredentialsHandler credentialsProvider, out string defaultBranch)
         {
             Ensure.ArgumentNotNull(url, "url");
 
@@ -687,7 +739,11 @@ public static IEnumerable<Reference> ListRemoteReferences(string url, Credential
                 }
 
                 Proxy.git_remote_connect(remoteHandle, GitDirection.Fetch, ref gitCallbacks, ref proxyOptions);
-                return Proxy.git_remote_ls(null, remoteHandle);
+
+                var remoteReferences = Proxy.git_remote_ls(null, remoteHandle);
+                defaultBranch = Proxy.git_remote_default_branch(remoteHandle);
+
+                return remoteReferences;
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/version.json b/version.json
index 36406d69..762c232a 100644
--- a/version.json
+++ b/version.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "$schema": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AArnott/Nerdbank.GitVersioning/master/src/NerdBank.GitVersioning/version.schema.json",
-  "version": "1.110.2",
+  "version": "1.110.3",
   "cloudBuild": {
     "buildNumber": {
       "enabled": true