diff --git a/radicle/src/rad.rs b/radicle/src/rad.rs
index ee2db9e6..46f35d9e 100644
--- a/radicle/src/rad.rs
+++ b/radicle/src/rad.rs
@@ -70,17 +70,44 @@ pub fn init<G: Signer, S: WriteStorage>(
         )
     })?;
     let doc = identity::Doc::initial(proj, delegate, visibility).verified()?;
-    let (project, _) = Repository::init(&doc, storage, signer)?;
+    let (project, _) = Repository::init(&doc, &storage, signer)?;
     let url = git::Url::from(project.id);
 
+    match init_configure(repo, &project, pk, &default_branch, &url, signer) {
+        Ok(signed) => Ok((project.id, doc, signed)),
+        Err(err) => {
+            if let Err(e) = project.remove() {
+                log::warn!(target: "radicle", "Failed to remove project during `rad::init` cleanup: {e}");
+            }
+            if repo.find_remote(&REMOTE_NAME).is_ok() {
+                if let Err(e) = repo.remote_delete(&REMOTE_NAME) {
+                    log::warn!(target: "radicle", "Failed to remove remote during `rad::init` cleanup: {e}");
+                }
+            }
+            Err(err)
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+fn init_configure<G>(
+    repo: &git2::Repository,
+    project: &Repository,
+    pk: &crypto::PublicKey,
+    default_branch: &BranchName,
+    url: &git::Url,
+    signer: &G,
+) -> Result<SignedRefs<Verified>, InitError>
+where
+    G: crypto::Signer,
+{
     git::configure_repository(repo)?;
-    git::configure_remote(repo, &REMOTE_NAME, &url, &url.clone().with_namespace(*pk))?;
+    git::configure_remote(repo, &REMOTE_NAME, url, &url.clone().with_namespace(*pk))?;
     git::push(
         repo,
         &REMOTE_NAME,
         [(
-            &git::fmt::lit::refs_heads(&default_branch).into(),
-            &git::fmt::lit::refs_heads(&default_branch).into(),
+            &git::fmt::lit::refs_heads(default_branch).into(),
+            &git::fmt::lit::refs_heads(default_branch).into(),
         )],
     )?;
 
@@ -88,7 +115,7 @@ pub fn init<G: Signer, S: WriteStorage>(
     let _head = project.set_identity_head()?;
     let _head = project.set_head()?;
 
-    Ok((project.id, doc, signed))
+    Ok(signed)
 }
 
 #[derive(Error, Debug)]
diff --git a/radicle/src/storage.rs b/radicle/src/storage.rs
index e8c386ba..84e2de23 100644
--- a/radicle/src/storage.rs
+++ b/radicle/src/storage.rs
@@ -371,9 +371,6 @@ pub trait WriteStorage: ReadStorage {
     /// Create a read-write repository.
     fn create(&self, rid: Id) -> Result<Self::RepositoryMut, Error>;
 
-    /// Delete all remote namespaces apart from the local node's and
-    /// delegates' namespace.
-
     /// Clean the repository found at `rid`.
     ///
     /// If the local peer has initialised `rad/sigrefs` by forking or
diff --git a/radicle/src/storage/git.rs b/radicle/src/storage/git.rs
index cf5de216..6471a050 100644
--- a/radicle/src/storage/git.rs
+++ b/radicle/src/storage/git.rs
@@ -422,12 +422,12 @@ impl Repository {
     /// Create the repository's identity branch.
     pub fn init<G: Signer, S: WriteStorage>(
         doc: &Doc<Verified>,
-        storage: S,
+        storage: &S,
         signer: &G,
     ) -> Result<(Self, git::Oid), RepositoryError> {
         let (doc_oid, _) = doc.encode()?;
         let id = Id::from(doc_oid);
-        let repo = Self::create(paths::repository(&storage, &id), id, storage.info())?;
+        let repo = Self::create(paths::repository(storage, &id), id, storage.info())?;
         let commit = doc.init(&repo, signer)?;
 
         Ok((repo, commit))