diff --git a/lib/src/op_heads_store.rs b/lib/src/op_heads_store.rs
index 4efb98b3d..6c6c788df 100644
--- a/lib/src/op_heads_store.rs
+++ b/lib/src/op_heads_store.rs
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ use crate::lock::FileLock;
 use crate::op_store::{OpStore, OperationId, OperationMetadata};
 use crate::operation::Operation;
 use crate::repo::RepoLoader;
-use crate::store::{CommitId, Timestamp};
+use crate::store::Timestamp;
 use crate::transaction::UnpublishedOperation;
 use crate::{dag_walk, op_store};
 
@@ -43,10 +43,8 @@ impl OpHeadsStore {
     pub fn init(
         dir: PathBuf,
         op_store: &Arc<dyn OpStore>,
-        checkout: CommitId,
-    ) -> (Self, OperationId, op_store::View) {
-        let mut root_view = op_store::View::new(checkout.clone());
-        root_view.head_ids.insert(checkout);
+        root_view: &op_store::View,
+    ) -> (Self, OperationId) {
         let root_view_id = op_store.write_view(&root_view).unwrap();
         let operation_metadata =
             OperationMetadata::new("initialize repo".to_string(), Timestamp::now());
@@ -59,7 +57,7 @@ impl OpHeadsStore {
 
         let op_heads_store = OpHeadsStore { dir };
         op_heads_store.add_op_head(&init_operation_id);
-        (op_heads_store, init_operation_id, root_view)
+        (op_heads_store, init_operation_id)
     }
 
     pub fn load(dir: PathBuf) -> OpHeadsStore {
diff --git a/lib/src/repo.rs b/lib/src/repo.rs
index 800b8e22a..ea16162d2 100644
--- a/lib/src/repo.rs
+++ b/lib/src/repo.rs
@@ -215,8 +215,12 @@ impl ReadonlyRepo {
 
         let op_heads_dir = repo_path.join("op_heads");
         std::fs::create_dir(&op_heads_dir).unwrap();
-        let (op_heads_store, init_op_id, root_view) =
-            OpHeadsStore::init(op_heads_dir, &op_store, checkout_commit.id().clone());
+        let mut root_view = op_store::View::new(checkout_commit.id().clone());
+        root_view.head_ids.insert(checkout_commit.id().clone());
+        root_view
+            .public_head_ids
+            .insert(store.root_commit_id().clone());
+        let (op_heads_store, init_op_id) = OpHeadsStore::init(op_heads_dir, &op_store, &root_view);
         let op_heads_store = Arc::new(op_heads_store);
 
         fs::create_dir(repo_path.join("index")).unwrap();
diff --git a/lib/tests/test_revset.rs b/lib/tests/test_revset.rs
index ab466d350..a6b4ddee3 100644
--- a/lib/tests/test_revset.rs
+++ b/lib/tests/test_revset.rs
@@ -528,14 +528,14 @@ fn test_evaluate_expression_public_heads(use_git: bool) {
     let mut tx = repo.start_transaction("test");
     let mut_repo = tx.mut_repo();
 
+    let root_commit = repo.store().root_commit();
     let commit1 = testutils::create_random_commit(&settings, &repo).write_to_repo(mut_repo);
     let commit2 = testutils::create_random_commit(&settings, &repo).write_to_repo(mut_repo);
 
     // Can get public heads with root commit as only public head
     assert_eq!(
         resolve_commit_ids(mut_repo.as_repo_ref(), "public_heads()"),
-        // TODO: This should include the root commit
-        vec![]
+        vec![root_commit.id().clone()]
     );
     // Can get public heads with a single public head
     mut_repo.add_public_head(&commit1);
diff --git a/lib/tests/test_view.rs b/lib/tests/test_view.rs
index 2ff3780a1..ce6b538d0 100644
--- a/lib/tests/test_view.rs
+++ b/lib/tests/test_view.rs
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@ fn test_heads_empty(use_git: bool) {
 
     let wc = repo.working_copy_locked();
     assert_eq!(*repo.view().heads(), hashset! {wc.current_commit_id()});
+    assert_eq!(
+        *repo.view().public_heads(),
+        hashset! {repo.store().root_commit_id().clone()}
+    );
 }
 
 #[test_case(false ; "local store")]