diff --git a/cli/src/cli_util.rs b/cli/src/cli_util.rs
index 37d1b8776..5c77603a2 100644
--- a/cli/src/cli_util.rs
+++ b/cli/src/cli_util.rs
@@ -614,6 +614,18 @@ impl CommandHelper {
         self.for_loaded_repo(ui, workspace, repo)
     }
 
+    pub fn get_working_copy_factory(&self) -> Result<&dyn WorkingCopyFactory, CommandError> {
+        let loader = self.workspace_loader()?;
+
+        // We convert StoreLoadError -> WorkspaceLoadError -> CommandError
+        let factory: Result<_, WorkspaceLoadError> = loader
+            .get_working_copy_factory(&self.working_copy_factories)
+            .map_err(|e| e.into());
+        let factory = factory
+            .map_err(|err| map_workspace_load_error(err, self.global_args.repository.as_deref()))?;
+        Ok(factory)
+    }
+
     #[instrument(skip_all)]
     pub fn load_workspace(&self) -> Result<Workspace, CommandError> {
         let loader = self.workspace_loader()?;
diff --git a/cli/src/commands/workspace.rs b/cli/src/commands/workspace.rs
index 585b8519e..334de480d 100644
--- a/cli/src/commands/workspace.rs
+++ b/cli/src/commands/workspace.rs
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ use jj_lib::object_id::ObjectId;
 use jj_lib::op_store::WorkspaceId;
 use jj_lib::repo::Repo;
 use jj_lib::rewrite::merge_commit_trees;
-use jj_lib::workspace::{default_working_copy_factory, Workspace};
+use jj_lib::workspace::Workspace;
 use tracing::instrument;
 
 use crate::cli_util::{
@@ -148,12 +148,13 @@ fn cmd_workspace_add(
             "Workspace named '{name}' already exists"
         )));
     }
-    // TODO: How do we create a workspace with a non-default working copy?
+
+    let working_copy_factory = command.get_working_copy_factory()?;
     let (new_workspace, repo) = Workspace::init_workspace_with_existing_repo(
         command.settings(),
         &destination_path,
         repo,
-        &*default_working_copy_factory(),
+        working_copy_factory,
         workspace_id,
     )?;
     writeln!(
diff --git a/lib/src/workspace.rs b/lib/src/workspace.rs
index 752d2a542..7fc65c8c5 100644
--- a/lib/src/workspace.rs
+++ b/lib/src/workspace.rs
@@ -484,25 +484,33 @@ impl WorkspaceLoader {
         Ok(workspace)
     }
 
-    fn load_working_copy(
+    pub fn get_working_copy_factory<'a>(
         &self,
-        store: &Arc<Store>,
-        working_copy_factories: &HashMap<String, Box<dyn WorkingCopyFactory>>,
-    ) -> Result<Box<dyn WorkingCopy>, StoreLoadError> {
+        working_copy_factories: &'a HashMap<String, Box<dyn WorkingCopyFactory>>,
+    ) -> Result<&'a dyn WorkingCopyFactory, StoreLoadError> {
         // For compatibility with existing repos. TODO: Delete default in 0.17+
         let working_copy_type = read_store_type_compat(
             "working copy",
             self.working_copy_state_path.join("type"),
             LocalWorkingCopy::name,
         )?;
-        let working_copy_factory =
-            working_copy_factories
-                .get(&working_copy_type)
-                .ok_or_else(|| StoreLoadError::UnsupportedType {
-                    store: "working copy",
-                    store_type: working_copy_type.to_string(),
-                })?;
 
+        if let Some(factory) = working_copy_factories.get(&working_copy_type) {
+            Ok(factory.as_ref())
+        } else {
+            Err(StoreLoadError::UnsupportedType {
+                store: "working copy",
+                store_type: working_copy_type.to_string(),
+            })
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn load_working_copy(
+        &self,
+        store: &Arc<Store>,
+        working_copy_factories: &HashMap<String, Box<dyn WorkingCopyFactory>>,
+    ) -> Result<Box<dyn WorkingCopy>, StoreLoadError> {
+        let working_copy_factory = self.get_working_copy_factory(working_copy_factories)?;
         Ok(working_copy_factory.load_working_copy(
             store.clone(),
             self.workspace_root.to_owned(),