diff --git a/cli/src/commands/git/clone.rs b/cli/src/commands/git/clone.rs
index 0d450e8af..469a5172d 100644
--- a/cli/src/commands/git/clone.rs
+++ b/cli/src/commands/git/clone.rs
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ use jj_lib::str_util::StringPattern;
 use jj_lib::workspace::Workspace;
 
 use crate::cli_util::{CommandHelper, WorkspaceCommandHelper};
-use crate::command_error::{user_error, user_error_with_message, CommandError};
+use crate::command_error::{cli_error, user_error, user_error_with_message, CommandError};
 use crate::commands::git::{map_git_error, maybe_add_gitignore};
 use crate::config::{write_config_value_to_file, ConfigNamePathBuf};
 use crate::git_util::{get_git_repo, print_git_import_stats, with_remote_git_callbacks};
@@ -85,6 +85,9 @@ pub fn cmd_git_clone(
     command: &CommandHelper,
     args: &GitCloneArgs,
 ) -> Result<(), CommandError> {
+    if command.global_args().at_operation != "@" {
+        return Err(cli_error("--at-op is not respected"));
+    }
     let remote_name = "origin";
     let source = absolute_git_source(command.cwd(), &args.source);
     let wc_path_str = args
diff --git a/cli/src/commands/git/init.rs b/cli/src/commands/git/init.rs
index 45c71ea06..f6d9a2e79 100644
--- a/cli/src/commands/git/init.rs
+++ b/cli/src/commands/git/init.rs
@@ -22,7 +22,9 @@ use jj_lib::workspace::Workspace;
 use jj_lib::{file_util, git};
 
 use crate::cli_util::{print_trackable_remote_branches, start_repo_transaction, CommandHelper};
-use crate::command_error::{user_error_with_hint, user_error_with_message, CommandError};
+use crate::command_error::{
+    cli_error, user_error_with_hint, user_error_with_message, CommandError,
+};
 use crate::commands::git::maybe_add_gitignore;
 use crate::config::{write_config_value_to_file, ConfigNamePathBuf};
 use crate::git_util::{
@@ -71,6 +73,12 @@ pub fn cmd_git_init(
     command: &CommandHelper,
     args: &GitInitArgs,
 ) -> Result<(), CommandError> {
+    if command.global_args().ignore_working_copy {
+        return Err(cli_error("--ignore-working-copy is not respected"));
+    }
+    if command.global_args().at_operation != "@" {
+        return Err(cli_error("--at-op is not respected"));
+    }
     let cwd = command.cwd();
     let wc_path = cwd.join(&args.destination);
     let wc_path = file_util::create_or_reuse_dir(&wc_path)
diff --git a/cli/src/commands/init.rs b/cli/src/commands/init.rs
index 1ec74ed47..71ff67357 100644
--- a/cli/src/commands/init.rs
+++ b/cli/src/commands/init.rs
@@ -21,7 +21,9 @@ use tracing::instrument;
 
 use super::git;
 use crate::cli_util::CommandHelper;
-use crate::command_error::{user_error_with_hint, user_error_with_message, CommandError};
+use crate::command_error::{
+    cli_error, user_error_with_hint, user_error_with_message, CommandError,
+};
 use crate::ui::Ui;
 
 /// Create a new repo in the given directory
@@ -50,6 +52,12 @@ pub(crate) fn cmd_init(
     command: &CommandHelper,
     args: &InitArgs,
 ) -> Result<(), CommandError> {
+    if command.global_args().ignore_working_copy {
+        return Err(cli_error("--ignore-working-copy is not respected"));
+    }
+    if command.global_args().at_operation != "@" {
+        return Err(cli_error("--at-op is not respected"));
+    }
     let cwd = command.cwd();
     let wc_path = cwd.join(&args.destination);
     let wc_path = file_util::create_or_reuse_dir(&wc_path)
diff --git a/cli/tests/test_git_clone.rs b/cli/tests/test_git_clone.rs
index 0d3d2dba4..fa54e223e 100644
--- a/cli/tests/test_git_clone.rs
+++ b/cli/tests/test_git_clone.rs
@@ -485,15 +485,12 @@ fn test_git_clone_at_operation() {
     let git_repo = git2::Repository::init(git_repo_path).unwrap();
     set_up_non_empty_git_repo(&git_repo);
 
-    // TODO: just error out? no operation should exist
-    let (_stdout, stderr) = test_env.jj_cmd_ok(
+    let stderr = test_env.jj_cmd_cli_error(
         test_env.env_root(),
         &["git", "clone", "--at-op=@-", "source", "clone"],
     );
     insta::assert_snapshot!(stderr, @r###"
-    Fetching into new repo in "$TEST_ENV/clone"
-    branch: main@origin [new] untracked
-    Setting the revset alias "trunk()" to "main@origin"
+    Error: --at-op is not respected
     "###);
 }
 
diff --git a/cli/tests/test_git_init.rs b/cli/tests/test_git_init.rs
index ea37f312b..25ec719a7 100644
--- a/cli/tests/test_git_init.rs
+++ b/cli/tests/test_git_init.rs
@@ -101,21 +101,11 @@ fn test_git_init_internal_ignore_working_copy() {
     std::fs::create_dir(&workspace_root).unwrap();
     std::fs::write(workspace_root.join("file1"), "").unwrap();
 
-    // No snapshot should be taken
-    let (_stdout, stderr) =
-        test_env.jj_cmd_ok(&workspace_root, &["git", "init", "--ignore-working-copy"]);
+    let stderr =
+        test_env.jj_cmd_cli_error(&workspace_root, &["git", "init", "--ignore-working-copy"]);
     insta::assert_snapshot!(stderr, @r###"
-    Initialized repo in "."
+    Error: --ignore-working-copy is not respected
     "###);
-
-    let (stdout, stderr) =
-        test_env.jj_cmd_ok(&workspace_root, &["status", "--ignore-working-copy"]);
-    insta::assert_snapshot!(stdout, @r###"
-    The working copy is clean
-    Working copy : qpvuntsm 230dd059 (empty) (no description set)
-    Parent commit: zzzzzzzz 00000000 (empty) (no description set)
-    "###);
-    insta::assert_snapshot!(stderr, @"");
 }
 
 #[test]
@@ -124,10 +114,9 @@ fn test_git_init_internal_at_operation() {
     let workspace_root = test_env.env_root().join("repo");
     std::fs::create_dir(&workspace_root).unwrap();
 
-    // TODO: just error out? no operation should exist
-    let (_stdout, stderr) = test_env.jj_cmd_ok(&workspace_root, &["git", "init", "--at-op=@-"]);
+    let stderr = test_env.jj_cmd_cli_error(&workspace_root, &["git", "init", "--at-op=@-"]);
     insta::assert_snapshot!(stderr, @r###"
-    Initialized repo in "."
+    Error: --at-op is not respected
     "###);
 }
 
@@ -254,7 +243,7 @@ fn test_git_init_external_ignore_working_copy() {
     std::fs::write(workspace_root.join("file1"), "").unwrap();
 
     // No snapshot should be taken
-    let (_stdout, stderr) = test_env.jj_cmd_ok(
+    let stderr = test_env.jj_cmd_cli_error(
         &workspace_root,
         &[
             "git",
@@ -265,25 +254,7 @@ fn test_git_init_external_ignore_working_copy() {
         ],
     );
     insta::assert_snapshot!(stderr, @r###"
-    Done importing changes from the underlying Git repo.
-    Initialized repo in "."
-    "###);
-
-    let (stdout, stderr) =
-        test_env.jj_cmd_ok(&workspace_root, &["status", "--ignore-working-copy"]);
-    insta::assert_snapshot!(stdout, @r###"
-    The working copy is clean
-    Working copy : sqpuoqvx f6950fc1 (empty) (no description set)
-    Parent commit: mwrttmos 8d698d4a my-branch | My commit message
-    "###);
-    insta::assert_snapshot!(stderr, @"");
-
-    // TODO: Correct, but might be better to check out the root commit?
-    let stderr = test_env.jj_cmd_failure(&workspace_root, &["status"]);
-    insta::assert_snapshot!(stderr, @r###"
-    Error: The working copy is stale (not updated since operation b51416386f26).
-    Hint: Run `jj workspace update-stale` to update it.
-    See https://github.com/martinvonz/jj/blob/main/docs/working-copy.md#stale-working-copy for more information.
+    Error: --ignore-working-copy is not respected
     "###);
 }
 
@@ -295,8 +266,7 @@ fn test_git_init_external_at_operation() {
     let workspace_root = test_env.env_root().join("repo");
     std::fs::create_dir(&workspace_root).unwrap();
 
-    // TODO: just error out? no operation should exist
-    let (_stdout, stderr) = test_env.jj_cmd_ok(
+    let stderr = test_env.jj_cmd_cli_error(
         &workspace_root,
         &[
             "git",
@@ -307,8 +277,7 @@ fn test_git_init_external_at_operation() {
         ],
     );
     insta::assert_snapshot!(stderr, @r###"
-    Done importing changes from the underlying Git repo.
-    Initialized repo in "."
+    Error: --at-op is not respected
     "###);
 }
 
@@ -676,35 +645,13 @@ fn test_git_init_colocated_ignore_working_copy() {
     init_git_repo(&workspace_root, false);
     std::fs::write(workspace_root.join("file1"), "").unwrap();
 
-    // No snapshot should be taken
-    let (_stdout, stderr) = test_env.jj_cmd_ok(
+    let stderr = test_env.jj_cmd_cli_error(
         &workspace_root,
         &["git", "init", "--ignore-working-copy", "--colocate"],
     );
     insta::assert_snapshot!(stderr, @r###"
-    Done importing changes from the underlying Git repo.
-    Initialized repo in "."
+    Error: --ignore-working-copy is not respected
     "###);
-
-    // FIXME: wrong HEAD, but fixing this would result in stale working copy
-    let (stdout, stderr) =
-        test_env.jj_cmd_ok(&workspace_root, &["status", "--ignore-working-copy"]);
-    insta::assert_snapshot!(stdout, @r###"
-    The working copy is clean
-    Working copy : qpvuntsm 230dd059 (empty) (no description set)
-    Parent commit: zzzzzzzz 00000000 (empty) (no description set)
-    "###);
-    insta::assert_snapshot!(stderr, @"");
-
-    let (stdout, stderr) = test_env.jj_cmd_ok(&workspace_root, &["status"]);
-    insta::assert_snapshot!(stdout, @r###"
-    Working copy changes:
-    A file1
-    D some-file
-    Working copy : kkmpptxz 7864ea63 (no description set)
-    Parent commit: mwrttmos 8d698d4a my-branch | My commit message
-    "###);
-    insta::assert_snapshot!(stderr, @"");
 }
 
 #[test]
@@ -713,14 +660,12 @@ fn test_git_init_colocated_at_operation() {
     let workspace_root = test_env.env_root().join("repo");
     init_git_repo(&workspace_root, false);
 
-    // TODO: just error out? no operation should exist
-    let (_stdout, stderr) = test_env.jj_cmd_ok(
+    let stderr = test_env.jj_cmd_cli_error(
         &workspace_root,
         &["git", "init", "--at-op=@-", "--colocate"],
     );
     insta::assert_snapshot!(stderr, @r###"
-    Done importing changes from the underlying Git repo.
-    Initialized repo in "."
+    Error: --at-op is not respected
     "###);
 }
 
diff --git a/cli/tests/test_init_command.rs b/cli/tests/test_init_command.rs
index 971238e36..1f2d044a2 100644
--- a/cli/tests/test_init_command.rs
+++ b/cli/tests/test_init_command.rs
@@ -546,4 +546,17 @@ fn test_init_local() {
     assert!(store_path.join("files").is_dir());
     assert!(store_path.join("symlinks").is_dir());
     assert!(store_path.join("conflicts").is_dir());
+
+    let stderr = test_env.jj_cmd_cli_error(
+        test_env.env_root(),
+        &["init", "--ignore-working-copy", "repo2"],
+    );
+    insta::assert_snapshot!(stderr, @r###"
+    Error: --ignore-working-copy is not respected
+    "###);
+
+    let stderr = test_env.jj_cmd_cli_error(test_env.env_root(), &["init", "--at-op=@-", "repo3"]);
+    insta::assert_snapshot!(stderr, @r###"
+    Error: --at-op is not respected
+    "###);
 }