diff --git a/build b/build
index 4ade5e7e..9ca9de63 100755
--- a/build
+++ b/build
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ main()
 
 	check_git
 	check_project "fail"
-	git_init xx_ fail
+	git_init
 
 	execute_command $@
 	lbmk_exit 0
@@ -81,6 +81,22 @@ install_packages()
 	printf "You must install AUR packages: %s\n" "${aur_notice}" 1>&2
 }
 
+# release archives contain .gitignore, but not .git.
+# lbmk can be run from lbmk.git, or an archive.
+git_init()
+{
+	[ -L ".git" ] && fail "Reference .git is a symlink"
+	[ -e ".git" ] && return 0
+	eval "$(setvars "$(date -Rd @${versiondate})" cdate _nogit)"
+
+	git init || fail "${PWD}: cannot initialise Git repository"
+	git add -A . || fail "${PWD}: cannot add files to Git repository"
+	git commit -m "${projectname} ${version}" --date "${cdate}" || \
+	    fail "${PWD}: can't commit ${projectname}/${version}, date ${cdate}"
+	git tag -a "${version}" -m "${projectname} ${version}" || \
+	    fail "${PWD}: cannot git-tag ${projectname}/${version}"
+}
+
 execute_command()
 {
 	lbmkcmd="${buildpath}/${option}"
diff --git a/include/err.sh b/include/err.sh
index 83c88ab9..33246d12 100755
--- a/include/err.sh
+++ b/include/err.sh
@@ -27,20 +27,6 @@ check_git()
 	    git_err "git config --global user.email \"john.doe@example.com\""
 }
 
-# release archives contain .gitignore, but not .git.
-# lbmk can be run from lbmk.git, or an archive.
-git_init()
-{
-	[ -L ".git" ] && ${2} "Reference .git is a symlink"
-	[ -e ".git" ] && return 0
-	eval "$(setvars "$(date -Rd @${versiondate})" cdate _nogit)"
-
-	${1} git init
-	${1} git add -A .
-	${1} git commit -m "${projectname} ${version}" --date "${cdate}"
-	${1} git tag -a "${version}" -m "${projectname} ${version}"
-}
-
 git_err()
 {
 	printf "You need to set git name/email, like so:\n%s\n\n" "${1}" 1>&2