diff --git a/zmk/commands/init.py b/zmk/commands/init.py
index 7e04c17..c56d77c 100644
--- a/zmk/commands/init.py
+++ b/zmk/commands/init.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 from rich.table import Table
 
 from ..build import BuildMatrix
-from ..config import Config, get_config
+from ..config import Config, get_config, set_context_repo
 from ..exceptions import FatalError
 from ..prompt import UrlPrompt
 from ..repo import Repo, find_containing_repo, is_repo
@@ -66,6 +66,9 @@ def init(
 
     repo = Repo(Path() / name)
 
+    # Make sure everything we do after this point applies to this new repo.
+    set_context_repo(ctx, repo)
+
     if revision:
         try:
             repo.ensure_west_ready()
@@ -98,6 +101,14 @@ def init(
 
     _add_first_keyboard(ctx, console, repo)
 
+    if repo.path != cfg.home_path:
+        console.print()
+        console.print("[yellow]The new repo is not your default repo.")
+        console.print('Run the following command before any other "zmk" commands:')
+        console.print()
+        console.print(f'    [green]cd "{repo.path}"')
+        console.print()
+
     # TODO: add some help for how to commit and push changes
 
 
diff --git a/zmk/config.py b/zmk/config.py
index e17c9a9..7cd61b3 100644
--- a/zmk/config.py
+++ b/zmk/config.py
@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@ class Config:
     path: Path
     force_home: bool
 
+    override_repo_path: Path | None = None
+    "Set this to override the path used for get_repo() without changing home_path."
+
     def __init__(self, path: Path | None, force_home=False):
         self.path = path or _default_config_path()
         self.force_home = force_home
@@ -109,7 +112,13 @@ def get_repo(self) -> Repo:
 
         Exits the program if neither the current directory nor the home path
         point to a valid directory.
+
+        If override_repo_path is set, this takes priority over all other methods
+        of finding the repo.
         """
+        if self.override_repo_path:
+            return Repo(self.override_repo_path)
+
         if not self.force_home:
             if home := find_containing_repo():
                 return Repo(home)
@@ -133,5 +142,19 @@ def get_config(ctx: typer.Context) -> Config:
     return cfg
 
 
+def set_context_repo(ctx: typer.Context, repo: Repo) -> None:
+    """
+    Set the override_repo_path on the Config object for the given context to
+    point to a given repo. All subsequent calls to get_config(ctx).get_repo()
+    will return a Repo instance with the same path as the given one.
+
+    This should be used when a command wants to apply changes to a specific repo
+    that isn't necessarily what get_config(ctx).get_repo() would normally use
+    (e.g. when creating a new repo with "zmk init"), and when that command
+    calls another command that gets its repo from the context.
+    """
+    get_config(ctx).override_repo_path = repo.path
+
+
 def _default_config_path():
     return Path(typer.get_app_dir("zmk", roaming=False)) / "zmk.ini"