diff --git a/gdn/src/repo.rs b/gdn/src/repo.rs
index 733a1f3..bb3315e 100644
--- a/gdn/src/repo.rs
+++ b/gdn/src/repo.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ mod v1;
 use std::path::Path;
 
 use anyhow::{anyhow, bail};
-use git2::{Commit, ErrorCode, Oid, Reference, Repository};
+use git2::{Commit, ErrorCode, FileMode, Oid, Reference, Repository, TreeBuilder};
 use jiff::Zoned;
 
 pub use self::v1::{Note, Repo, VERSION};
@@ -40,6 +40,12 @@ fn read_version(repository: &Repository, commit: &Commit<'_>) -> anyhow::Result<
     Ok(version)
 }
 
+fn write_version(repository: &Repository, tree: &mut TreeBuilder<'_>) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+    let oid = repository.blob(VERSION.to_string().as_bytes())?;
+    tree.insert(VERSION_FILE, oid, FileMode::Blob.into())?;
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 pub fn load_version(path: &Path) -> anyhow::Result<u32> {
     let repository = Repository::open_bare(path)?;
     let Some(head) = read_head(&repository)? else {
@@ -71,7 +77,10 @@ pub fn load(path: &Path) -> anyhow::Result<Repo> {
 pub fn save(path: &Path, repo: Repo) -> anyhow::Result<Oid> {
     let repository = Repository::open_bare(path)?;
 
-    let tree = repo.save_to_tree(&repository)?;
+    let mut tree = repository.treebuilder(None)?;
+    write_version(&repository, &mut tree)?;
+    repo.save_to_tree(&repository, &mut tree)?;
+    let tree = repository.find_tree(tree.write()?)?;
 
     let signature = repository.signature()?;
     let message = Zoned::now().to_string();
diff --git a/gdn/src/repo/v1.rs b/gdn/src/repo/v1.rs
index a5be619..73292b2 100644
--- a/gdn/src/repo/v1.rs
+++ b/gdn/src/repo/v1.rs
@@ -79,10 +79,13 @@ impl Repo {
         Ok(Self { notes })
     }
 
-    pub fn save_to_tree(mut self, repository: &Repository) -> anyhow::Result<Tree<'_>> {
+    pub fn save_to_tree(
+        mut self,
+        repository: &Repository,
+        tree: &mut TreeBuilder<'_>,
+    ) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         self.notes.sort_unstable_by_key(|it| it.id);
 
-        let mut root_tree = repository.treebuilder(None)?;
         let mut year = 0;
         let mut year_tree = repository.treebuilder(None)?;
         let mut month = 0;
@@ -106,7 +109,7 @@ impl Repo {
             }
 
             if year != time.year() {
-                add_tree_to_tree(&mut root_tree, &year_tree, format!("{year:04}"))?;
+                add_tree_to_tree(tree, &year_tree, format!("{year:04}"))?;
                 year_tree.clear()?;
                 year = time.year();
             }
@@ -116,10 +119,9 @@ impl Repo {
 
         add_tree_to_tree(&mut month_tree, &day_tree, format!("{day:02}"))?;
         add_tree_to_tree(&mut year_tree, &month_tree, format!("{month:02}"))?;
-        add_tree_to_tree(&mut root_tree, &year_tree, format!("{year:04}"))?;
+        add_tree_to_tree(tree, &year_tree, format!("{year:04}"))?;
 
-        let tree = repository.find_tree(root_tree.write()?)?;
-        Ok(tree)
+        Ok(())
     }
 
     pub fn migrate(self) -> Self {