diff --git a/guix-data-service/poll-git-repository.scm b/guix-data-service/poll-git-repository.scm
index b10250e..9554506 100644
--- a/guix-data-service/poll-git-repository.scm
+++ b/guix-data-service/poll-git-repository.scm
@@ -33,7 +33,16 @@
   #:use-module (guix-data-service model git-branch)
   #:use-module (guix-data-service model git-commit)
   #:use-module (guix-data-service jobs load-new-guix-revision)
-  #:export (start-thread-to-poll-git-repository))
+  #:export (poll-git-repositories-setup
+            start-thread-to-poll-git-repository))
+
+(define (poll-git-repositories-setup)
+  (libgit2-init!)
+
+  (set-server-connection-timeout! 60000)
+  (set-server-timeout! 60000)
+
+  (honor-system-x509-certificates!))
 
 (define (start-thread-to-poll-git-repository git-repository-id)
   (call-with-new-thread
@@ -45,13 +54,6 @@
                          git-repository-id)))
        (const #t))
 
-     (libgit2-init!)
-
-     (set-server-connection-timeout! 60000)
-     (set-server-timeout! 60000)
-
-     (honor-system-x509-certificates!)
-
      (with-postgresql-connection
       (simple-format #f "poll-git-repository-~A"
                      git-repository-id)
@@ -121,6 +123,9 @@
      ;; just-update-cached-checkout
      (just-update-cached-checkout (assq-ref git-repository-details 'url))
 
+     (simple-format (current-error-port)
+                    "finished updating cached checkout for repository ~A\n"
+                    git-repository-id)
      (let* ((repository-directory
              (url-cache-directory
               (assq-ref git-repository-details 'url)))
diff --git a/scripts/guix-data-service.in b/scripts/guix-data-service.in
index 527ff5a..b626031 100644
--- a/scripts/guix-data-service.in
+++ b/scripts/guix-data-service.in
@@ -210,6 +210,7 @@
            (lambda ()
              (run-sqitch)
 
+             (poll-git-repositories-setup)
              (for-each
               (lambda (git-repository-details)
                 (let ((id (assq-ref git-repository-details 'id)))