diff --git a/graal/graal.py b/graal/graal.py
index 1aa763a..139bdc3 100644
--- a/graal/graal.py
+++ b/graal/graal.py
@@ -459,8 +459,14 @@ class GraalCommand(GitCommand):
     def _pre_init(self):
         """Initialize repositories directory path"""
 
-        git_path = self.parsed_args.git_path
-        setattr(self.parsed_args, 'gitpath', git_path)
+        if not self.parsed_args.git_path:
+            base_path = os.path.expanduser('~/.graal/repositories/')
+            processed_uri = self.parsed_args.uri.lstrip('/')
+            git_path = os.path.join(base_path, processed_uri) + '-git'
+        else:
+            git_path = self.parsed_args.git_path
+
+        setattr(self.parsed_args, 'git_path', git_path)
 
     @staticmethod
     def setup_cmd_parser(categories, exec_path=False):
diff --git a/tests/test_graal.py b/tests/test_graal.py
index c132d69..dd82e49 100644
--- a/tests/test_graal.py
+++ b/tests/test_graal.py
@@ -616,9 +616,17 @@ def test_backend_class(self):
 
         self.assertIs(GraalCommand.BACKEND, Graal)
 
-    def test_gitpath_init(self):
+    @unittest.mock.patch('os.path.expanduser')
+    def test_gitpath_init(self, mock_expanduser):
         """Test gitpath initialization"""
 
+        mock_expanduser.return_value = os.path.join(self.tmp_path, 'testpath')
+        args = ['http://example.com/']
+
+        cmd = MockedGraalCommand(*args)
+        self.assertEqual(cmd.parsed_args.git_path,
+                         os.path.join(self.tmp_path, 'testpath/http://example.com/' + '-git'))
+
         args = ['http://example.com/',
                 '--git-path', '/tmp/gitpath']