diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index c471eaa12..45e0e8ab2 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -38,3 +38,6 @@ cli/README.md
 
 # PR description scratchpad (agents)
 PR_DESCRIPTION.md
+
+# PR review triage scratchpad (agents)
+PR_REVIEW_TRIAGE.md
diff --git a/cli/setup-project.js b/cli/setup-project.js
index e4b6f42ab..440914b96 100755
--- a/cli/setup-project.js
+++ b/cli/setup-project.js
@@ -12,9 +12,35 @@ const ProjectFilesManager = require('./project-files-manager.js');
  */
 let projectFilesManager;
 
+const DEFAULT_BRANCH = 'develop';
+const ADDITIONAL_BRANCHES = ['qa', 'main'];
+
+const hasGitIdentity = async (options) => {
+  const name = await execShellCommand('git config user.name || true', options);
+  const email = await execShellCommand('git config user.email || true', options);
+  return Boolean(name.trim() && email.trim());
+};
+
+// Branches can only be created once a commit exists, so the initial commit
+// happens before renaming the current branch and branching off it.
 const initializeProjectRepository = async (projectName) => {
-  const escapedProjectName = escapeShellArg(projectName);
-  await execShellCommand(`cd ${escapedProjectName} && git init && cd ..`);
+  const options = { cwd: projectName };
+
+  await execShellCommand('git init', options);
+  await execShellCommand('git add -A', options);
+
+  const identityFlags = (await hasGitIdentity(options))
+    ? ''
+    : '-c user.name="Rootstrap Template" -c user.email="template@rootstrap.com"';
+  await execShellCommand(
+    `git ${identityFlags} commit -m "chore: initial commit from Rootstrap React Native template"`,
+    options,
+  );
+  await execShellCommand(`git branch -M ${DEFAULT_BRANCH}`, options);
+
+  for (const branch of ADDITIONAL_BRANCHES) {
+    await execShellCommand(`git branch ${branch}`, options);
+  }
 };
 
 const installDependencies = async (projectName) => {
@@ -54,7 +80,7 @@ const removeUnrelatedFiles = () => {
 };
 
 // Update package.json infos, name and set version to 0.0.1 + add initial version to rsMetadata
-const updatePackageJson = async (projectName) => {
+const updatePackageJson = (projectName) => {
   const packageJsonPath =
     projectFilesManager.getAbsoluteFilePath('package.json');
 
@@ -75,7 +101,7 @@ const updatePackageJson = async (projectName) => {
   fs.writeJsonSync(packageJsonPath, packageJson, { spaces: 2 });
 };
 
-const updateProjectConfig = async (projectName) => {
+const updateProjectConfig = (projectName) => {
   projectFilesManager.replaceFilesContent([
     {
       fileName: 'env.js',
@@ -227,12 +253,13 @@ const setupProject = async (projectName) => {
 
   try {
     removeUnrelatedFiles();
-    await initializeProjectRepository(projectName);
     updatePackageJson(projectName);
     updateProjectConfig(projectName);
     updateGitHubWorkflows(projectName);
     updateProjectReadme(projectName);
     updateAgentDocs(projectName);
+    // Runs last so the initial commit contains the fully set up project
+    await initializeProjectRepository(projectName);
     consola.success(`Clean up and setup your project 🧹`);
   } catch (error) {
     consola.error(`Failed to clean up project folder`, error);
diff --git a/cli/utils.js b/cli/utils.js
index d72704b4a..6930c8f9b 100755
--- a/cli/utils.js
+++ b/cli/utils.js
@@ -6,17 +6,18 @@ const UPSTREAM_REPOSITORY = "obytes/react-native-template-obytes";
 const TEMPLATE_REPOSITORY = "rootstrap/react-native-template";
 
 const escapeShellArg = (value) => {
-  return `'${String(value).replaceAll(/'/g, "'\\''")}'`;
+  return `'${String(value).replaceAll("'", "'\\''")}'`;
 };
 
-const execShellCommand = (cmd) => {
+const execShellCommand = (cmd, options) => {
   return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-    exec(cmd, (error, stdout, stderr) => {
+    exec(cmd, options, (error, stdout, stderr) => {
       if (error) {
         console.warn(error);
         reject(error);
+      } else {
+        resolve(stdout || stderr);
       }
-      resolve(stdout || stderr);
     });
   });
 };