diff --git a/cmd/hook.go b/cmd/hook.go
index 26064c2f4d..935c1b08ea 100644
--- a/cmd/hook.go
+++ b/cmd/hook.go
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ func runHookPreReceive(c *cli.Context) error {
 	ctx, cancel := installSignals()
 	defer cancel()
 
-	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"))
+	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"), true)
 
 	if len(os.Getenv("SSH_ORIGINAL_COMMAND")) == 0 {
 		if setting.OnlyAllowPushIfGiteaEnvironmentSet {
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ func runHookPostReceive(c *cli.Context) error {
 	ctx, cancel := installSignals()
 	defer cancel()
 
-	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"))
+	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"), true)
 
 	// First of all run update-server-info no matter what
 	if _, _, err := git.NewCommand(ctx, "update-server-info").RunStdString(nil); err != nil {
@@ -491,7 +491,7 @@ func runHookProcReceive(c *cli.Context) error {
 	ctx, cancel := installSignals()
 	defer cancel()
 
-	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"))
+	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"), true)
 
 	if len(os.Getenv("SSH_ORIGINAL_COMMAND")) == 0 {
 		if setting.OnlyAllowPushIfGiteaEnvironmentSet {
diff --git a/cmd/keys.go b/cmd/keys.go
index b12daee1bc..2d241984c4 100644
--- a/cmd/keys.go
+++ b/cmd/keys.go
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ func runKeys(c *cli.Context) error {
 	ctx, cancel := installSignals()
 	defer cancel()
 
-	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"))
+	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"), true)
 
 	authorizedString, extra := private.AuthorizedPublicKeyByContent(ctx, content)
 	// do not use handleCliResponseExtra or cli.NewExitError, if it exists immediately, it breaks some tests like Test_CmdKeys
diff --git a/cmd/manager.go b/cmd/manager.go
index 0cb1e60f73..56089947fd 100644
--- a/cmd/manager.go
+++ b/cmd/manager.go
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ func runShutdown(c *cli.Context) error {
 	ctx, cancel := installSignals()
 	defer cancel()
 
-	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"))
+	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"), false)
 	extra := private.Shutdown(ctx)
 	return handleCliResponseExtra(extra)
 }
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ func runRestart(c *cli.Context) error {
 	ctx, cancel := installSignals()
 	defer cancel()
 
-	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"))
+	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"), false)
 	extra := private.Restart(ctx)
 	return handleCliResponseExtra(extra)
 }
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ func runReloadTemplates(c *cli.Context) error {
 	ctx, cancel := installSignals()
 	defer cancel()
 
-	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"))
+	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"), false)
 	extra := private.ReloadTemplates(ctx)
 	return handleCliResponseExtra(extra)
 }
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ func runFlushQueues(c *cli.Context) error {
 	ctx, cancel := installSignals()
 	defer cancel()
 
-	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"))
+	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"), false)
 	extra := private.FlushQueues(ctx, c.Duration("timeout"), c.Bool("non-blocking"))
 	return handleCliResponseExtra(extra)
 }
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ func runProcesses(c *cli.Context) error {
 	ctx, cancel := installSignals()
 	defer cancel()
 
-	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"))
+	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"), false)
 	extra := private.Processes(ctx, os.Stdout, c.Bool("flat"), c.Bool("no-system"), c.Bool("stacktraces"), c.Bool("json"), c.String("cancel"))
 	return handleCliResponseExtra(extra)
 }
diff --git a/cmd/manager_logging.go b/cmd/manager_logging.go
index ac2c1eb418..c6db2bb05a 100644
--- a/cmd/manager_logging.go
+++ b/cmd/manager_logging.go
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ func runRemoveLogger(c *cli.Context) error {
 	ctx, cancel := installSignals()
 	defer cancel()
 
-	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"))
+	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"), false)
 	logger := c.String("logger")
 	if len(logger) == 0 {
 		logger = log.DEFAULT
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ func runAddConnLogger(c *cli.Context) error {
 	ctx, cancel := installSignals()
 	defer cancel()
 
-	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"))
+	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"), false)
 	vals := map[string]any{}
 	mode := "conn"
 	vals["net"] = "tcp"
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ func runAddFileLogger(c *cli.Context) error {
 	ctx, cancel := installSignals()
 	defer cancel()
 
-	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"))
+	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"), false)
 	vals := map[string]any{}
 	mode := "file"
 	if c.IsSet("filename") {
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ func runPauseLogging(c *cli.Context) error {
 	ctx, cancel := installSignals()
 	defer cancel()
 
-	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"))
+	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"), false)
 	userMsg := private.PauseLogging(ctx)
 	_, _ = fmt.Fprintln(os.Stdout, userMsg)
 	return nil
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ func runResumeLogging(c *cli.Context) error {
 	ctx, cancel := installSignals()
 	defer cancel()
 
-	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"))
+	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"), false)
 	userMsg := private.ResumeLogging(ctx)
 	_, _ = fmt.Fprintln(os.Stdout, userMsg)
 	return nil
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ func runReleaseReopenLogging(c *cli.Context) error {
 	ctx, cancel := installSignals()
 	defer cancel()
 
-	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"))
+	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"), false)
 	userMsg := private.ReleaseReopenLogging(ctx)
 	_, _ = fmt.Fprintln(os.Stdout, userMsg)
 	return nil
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ func runReleaseReopenLogging(c *cli.Context) error {
 func runSetLogSQL(c *cli.Context) error {
 	ctx, cancel := installSignals()
 	defer cancel()
-	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"))
+	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"), false)
 
 	extra := private.SetLogSQL(ctx, !c.Bool("off"))
 	return handleCliResponseExtra(extra)
diff --git a/cmd/serv.go b/cmd/serv.go
index 9d9e86992d..4b288632d2 100644
--- a/cmd/serv.go
+++ b/cmd/serv.go
@@ -57,19 +57,22 @@ var CmdServ = &cli.Command{
 	},
 }
 
-func setup(ctx context.Context, debug bool) {
+func setup(ctx context.Context, debug, gitNeeded bool) {
 	if debug {
 		setupConsoleLogger(log.TRACE, false, os.Stderr)
 	} else {
 		setupConsoleLogger(log.FATAL, false, os.Stderr)
 	}
 	setting.MustInstalled()
+	// Sanity check to ensure path is not relative, see: https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/pull/19317
 	if _, err := os.Stat(setting.RepoRootPath); err != nil {
 		_ = fail(ctx, "Unable to access repository path", "Unable to access repository path %q, err: %v", setting.RepoRootPath, err)
 		return
 	}
-	if err := git.InitSimple(context.Background()); err != nil {
-		_ = fail(ctx, "Failed to init git", "Failed to init git, err: %v", err)
+	if gitNeeded {
+		if err := git.InitSimple(context.Background()); err != nil {
+			_ = fail(ctx, "Failed to init git", "Failed to init git, err: %v", err)
+		}
 	}
 }
 
@@ -133,7 +136,7 @@ func runServ(c *cli.Context) error {
 	defer cancel()
 
 	// FIXME: This needs to internationalised
-	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"))
+	setup(ctx, c.Bool("debug"), true)
 
 	if setting.SSH.Disabled {
 		fmt.Println("Forgejo: SSH has been disabled")