diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/jboss/as/server/controller/git/GitRepository.java b/server/src/main/java/org/jboss/as/server/controller/git/GitRepository.java
index 27c048b039d..50417904a00 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/jboss/as/server/controller/git/GitRepository.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/jboss/as/server/controller/git/GitRepository.java
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
 import java.nio.file.FileVisitor;
 import java.nio.file.Files;
 import java.nio.file.Path;
-import java.nio.file.StandardCopyOption;
 import java.nio.file.attribute.BasicFileAttributes;
 import java.security.GeneralSecurityException;
 import java.util.Collections;
@@ -120,7 +119,7 @@ public GitRepository(GitRepositoryConfiguration gitConfig)
                 }
             } else {
                 Path atticPath = basePath.getParent().resolve("attic");
-                Files.copy(basePath, atticPath, StandardCopyOption.REPLACE_EXISTING);
+                PathUtil.copyRecursively(basePath, atticPath, true);
                 clearExistingFiles(basePath, gitConfig.getRepository());
                 try (Git git = Git.init().setDirectory(baseDir).setInitialBranch(branch).call()) {
                     String remoteName = DEFAULT_REMOTE_NAME;
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/jboss/as/controller/persistence/RemoteGitPersistenceResourceTestCase.java b/server/src/test/java/org/jboss/as/controller/persistence/RemoteGitPersistenceResourceTestCase.java
index 347038deac7..4e6d765ef11 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/jboss/as/controller/persistence/RemoteGitPersistenceResourceTestCase.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/jboss/as/controller/persistence/RemoteGitPersistenceResourceTestCase.java
@@ -147,5 +147,25 @@ public void testDefaultPersistentConfigurationFile() throws Exception {
         }
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testNonExistingRemoteRepository() throws Exception {
+        createFile(root, "standard.xml", "std");
+        checkFiles("standard", "std");
+        String[] rootFiles = root.toFile().list();
+        Assert.assertNotNull(rootFiles);
+        Assert.assertEquals(1, rootFiles.length);
+        try (GitRepository gitRepository = new GitRepository(GitRepositoryConfiguration.Builder.getInstance()
+                .setBasePath(root)
+                .setRepository("non_existing")
+                .build())) {
+            Assert.assertEquals(root.toFile(), gitRepository.getDirectory());
+        } catch (RuntimeException e) {
+            Assert.assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("WFLYSRV0269: Failed to initialize the repository non_existing"));
+            rootFiles = root.toFile().list();
+            Assert.assertNotNull(rootFiles);
+            Assert.assertEquals(1, rootFiles.length);
+            checkFiles("standard", "std");
+        }
+    }
 
 }