diff --git a/libr/main/ravc2.c b/libr/main/ravc2.c
index 4d13d1c28a..6a84c3e26c 100644
--- a/libr/main/ravc2.c
+++ b/libr/main/ravc2.c
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 #include <rvc.h>
 #include <r_list.h>
+#include <r_main.h>
 
 static void usage(void) {
 	printf ("Usage: ravc2 [-qvh] [action] [args ...]\n");
diff --git a/libr/util/rvc.c b/libr/util/rvc.c
index febcf8fb01..1b30486f29 100644
--- a/libr/util/rvc.c
+++ b/libr/util/rvc.c
@@ -32,14 +32,25 @@ R_API bool rvc_use(Rvc *vc, RvcType type) {
 	return true;
 }
 
-R_API int rvc_repo_type(const char *path) {
-	return -1;
+R_API RvcType rvc_repo_type(const char *path) {
+	const char *paths[] = {".git", ".rvc"};
+	const RvcType types[] = {RVC_TYPE_GIT, RVC_TYPE_RVC};
+	size_t i = 0;
+	for (; i < sizeof (paths) / sizeof (char *)
+			&& i < sizeof (types) / sizeof (RvcType); i++) {
+		char *p = r_file_new (path, paths[i], NULL);
+		if (r_file_is_directory(p)) {
+			return types[i];
+		}
+		free (p);
+	}
+	return RVC_TYPE_INV;
 }
 
 R_API Rvc *rvc_open(const char *path, RvcType type) {
 	r_return_val_if_fail (path, NULL);
 	Rvc *rvc = NULL;
-	int repotype = (type == -1)? rvc_repo_type (path): type;
+	int repotype = (type == RVC_TYPE_ANY)? rvc_repo_type (path): type;
 	switch (repotype) {
 	case RVC_TYPE_GIT:
 		rvc = r_vc_plugin_git.open (path);
@@ -89,7 +100,7 @@ R_API void rvc_close(Rvc *vc, bool save) {
 	r_return_if_fail (vc);
 	RvcPluginClose klose = R_UNWRAP3 (vc, p, close);
 	if (klose) {
-	       klose (vc, save);
+		klose (vc, save);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/libr/util/rvc_git.c b/libr/util/rvc_git.c
index bd727135cb..df1e1aae5a 100644
--- a/libr/util/rvc_git.c
+++ b/libr/util/rvc_git.c
@@ -8,8 +8,7 @@ static Rvc *open_git(const char *path) {
 	char *git_path = r_file_new (path, ".git", NULL);
 	if (!git_path || !r_file_is_directory (git_path)) {
 		char *escpath = r_str_escape (path);
-		int ret = r_sys_cmdf ("git init \"%s\"", escpath);
-		free (escpath);
+		int ret = r_sys_cmdf ("git init \"%s\" > /dev/null", escpath);
 		if (ret != 0) {
 			R_LOG_WARN ("git init failed");
 		}
diff --git a/libr/util/rvc_rvc.c b/libr/util/rvc_rvc.c
index 15816fa750..0ad46af526 100644
--- a/libr/util/rvc_rvc.c
+++ b/libr/util/rvc_rvc.c
@@ -1023,55 +1023,24 @@ static Sdb *vcdb_open(const char *rp) {
 }
 
 static Rvc *open_rvc(const char *rp) {
-	int type = RVC_TYPE_RVC;
-	// XXX this is conceptually wrong
-	Rvc *repo = R_NEW (Rvc);
-	if (repo) {
-		repo->path = r_str_new (rp);
-		if (repo->path) {
-			repo->db = vcdb_open (rp) ;
-			switch (type) {
-			case RVC_TYPE_RVC:
-				sdb_free (repo->db);
-				free (repo);
-				return rvc_rvc_new (rp);
-			case RVC_TYPE_GIT:
-				if (rvc_use (repo, type)) {
+	if (rvc_repo_exists(rp)) {
+		Rvc *repo = R_NEW (Rvc);
+		if (repo) {
+			repo->db = vcdb_open (rp);
+			if (repo->db) {
+				repo->path = strdup(rp);
+				if (repo->path) {
 					return repo;
 				}
-				break;
-			case RVC_TYPE_ANY:
-				{
-					char *rvcdir = r_str_newf ("%s/.rvc/" DBNAME, rp);
-					// check if .git exists and then .rvc or the other way
-					if (r_file_exists (rvcdir)) {
-						free (rvcdir);
-						type = RVC_TYPE_RVC;
-						if (rvc_use (repo, type)) {
-							return repo;
-						}
-					}
-					free (rvcdir);
-					char *gitdir = r_str_newf ("%s/.git/config", rp);
-					if (r_file_exists (gitdir)) {
-						free (gitdir);
-						type = RVC_TYPE_GIT;
-						if (rvc_use (repo, type)) {
-							return repo;
-						}
-					}
-					free (gitdir);
-				}
-				break;
-			default:
-				// unknown vc type
-				break;
 			}
-			sdb_free (repo->db);
-			free (repo->path);
 		}
-		free (repo);
+	} else {
+		Rvc *repo = rvc_rvc_new(rp);
+		if (repo) {
+			return repo;
+		}
 	}
+	R_LOG_ERROR("Can't open rvc repo in: %s", rp);
 	return NULL;
 }