diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index c795b05..d76b74e 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
-build
\ No newline at end of file
+build
+.DS_Store
diff --git a/cmd/git-remote-gitopia/gitopia.go b/cmd/git-remote-gitopia/gitopia.go
index 7d1619b..a868090 100644
--- a/cmd/git-remote-gitopia/gitopia.go
+++ b/cmd/git-remote-gitopia/gitopia.go
@@ -98,6 +98,14 @@ func (h *GitopiaHandler) Initialize(remote *core.Remote) error {
 
 	h.remoteRepository = *res.Repository
 
+	// Configure LFS URL for clone operations to avoid SSH to non-existent "gitopia" hostname
+	lfsURL := fmt.Sprintf("%v/%v.git", config.GitServerHost, h.remoteRepository.Id)
+	cmd := core.GitCommand("git", "config", "--local", "lfs.url", lfsURL)
+	if err := cmd.Run(); err != nil {
+		// Log but don't fail if LFS config fails (repo might not have LFS)
+		remote.Logger.Printf("Warning: could not configure LFS URL: %v", err)
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -114,8 +122,25 @@ func (h *GitopiaHandler) List(remote *core.Remote, forPush bool) ([]string, erro
 	if err != nil {
 		return out, err
 	}
+
+	// Track available branches and find a suitable HEAD candidate
+	var headCandidate string
+	defaultBranchExists := false
+
 	for _, branch := range branchAllRes.Branch {
 		out = append(out, fmt.Sprintf("%s %s%s", branch.Sha, branchPrefix, branch.Name))
+
+		// Check if the configured default branch exists
+		if branch.Name == h.remoteRepository.DefaultBranch {
+			defaultBranchExists = true
+			headCandidate = branch.Name
+		} else if headCandidate == "" {
+			// Fallback: use the first branch we find
+			headCandidate = branch.Name
+		} else if branch.Name == "main" {
+			// Prefer "main" over other branches as fallback
+			headCandidate = branch.Name
+		}
 	}
 
 	tagAllRes, err := h.queryClient.RepositoryTagAll(context.Background(), &gitopiatypes.QueryAllRepositoryTagRequest{
@@ -132,51 +157,57 @@ func (h *GitopiaHandler) List(remote *core.Remote, forPush bool) ([]string, erro
 		out = append(out, fmt.Sprintf("%s %s%s", tag.Sha, tagPrefix, tag.Name))
 	}
 
-	out = append(out, fmt.Sprintf("@refs/heads/%s HEAD", h.remoteRepository.DefaultBranch))
+	// Only set HEAD if we have a valid branch to point to
+	if headCandidate != "" {
+		if !defaultBranchExists && headCandidate != h.remoteRepository.DefaultBranch {
+			// Log a warning if we're falling back to a different branch
+			remote.Logger.Printf("Warning: configured default branch '%s' doesn't exist, using '%s' as HEAD\n",
+				h.remoteRepository.DefaultBranch, headCandidate)
+		}
+		out = append(out, fmt.Sprintf("@refs/heads/%s HEAD", headCandidate))
+	} else {
+		// No branches exist at all - this is a serious issue
+		remote.Logger.Printf("Warning: repository has no branches, HEAD will not be set\n")
+	}
 
 	return out, nil
 }
 
 func (h *GitopiaHandler) Fetch(remote *core.Remote, refsToFetch []core.RefToFetch) error {
 	remoteURL := fmt.Sprintf("%v/%v.git", config.GitServerHost, h.remoteRepository.Id)
+	lfsURL := remoteURL // Use same URL for LFS
 
-	if !remote.Force {
-		args := []string{
-			"fetch",
-			"--no-write-fetch-head",
-			remoteURL,
-		}
-		for _, ref := range refsToFetch {
-			args = append(args, ref.Ref)
-		}
-		cmd := core.GitCommand("git", args...)
-		if err := cmd.Run(); err != nil {
-			return errors.Wrap(err, "error fetching from remote repository")
+	// Check if any refs need force
+	needsForce := false
+	var processedRefs []string
+
+	for _, ref := range refsToFetch {
+		refSpec := ref.Ref
+		if strings.HasPrefix(refSpec, "+") {
+			refSpec = strings.TrimPrefix(refSpec, "+")
+			needsForce = true
 		}
+		processedRefs = append(processedRefs, refSpec)
+	}
 
-		return nil
+	// Build single git fetch command with all refs
+	args := []string{
+		"-c", fmt.Sprintf("lfs.url=%s", lfsURL),
+		"fetch",
+		"--no-write-fetch-head",
 	}
 
-	for _, ref := range refsToFetch {
-		force := false
-		if strings.HasPrefix(ref.Ref, "+") {
-			ref.Ref = strings.TrimPrefix(ref.Ref, "+")
-			force = true
-		}
+	// Add force flag if any ref needs it
+	if needsForce || remote.Force {
+		args = append(args, "--force")
+	}
 
-		args := []string{
-			"fetch",
-			"--no-write-fetch-head",
-			remoteURL,
-			ref.Ref,
-		}
-		if force {
-			args = append(args, "--force")
-		}
-		cmd := core.GitCommand("git", args...)
-		if err := cmd.Run(); err != nil {
-			return errors.Wrap(err, "error fetching from remote repository")
-		}
+	args = append(args, remoteURL)
+	args = append(args, processedRefs...)
+
+	cmd := core.GitCommand("git", args...)
+	if err := cmd.Run(); err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "error fetching from remote repository")
 	}
 
 	return nil
@@ -215,6 +246,7 @@ func (h *GitopiaHandler) Push(remote *core.Remote, refsToPush []core.RefToPush)
 	}
 
 	remoteURL := fmt.Sprintf("%v/%v.git", config.GitServerHost, h.remoteRepository.Id)
+	lfsURL := remoteURL // Use same URL for LFS
 
 	var newRemoteRefSha string
 	var setBranches []gitopiatypes.MsgMultiSetBranch_Branch
@@ -267,6 +299,8 @@ func (h *GitopiaHandler) Push(remote *core.Remote, refsToPush []core.RefToPush)
 			"credential.helper=",
 			"-c",
 			"credential.helper=gitopia",
+			"-c",
+			fmt.Sprintf("lfs.url=%s", lfsURL),
 			"push",
 			remoteURL,
 			fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s", ref.Local, ref.Remote),
diff --git a/core/util.go b/core/util.go
index e3febaf..ec502ef 100644
--- a/core/util.go
+++ b/core/util.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package core
 
 import (
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"path"
@@ -52,31 +53,47 @@ func CleanUpProcessGroup(cmd *exec.Cmd) {
 }
 
 func ValidateGitopiaRemoteURL(remoteURL string) (remoteUserId string, remoteRepositoryName string, err error) {
-	if strings.HasPrefix(remoteURL, GITOPIA_PREFIX) {
-		s := strings.TrimPrefix(remoteURL, GITOPIA_PREFIX)
-		sp := strings.Split(s, "/")
+	if !strings.HasPrefix(remoteURL, GITOPIA_PREFIX) {
+		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("invalid gitopia remote url: must start with '%s', got '%s'", GITOPIA_PREFIX, remoteURL)
+	}
+
+	s := strings.TrimPrefix(remoteURL, GITOPIA_PREFIX)
+	sp := strings.Split(s, "/")
+
+	if len(sp) != 2 {
+		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("invalid gitopia remote url: expected format 'gitopia://user/repository', got '%s' (found %d parts after prefix)", remoteURL, len(sp))
+	}
+
+	remoteUserId = sp[0]
+	remoteRepositoryName = sp[1]
 
-		if len(sp) != 2 {
-			return "", "", ErrInvalidGitopiaRemoteURL
+	if remoteUserId == "" {
+		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("invalid gitopia remote url: user ID cannot be empty in '%s'", remoteURL)
+	}
+
+	if remoteRepositoryName == "" {
+		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("invalid gitopia remote url: repository name cannot be empty in '%s'", remoteURL)
+	}
+
+	// Try to parse as bech32 address first
+	_, err = sdk.AccAddressFromBech32(remoteUserId)
+	if err != nil {
+		// If not a valid bech32 address, validate as username
+		if len(remoteUserId) < 3 {
+			return "", "", fmt.Errorf("invalid gitopia remote url: user ID '%s' is too short (minimum 3 characters)", remoteUserId)
+		}
+		if len(remoteUserId) > 39 {
+			return "", "", fmt.Errorf("invalid gitopia remote url: user ID '%s' is too long (maximum 39 characters)", remoteUserId)
+		}
+		
+		valid, regexErr := regexp.MatchString("^[a-zA-Z0-9]+(?:[-]?[a-zA-Z0-9])*$", remoteUserId)
+		if regexErr != nil {
+			return "", "", fmt.Errorf("invalid gitopia remote url: error validating user ID '%s': %v", remoteUserId, regexErr)
 		}
-		remoteUserId = sp[0]
-		remoteRepositoryName = sp[1]
-
-		_, err := sdk.AccAddressFromBech32(remoteUserId)
-		if err != nil {
-			if len(remoteUserId) < 3 || len(remoteUserId) > 39 {
-				return "", "", ErrInvalidGitopiaRemoteURL
-			}
-			valid, err := regexp.MatchString("^[a-zA-Z0-9]+(?:[-]?[a-zA-Z0-9])*$", remoteUserId)
-			if err != nil {
-				return "", "", ErrInvalidGitopiaRemoteURL
-			}
-			if !valid {
-				return "", "", ErrInvalidGitopiaRemoteURL
-			}
+		if !valid {
+			return "", "", fmt.Errorf("invalid gitopia remote url: user ID '%s' contains invalid characters (only alphanumeric and hyphens allowed)", remoteUserId)
 		}
-		return remoteUserId, remoteRepositoryName, nil
 	}
 
-	return "", "", ErrInvalidGitopiaRemoteURL
+	return remoteUserId, remoteRepositoryName, nil
 }