diff --git a/git/repo/base.py b/git/repo/base.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
import os
import re
import sys

from git.cmd import (
    Git,
@@ -50,8 +51,11 @@
__all__ = ('Repo',)


-def _expand_path(p):
-    return osp.normpath(osp.abspath(osp.expandvars(osp.expanduser(p))))


class Repo(object):
@@ -90,7 +94,7 @@ class Repo(object):
    # Subclasses may easily bring in their own custom types by placing a constructor or type here
    GitCommandWrapperType = Git

-    def __init__(self, path=None, odbt=DefaultDBType, search_parent_directories=False):
        """Create a new Repo instance

        :param path:
@@ -116,12 +120,17 @@ def __init__(self, path=None, odbt=DefaultDBType, search_parent_directories=Fals
        :raise InvalidGitRepositoryError:
        :raise NoSuchPathError:
        :return: git.Repo """
        epath = path or os.getenv('GIT_DIR')
        if not epath:
            epath = os.getcwd()
        if Git.is_cygwin():
            epath = decygpath(epath)
-        epath = _expand_path(epath or path or os.getcwd())
        if not os.path.exists(epath):
            raise NoSuchPathError(epath)

@@ -148,7 +157,7 @@ def __init__(self, path=None, odbt=DefaultDBType, search_parent_directories=Fals
                sm_gitpath = find_worktree_git_dir(dotgit)

            if sm_gitpath is not None:
-                self.git_dir = _expand_path(sm_gitpath)
                self._working_tree_dir = curpath
                break

@@ -844,7 +853,7 @@ def blame(self, rev, file, incremental=False, **kwargs):
        return blames

    @classmethod
-    def init(cls, path=None, mkdir=True, odbt=DefaultDBType, **kwargs):
        """Initialize a git repository at the given path if specified

        :param path:
@@ -862,12 +871,17 @@ def init(cls, path=None, mkdir=True, odbt=DefaultDBType, **kwargs):
            the directory containing the database objects, i.e. .git/objects.
            It will be used to access all object data

        :parm kwargs:
            keyword arguments serving as additional options to the git-init command

        :return: ``git.Repo`` (the newly created repo)"""
        if path:
-            path = _expand_path(path)
        if mkdir and path and not osp.exists(path):
            os.makedirs(path, 0o755)