diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4c5808f..576cc75 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -23,6 +23,10 @@ this is assumed to be in `../kernel`, with remotes configured in
 stable and cip repositories. These can be overridden by command-line options
 or configuration (`~/.config/kernel-sec/remotes.yml`).
 
+* `scripts/prepare_remotes.py` - creates the local git repository
+and adds all configured remotes. You may prefer to skip this script
+and configure the repository by hand.
+
 * `scripts/import_debian.py` - import information from Debian's
 `kernel_sec` project.  It includes all issues that Debian considers
 active or that are already tracked here.
@@ -81,6 +85,7 @@ with the keys:
   branch from this remote.
 * `git_name`: (optional) The name actually used for this git
   remote, if it's different from the default.
+* `git_repo_url`: URL of the remote git repository.
 
 ## Contributions
 
diff --git a/conf/remotes.yml b/conf/remotes.yml
index 51c523d..cfaa35f 100644
--- a/conf/remotes.yml
+++ b/conf/remotes.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 torvalds:
   commit_url_prefix: https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=
+  git_repo_url: https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git
 stable:
   commit_url_prefix: https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux-stable.git/commit?id=
+  git_repo_url: https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux-stable.git
 cip:
   commit_url_prefix: https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/cip/linux-cip.git/commit?id=
+  git_repo_url: https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/cip/linux-cip.git
diff --git a/scripts/import_stable.py b/scripts/import_stable.py
index 26fcc2f..194219d 100755
--- a/scripts/import_stable.py
+++ b/scripts/import_stable.py
@@ -31,11 +31,6 @@ BACKPORT_COMMIT_BOTTOM_RE = re.compile(
     .format(**RE_USE))
 
 
-def update(git_repo, remote_name):
-    subprocess.check_call(['git', 'remote', 'update', remote_name],
-                          cwd=git_repo)
-
-
 def get_backports(git_repo, remotes, branches, debug=False):
     backports = {}
 
@@ -140,7 +135,8 @@ def main(git_repo, remotes, debug=False):
     remote_names = set(branch['git_remote'] for branch in branches)
 
     for remote_name in remote_names:
-        update(git_repo, remotes[remote_name]['git_name'])
+        kernel_sec.branch.remote_update(
+            git_repo, remotes[remote_name]['git_name'])
     backports = get_backports(git_repo, remotes, branches, debug)
     c_b_map = kernel_sec.branch.CommitBranchMap(git_repo, remotes, branches)
 
diff --git a/scripts/kernel_sec/branch.py b/scripts/kernel_sec/branch.py
index a138b96..0023497 100644
--- a/scripts/kernel_sec/branch.py
+++ b/scripts/kernel_sec/branch.py
@@ -223,6 +223,16 @@ def get_remotes(mappings, mainline=None, stable=None):
     return remotes
 
 
+def remote_update(git_repo, remote_name):
+    subprocess.check_call(['git', 'remote', 'update', remote_name],
+                          cwd=git_repo)
+
+
+def remote_add(git_repo, remote_name, remote_url):
+    subprocess.check_call(['git', 'remote', 'add', remote_name, remote_url],
+                          cwd=git_repo)
+
+
 def check_git_repo(git_repo, remotes):
     if not os.path.isdir(git_repo):
         msg = "directory %r not present" % git_repo
diff --git a/scripts/prepare_remotes.py b/scripts/prepare_remotes.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..59310fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/prepare_remotes.py
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python3
+
+# Copyright 2019 Toshiba corp.
+# Based on import_stable.py by Codethink Ltd.
+#
+# This script is distributed under the terms and conditions of the GNU General
+# Public License, Version 3 or later. See http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html
+# for details.
+
+# Helper script that prepares the local git repository with the configured
+# remote branches
+
+import argparse
+import os
+import subprocess
+
+import kernel_sec.branch
+
+
+def main(git_repo, remotes):
+    if os.path.isdir(git_repo):
+        msg = "directory %r already exists" % git_repo
+        raise argparse.ArgumentError(None, msg)
+    else:
+        os.mkdir(git_repo)
+        subprocess.check_call(['git', 'init', '.'], cwd=git_repo)
+
+    for key in remotes.keys():
+        remote = remotes[key]  # __getitem__ will add git_name
+        kernel_sec.branch.remote_add(
+            git_repo, remote['git_name'], remote['git_repo_url'])
+        kernel_sec.branch.remote_update(git_repo, remote['git_name'])
+
+    # self-check
+    kernel_sec.branch.check_git_repo(git_repo, remotes)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
+        description=('Prepare local git repository with configured remotes.'))
+    parser.add_argument('--git-repo',
+                        dest='git_repo', default='../kernel',
+                        help=('local git repository location '
+                              '(default: ../kernel)'),
+                        metavar='DIRECTORY')
+    parser.add_argument('--remote-name',
+                        dest='remote_name', action='append', default=[],
+                        help='git remote name mappings, e.g. stable:korg-stable',
+                        metavar='NAME:OTHER-NAME')
+    parser.add_argument('--mainline-remote',
+                        dest='mainline_remote_name',
+                        help="git remote name to use instead of 'torvalds'",
+                        metavar='OTHER-NAME')
+    parser.add_argument('--stable-remote',
+                        dest='stable_remote_name',
+                        help="git remote name to use instead of 'stable'",
+                        metavar='OTHER-NAME')
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+    remotes = kernel_sec.branch.get_remotes(args.remote_name,
+                                            mainline=args.mainline_remote_name,
+                                            stable=args.stable_remote_name)
+    main(args.git_repo, remotes)
