diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/org/openmbee/flexo/mms/Layer1Context.kt b/src/main/kotlin/org/openmbee/flexo/mms/Layer1Context.kt
index d2a04458..f5b05de4 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/org/openmbee/flexo/mms/Layer1Context.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/org/openmbee/flexo/mms/Layer1Context.kt
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ class Layer1Context<TRequestContext: GenericRequest, out TResponseContext: Gener
     var commitId: String = transactionId
     var lockId: String? = null
     var branchId: String? = null
+    var defaultBranchId = DEFAULT_BRANCH_ID
     var diffId: String? = null
     var policyId: String? = null
 
@@ -181,6 +182,10 @@ class Layer1Context<TRequestContext: GenericRequest, out TResponseContext: Gener
                 } else true
             } else false
         }
+
+        fun defaultBranchId() {
+            defaultBranchId = call.parameters["defaultBranchId"]?: DEFAULT_BRANCH_ID
+        }
     }
 
 
@@ -633,4 +638,4 @@ class Layer1Context<TRequestContext: GenericRequest, out TResponseContext: Gener
             }
         }
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/org/openmbee/flexo/mms/Namespaces.kt b/src/main/kotlin/org/openmbee/flexo/mms/Namespaces.kt
index 35286d6b..0f733d79 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/org/openmbee/flexo/mms/Namespaces.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/org/openmbee/flexo/mms/Namespaces.kt
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ fun prefixesFor(
 object MMS {
     private val BASE = SPARQL_PREFIXES["mms"]!!
     val uri = BASE
-    
+
     private fun res(id: String): Resource {
         return ResourceFactory.createResource("${BASE}${id}")
     }
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ object MMS {
 
     // object properties
     val id  = ResourceFactory.createProperty(BASE, "id")
-    
+
     private fun prop(id: String): Property {
         return ResourceFactory.createProperty(BASE, id)
     }
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ object MMS {
     // access control properties
     val implies = prop("implies")
 
-
+    val defaultBranchId = prop("defaultBranchId")
     val srcRef = prop("srcRef")
     val dstRef = prop("dstRef")
 
@@ -354,4 +354,4 @@ object MMS_URNS {
         val pass = "$mms:pass"
         val policy = "$mms:policy"
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/org/openmbee/flexo/mms/routes/Repos.kt b/src/main/kotlin/org/openmbee/flexo/mms/routes/Repos.kt
index 0157120e..67c158e5 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/org/openmbee/flexo/mms/routes/Repos.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/org/openmbee/flexo/mms/routes/Repos.kt
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package org.openmbee.flexo.mms.routes
 
+import io.ktor.http.*
 import io.ktor.server.routing.*
 import org.openmbee.flexo.mms.*
 import org.openmbee.flexo.mms.server.linkedDataPlatformDirectContainer
@@ -39,6 +40,11 @@ fun Route.crudRepos() {
             // set repo id on context
             repoId = slug
 
+            // parse additional parameters; client may specify default branch ID
+            parsePathParams {
+                defaultBranchId()
+            }
+
             // create new repo
             createOrReplaceRepo()
         }
@@ -65,6 +71,12 @@ fun Route.crudRepos() {
 
         // create or replace repo
         put {
+            // parse additional parameters; client may specify default branch ID
+            parsePathParams {
+                defaultBranchId()
+            }
+
+            // apply
             createOrReplaceRepo()
         }
 
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/org/openmbee/flexo/mms/routes/ldp/RepoWrite.kt b/src/main/kotlin/org/openmbee/flexo/mms/routes/ldp/RepoWrite.kt
index 7ef94b31..65bf4a51 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/org/openmbee/flexo/mms/routes/ldp/RepoWrite.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/org/openmbee/flexo/mms/routes/ldp/RepoWrite.kt
@@ -79,12 +79,13 @@ suspend fun <TResponseContext: LdpMutateResponse> LdpDcLayer1Context<TResponseCo
                 setProperty(MMS.id, repoId!!)
                 setProperty(MMS.etag, transactionId)
                 setProperty(MMS.org, orgNode())
+                setProperty(MMS.defaultBranchId, defaultBranchId)
             }
         }
     }
 
-    // set default branch
-    branchId = DEFAULT_BRANCH_ID
+    // set branch to create
+    branchId = defaultBranchId
 
     // resolve ambiguity
     if(intentIsAmbiguous) {