diff --git a/cli/src/cli_util.rs b/cli/src/cli_util.rs
index cb17ac23c..7cf29a447 100644
--- a/cli/src/cli_util.rs
+++ b/cli/src/cli_util.rs
@@ -785,6 +785,10 @@ impl WorkspaceCommandHelper {
         &self.user_repo.repo
     }
 
+    pub fn repo_path(&self) -> &Path {
+        self.workspace.repo_path()
+    }
+
     pub fn working_copy(&self) -> &dyn WorkingCopy {
         self.workspace.working_copy()
     }
diff --git a/cli/src/commands/commit.rs b/cli/src/commands/commit.rs
index 68c20ca1a..e8161fea4 100644
--- a/cli/src/commands/commit.rs
+++ b/cli/src/commands/commit.rs
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ new working-copy commit.
         }
         let temp_commit = commit_builder.write_hidden()?;
         let template = description_template(&tx, "", &temp_commit)?;
-        edit_description(tx.base_repo(), &template, command.settings())?
+        edit_description(tx.base_workspace_helper(), &template, command.settings())?
     };
     commit_builder.set_description(description);
     let new_commit = commit_builder.write(tx.repo_mut())?;
diff --git a/cli/src/commands/describe.rs b/cli/src/commands/describe.rs
index 1cb888757..b4c1641c8 100644
--- a/cli/src/commands/describe.rs
+++ b/cli/src/commands/describe.rs
@@ -123,7 +123,6 @@ pub(crate) fn cmd_describe(
             })
             .collect()
     } else {
-        let repo = tx.base_repo().clone();
         let temp_commits: Vec<(_, _)> = commits
             .iter()
             // Edit descriptions in topological order
@@ -147,7 +146,8 @@ pub(crate) fn cmd_describe(
 
         if let [(_, temp_commit)] = &*temp_commits {
             let template = description_template(&tx, "", temp_commit)?;
-            let description = edit_description(&repo, &template, command.settings())?;
+            let description =
+                edit_description(tx.base_workspace_helper(), &template, command.settings())?;
 
             vec![(&commits[0], description)]
         } else {
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ pub(crate) fn cmd_describe(
                 missing,
                 duplicates,
                 unexpected,
-            } = edit_multiple_descriptions(&mut tx, &repo, &temp_commits, command.settings())?;
+            } = edit_multiple_descriptions(&mut tx, &temp_commits, command.settings())?;
             if !missing.is_empty() {
                 return Err(user_error(format!(
                     "The description for the following commits were not found in the edited \
diff --git a/cli/src/commands/git/clone.rs b/cli/src/commands/git/clone.rs
index f2b2fb3d5..ee52e35d4 100644
--- a/cli/src/commands/git/clone.rs
+++ b/cli/src/commands/git/clone.rs
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ pub fn cmd_git_clone(
     let (mut workspace_command, stats) = clone_result?;
     if let Some(default_branch) = &stats.default_branch {
         // Set repository level `trunk()` alias to the default remote branch.
-        let config_path = workspace_command.repo().repo_path().join("config.toml");
+        let config_path = workspace_command.repo_path().join("config.toml");
         write_config_value_to_file(
             &ConfigNamePathBuf::from_iter(["revset-aliases", "trunk()"]),
             format!("{default_branch}@{remote_name}").into(),
diff --git a/cli/src/commands/git/init.rs b/cli/src/commands/git/init.rs
index 1af236de5..4b6a6d79a 100644
--- a/cli/src/commands/git/init.rs
+++ b/cli/src/commands/git/init.rs
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ use jj_lib::workspace::Workspace;
 use crate::cli_util::print_trackable_remote_branches;
 use crate::cli_util::start_repo_transaction;
 use crate::cli_util::CommandHelper;
+use crate::cli_util::WorkspaceCommandHelper;
 use crate::command_error::cli_error;
 use crate::command_error::user_error_with_hint;
 use crate::command_error::user_error_with_message;
@@ -171,7 +172,7 @@ pub fn do_init(
             let mut workspace_command = command.for_workable_repo(ui, workspace, repo)?;
             maybe_add_gitignore(&workspace_command)?;
             workspace_command.maybe_snapshot(ui)?;
-            maybe_set_repository_level_trunk_alias(ui, workspace_command.repo())?;
+            maybe_set_repository_level_trunk_alias(ui, &workspace_command)?;
             if !workspace_command.working_copy_shared_with_git() {
                 let mut tx = workspace_command.start_transaction();
                 jj_lib::git::import_head(tx.repo_mut())?;
@@ -234,9 +235,9 @@ fn init_git_refs(
 // Set repository level `trunk()` alias to the default branch for "origin".
 pub fn maybe_set_repository_level_trunk_alias(
     ui: &Ui,
-    repo: &Arc<ReadonlyRepo>,
+    workspace_command: &WorkspaceCommandHelper,
 ) -> Result<(), CommandError> {
-    let git_repo = get_git_repo(repo.store())?;
+    let git_repo = get_git_repo(workspace_command.repo().store())?;
     if let Ok(reference) = git_repo.find_reference("refs/remotes/origin/HEAD") {
         if let Some(reference_name) = reference.symbolic_target() {
             if let Some(RefName::RemoteBranch {
@@ -244,7 +245,7 @@ pub fn maybe_set_repository_level_trunk_alias(
                 ..
             }) = parse_git_ref(reference_name)
             {
-                let config_path = repo.repo_path().join("config.toml");
+                let config_path = workspace_command.repo_path().join("config.toml");
                 write_config_value_to_file(
                     &ConfigNamePathBuf::from_iter(["revset-aliases", "trunk()"]),
                     format!("{default_branch}@origin").into(),
diff --git a/cli/src/commands/sparse.rs b/cli/src/commands/sparse.rs
index 02d61f317..84c31d1a3 100644
--- a/cli/src/commands/sparse.rs
+++ b/cli/src/commands/sparse.rs
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ fn cmd_sparse_edit(
     _args: &SparseEditArgs,
 ) -> Result<(), CommandError> {
     let mut workspace_command = command.workspace_helper(ui)?;
-    let repo_path = workspace_command.repo().repo_path().to_owned();
+    let repo_path = workspace_command.repo_path().to_owned();
     update_sparse_patterns_with(ui, &mut workspace_command, |_ui, old_patterns| {
         let mut new_patterns = edit_sparse(&repo_path, old_patterns, command.settings())?;
         new_patterns.sort_unstable();
diff --git a/cli/src/commands/split.rs b/cli/src/commands/split.rs
index 1f77f0a20..e758646d7 100644
--- a/cli/src/commands/split.rs
+++ b/cli/src/commands/split.rs
@@ -140,7 +140,8 @@ the operation will be aborted.
             "Enter a description for the first commit.",
             &temp_commit,
         )?;
-        let description = edit_description(tx.base_repo(), &template, command.settings())?;
+        let description =
+            edit_description(tx.base_workspace_helper(), &template, command.settings())?;
         commit_builder.set_description(description);
         commit_builder.write(tx.repo_mut())?
     };
@@ -182,7 +183,7 @@ the operation will be aborted.
                 "Enter a description for the second commit.",
                 &temp_commit,
             )?;
-            edit_description(tx.base_repo(), &template, command.settings())?
+            edit_description(tx.base_workspace_helper(), &template, command.settings())?
         };
         commit_builder.set_description(description);
         commit_builder.write(tx.repo_mut())?
diff --git a/cli/src/commands/squash.rs b/cli/src/commands/squash.rs
index 7737af755..86750ecbe 100644
--- a/cli/src/commands/squash.rs
+++ b/cli/src/commands/squash.rs
@@ -307,7 +307,12 @@ from the source will be moved into the destination.
                 .iter()
                 .filter_map(|source| source.abandon.then_some(source.commit))
                 .collect_vec();
-            combine_messages(tx.base_repo(), &abandoned_commits, destination, settings)?
+            combine_messages(
+                tx.base_workspace_helper(),
+                &abandoned_commits,
+                destination,
+                settings,
+            )?
         }
     };
     let mut predecessors = vec![destination.id().clone()];
diff --git a/cli/src/commands/unsquash.rs b/cli/src/commands/unsquash.rs
index ddb35e251..eb11a7a07 100644
--- a/cli/src/commands/unsquash.rs
+++ b/cli/src/commands/unsquash.rs
@@ -107,8 +107,12 @@ aborted.
     // case).
     if new_parent_tree_id == parent_base_tree.id() {
         tx.repo_mut().record_abandoned_commit(parent.id().clone());
-        let description =
-            combine_messages(tx.base_repo(), &[&parent], &commit, command.settings())?;
+        let description = combine_messages(
+            tx.base_workspace_helper(),
+            &[&parent],
+            &commit,
+            command.settings(),
+        )?;
         // Commit the new child on top of the parent's parents.
         tx.repo_mut()
             .rewrite_commit(command.settings(), &commit)
diff --git a/cli/src/description_util.rs b/cli/src/description_util.rs
index ce5199e3e..7b13e3cc1 100644
--- a/cli/src/description_util.rs
+++ b/cli/src/description_util.rs
@@ -7,12 +7,12 @@ use indoc::indoc;
 use itertools::Itertools;
 use jj_lib::backend::CommitId;
 use jj_lib::commit::Commit;
-use jj_lib::repo::ReadonlyRepo;
 use jj_lib::settings::UserSettings;
 use thiserror::Error;
 
 use crate::cli_util::edit_temp_file;
 use crate::cli_util::short_commit_hash;
+use crate::cli_util::WorkspaceCommandHelper;
 use crate::cli_util::WorkspaceCommandTransaction;
 use crate::command_error::CommandError;
 use crate::formatter::PlainTextFormatter;
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ where
 }
 
 pub fn edit_description(
-    repo: &ReadonlyRepo,
+    workspace_command: &WorkspaceCommandHelper,
     description: &str,
     settings: &UserSettings,
 ) -> Result<String, CommandError> {
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ JJ: Lines starting with "JJ: " (like this one) will be removed.
     let description = edit_temp_file(
         "description",
         ".jjdescription",
-        repo.repo_path(),
+        workspace_command.repo_path(),
         &description,
         settings,
     )?;
@@ -58,7 +58,6 @@ JJ: Lines starting with "JJ: " (like this one) will be removed.
 /// Edits the descriptions of the given commits in a single editor session.
 pub fn edit_multiple_descriptions(
     tx: &mut WorkspaceCommandTransaction,
-    repo: &ReadonlyRepo,
     commits: &[(&CommitId, Commit)],
     settings: &UserSettings,
 ) -> Result<ParsedBulkEditMessage<CommitId>, CommandError> {
@@ -87,7 +86,7 @@ pub fn edit_multiple_descriptions(
     let bulk_message = edit_temp_file(
         "description",
         ".jjdescription",
-        repo.repo_path(),
+        tx.base_workspace_helper().repo_path(),
         &bulk_message,
         settings,
     )?;
@@ -178,7 +177,7 @@ where
 /// then that one is used. Otherwise we concatenate the messages and ask the
 /// user to edit the result in their editor.
 pub fn combine_messages(
-    repo: &ReadonlyRepo,
+    workspace_command: &WorkspaceCommandHelper,
     sources: &[&Commit],
     destination: &Commit,
     settings: &UserSettings,
@@ -208,7 +207,7 @@ pub fn combine_messages(
         combined.push_str("\nJJ: Description from source commit:\n");
         combined.push_str(commit.description());
     }
-    edit_description(repo, &combined, settings)
+    edit_description(workspace_command, &combined, settings)
 }
 
 /// Create a description from a list of paragraphs.