--- a/mercurial/hg.py
+++ b/mercurial/hg.py
@@ -169,6 +169,10 @@ def clone(ui, source, dest=None, pull=Fa
         dest_path = os.path.realpath(os.path.join(dest, ".hg"))
         os.mkdir(dest_path)
         if src_repo.spath != src_repo.path:
+            # XXX racy
+            dummy_changelog = os.path.join(dest_path, "00changelog.i")
+            # copy the dummy changelog
+            force_copy(src_repo.join("00changelog.i"), dummy_changelog)
             dest_store = os.path.join(dest_path, "store")
             os.mkdir(dest_store)
         else: