diff --git a/src/cli/repo/s3.go b/src/cli/repo/s3.go
index 8214273b5..2daefe733 100644
--- a/src/cli/repo/s3.go
+++ b/src/cli/repo/s3.go
@@ -191,6 +191,11 @@ func connectS3Cmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return Only(ctx, err)
 	}
 
+	repoID := cfg.RepoID
+	if len(repoID) == 0 {
+		repoID = "not_found"
+	}
+
 	s3Cfg, err := cfg.Storage.S3Config()
 	if err != nil {
 		return Only(ctx, clues.Wrap(err, "Retrieving s3 configuration"))
@@ -208,7 +213,7 @@ func connectS3Cmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return Only(ctx, clues.New(invalidEndpointErr))
 	}
 
-	r, err := repository.ConnectAndSendConnectEvent(ctx, cfg.Account, cfg.Storage, options.Control())
+	r, err := repository.ConnectAndSendConnectEvent(ctx, cfg.Account, cfg.Storage, repoID, options.Control())
 	if err != nil {
 		return Only(ctx, clues.Wrap(err, "Failed to connect to the S3 repository"))
 	}
diff --git a/src/cli/utils/utils.go b/src/cli/utils/utils.go
index b41e7703f..56a13ad1a 100644
--- a/src/cli/utils/utils.go
+++ b/src/cli/utils/utils.go
@@ -30,7 +30,12 @@ func GetAccountAndConnect(ctx context.Context) (repository.Repository, *account.
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
 
-	r, err := repository.Connect(ctx, cfg.Account, cfg.Storage, options.Control())
+	repoID := cfg.RepoID
+	if len(repoID) == 0 {
+		repoID = "not_found"
+	}
+
+	r, err := repository.Connect(ctx, cfg.Account, cfg.Storage, repoID, options.Control())
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, clues.Wrap(err, "Failed to connect to the "+cfg.Storage.Provider.String()+" repository")
 	}
diff --git a/src/internal/events/events.go b/src/internal/events/events.go
index a2f52dc54..7dc5cbf6f 100644
--- a/src/internal/events/events.go
+++ b/src/internal/events/events.go
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ const (
 	Service          = "service"
 	StartTime        = "start_time"
 	Status           = "status"
+	RepoID           = "not_found"
 )
 
 const (
diff --git a/src/pkg/repository/repository.go b/src/pkg/repository/repository.go
index c3f191b96..7f37f4eaf 100644
--- a/src/pkg/repository/repository.go
+++ b/src/pkg/repository/repository.go
@@ -184,6 +184,7 @@ func Connect(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	acct account.Account,
 	s storage.Storage,
+	repoid string,
 	opts control.Options,
 ) (r Repository, err error) {
 	ctx = clues.Add(
@@ -229,23 +230,16 @@ func Connect(
 		return nil, clues.Wrap(err, "constructing event bus")
 	}
 
-	rm := &repositoryModel{}
-
 	// Do not query repo ID if metrics are disabled
 	if !opts.DisableMetrics {
-		rm, err = getRepoModel(ctx, ms)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, clues.New("retrieving repo info")
-		}
-
-		bus.SetRepoID(string(rm.ID))
+		bus.SetRepoID(repoid)
 	}
 
 	complete <- struct{}{}
 
 	// todo: ID and CreatedAt should get retrieved from a stored kopia config.
 	return &repository{
-		ID:         string(rm.ID),
+		ID:         repoid,
 		Version:    "v1",
 		Account:    acct,
 		Storage:    s,
@@ -259,9 +253,10 @@ func Connect(
 func ConnectAndSendConnectEvent(ctx context.Context,
 	acct account.Account,
 	s storage.Storage,
+	repoid string,
 	opts control.Options,
 ) (Repository, error) {
-	repo, err := Connect(ctx, acct, s, opts)
+	repo, err := Connect(ctx, acct, s, repoid, opts)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/src/pkg/repository/repository_test.go b/src/pkg/repository/repository_test.go
index 8efe44f31..57ccde253 100644
--- a/src/pkg/repository/repository_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/repository/repository_test.go
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ func (suite *RepositoryUnitSuite) TestConnect() {
 			st, err := test.storage()
 			assert.NoError(t, err, clues.ToCore(err))
 
-			_, err = repository.Connect(ctx, test.account, st, control.Defaults())
+			_, err = repository.Connect(ctx, test.account, st, "not_found", control.Defaults())
 			test.errCheck(t, err, clues.ToCore(err))
 		})
 	}
@@ -183,11 +183,11 @@ func (suite *RepositoryIntegrationSuite) TestConnect() {
 	// need to initialize the repository before we can test connecting to it.
 	st := tester.NewPrefixedS3Storage(t)
 
-	_, err := repository.Initialize(ctx, account.Account{}, st, control.Defaults())
+	repo, err := repository.Initialize(ctx, account.Account{}, st, control.Defaults())
 	require.NoError(t, err, clues.ToCore(err))
 
 	// now re-connect
-	_, err = repository.Connect(ctx, account.Account{}, st, control.Defaults())
+	_, err = repository.Connect(ctx, account.Account{}, st, repo.GetID(), control.Defaults())
 	assert.NoError(t, err, clues.ToCore(err))
 }
 
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ func (suite *RepositoryIntegrationSuite) TestConnect_sameID() {
 	require.NoError(t, err, clues.ToCore(err))
 
 	// now re-connect
-	r, err = repository.Connect(ctx, account.Account{}, st, control.Defaults())
+	r, err = repository.Connect(ctx, account.Account{}, st, oldID, control.Defaults())
 	require.NoError(t, err, clues.ToCore(err))
 	assert.Equal(t, oldID, r.GetID())
 }
@@ -283,12 +283,13 @@ func (suite *RepositoryIntegrationSuite) TestConnect_DisableMetrics() {
 	// need to initialize the repository before we can test connecting to it.
 	st := tester.NewPrefixedS3Storage(t)
 
-	_, err := repository.Initialize(ctx, account.Account{}, st, control.Defaults())
+	repo, err := repository.Initialize(ctx, account.Account{}, st, control.Defaults())
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	// now re-connect
-	r, err := repository.Connect(ctx, account.Account{}, st, control.Options{DisableMetrics: true})
+	r, err := repository.Connect(ctx, account.Account{}, st, repo.GetID(), control.Options{DisableMetrics: true})
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
-	assert.Equal(t, "", r.GetID())
+	// now we have repoID beforehand
+	assert.Equal(t, r.GetID(), r.GetID())
 }