diff --git a/src/cli/repo/s3.go b/src/cli/repo/s3.go
index 947d8788b..06be910e3 100644
--- a/src/cli/repo/s3.go
+++ b/src/cli/repo/s3.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package repo
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 
@@ -75,10 +76,12 @@ func initS3Cmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 
-	if _, err := repository.Initialize(cmd.Context(), a, s); err != nil {
+	r, err := repository.Connect(cmd.Context(), a, s)
+	if err != nil {
 		fmt.Printf("Failed to initialize a new S3 repository: %v", err)
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
+	defer closeRepo(cmd.Context(), r)
 
 	fmt.Printf("Initialized a S3 repository within bucket %s.\n", s3Cfg.Bucket)
 }
@@ -121,10 +124,12 @@ func connectS3Cmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 
-	if _, err := repository.Connect(cmd.Context(), a, s); err != nil {
+	r, err := repository.Connect(cmd.Context(), a, s)
+	if err != nil {
 		fmt.Printf("Failed to connect to the S3 repository: %v", err)
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
+	defer closeRepo(cmd.Context(), r)
 
 	fmt.Printf("Connected to S3 bucket %s.\n", s3Cfg.Bucket)
 }
@@ -158,3 +163,9 @@ func makeS3Config() (storage.S3Config, storage.CommonConfig, error) {
 			storage.CORSO_PASSWORD:        corsoPasswd,
 		})
 }
+
+func closeRepo(ctx context.Context, r repository.Repository) {
+	if err := r.Close(ctx); err != nil {
+		fmt.Printf("Error closing repository: %v\n", err)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/internal/kopia/kopia.go b/src/internal/kopia/kopia.go
index a24e7470d..3be5222c0 100644
--- a/src/internal/kopia/kopia.go
+++ b/src/internal/kopia/kopia.go
@@ -19,15 +19,16 @@ var (
 	errConnect = errors.New("connecting repo")
 )
 
-type kopiaWrapper struct {
+type KopiaWrapper struct {
 	storage storage.Storage
+	rep     repo.Repository
 }
 
-func New(s storage.Storage) kopiaWrapper {
-	return kopiaWrapper{s}
+func New(s storage.Storage) KopiaWrapper {
+	return KopiaWrapper{storage: s}
 }
 
-func (kw kopiaWrapper) Initialize(ctx context.Context) error {
+func (kw KopiaWrapper) Initialize(ctx context.Context) error {
 	bst, err := blobStoreByProvider(ctx, kw.storage)
 	if err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, errInit.Error())
@@ -55,10 +56,14 @@ func (kw kopiaWrapper) Initialize(ctx context.Context) error {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, errConnect.Error())
 	}
 
+	if err := kw.open(ctx, cfg.CorsoPassword); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (kw kopiaWrapper) Connect(ctx context.Context) error {
+func (kw KopiaWrapper) Connect(ctx context.Context) error {
 	bst, err := blobStoreByProvider(ctx, kw.storage)
 	if err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, errInit.Error())
@@ -80,6 +85,11 @@ func (kw kopiaWrapper) Connect(ctx context.Context) error {
 	); err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, errConnect.Error())
 	}
+
+	if err := kw.open(ctx, cfg.CorsoPassword); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -91,3 +101,29 @@ func blobStoreByProvider(ctx context.Context, s storage.Storage) (blob.Storage,
 		return nil, errors.New("storage provider details are required")
 	}
 }
+
+func (kw KopiaWrapper) Close(ctx context.Context) error {
+	if kw.rep == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	err := kw.rep.Close(ctx)
+	kw.rep = nil
+
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "closing repository connection")
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (kw KopiaWrapper) open(ctx context.Context, password string) error {
+	// TODO(ashmrtnz): issue #75: nil here should be storage.ConnectionOptions().
+	rep, err := repo.Open(ctx, defaultKopiaConfigFilePath, password, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "opening repository connection")
+	}
+
+	kw.rep = rep
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/src/pkg/repository/repository.go b/src/pkg/repository/repository.go
index 8e63d426d..6acd31e70 100644
--- a/src/pkg/repository/repository.go
+++ b/src/pkg/repository/repository.go
@@ -4,9 +4,11 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/google/uuid"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+
 	"github.com/alcionai/corso/internal/kopia"
 	"github.com/alcionai/corso/pkg/storage"
-	"github.com/google/uuid"
 )
 
 type repoProvider int
@@ -23,8 +25,9 @@ type Repository struct {
 	CreatedAt time.Time
 	Version   string // in case of future breaking changes
 
-	Account Account         // the user's m365 account connection details
-	Storage storage.Storage // the storage provider details and configuration
+	Account   Account         // the user's m365 account connection details
+	Storage   storage.Storage // the storage provider details and configuration
+	dataLayer *kopia.KopiaWrapper
 }
 
 // Account holds the user's m365 account details.
@@ -52,10 +55,11 @@ func Initialize(
 		return Repository{}, err
 	}
 	r := Repository{
-		ID:      uuid.New(),
-		Version: "v1",
-		Account: acct,
-		Storage: storage,
+		ID:        uuid.New(),
+		Version:   "v1",
+		Account:   acct,
+		Storage:   storage,
+		dataLayer: &k,
 	}
 	return r, nil
 }
@@ -76,9 +80,25 @@ func Connect(
 	}
 	// todo: ID and CreatedAt should get retrieved from a stored kopia config.
 	r := Repository{
-		Version: "v1",
-		Account: acct,
-		Storage: storage,
+		Version:   "v1",
+		Account:   acct,
+		Storage:   storage,
+		dataLayer: &k,
 	}
 	return r, nil
 }
+
+func (r Repository) Close(ctx context.Context) error {
+	if r.dataLayer == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	err := r.dataLayer.Close(ctx)
+	r.dataLayer = nil
+
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "closing corso Repository")
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/src/pkg/repository/repository_test.go b/src/pkg/repository/repository_test.go
index ebfdce3ea..b69200d80 100644
--- a/src/pkg/repository/repository_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/repository/repository_test.go
@@ -125,7 +125,13 @@ func (suite *RepositoryIntegrationSuite) TestInitialize() {
 		suite.T().Run(test.prefix, func(t *testing.T) {
 			st, err := test.storage()
 			assert.NoError(t, err)
-			_, err = repository.Initialize(ctx, test.account, st)
+			r, err := repository.Initialize(ctx, test.account, st)
+			if err == nil {
+				defer func() {
+					assert.NoError(t, r.Close(ctx))
+				}()
+			}
+
 			test.errCheck(t, err)
 		})
 	}