diff --git a/routers/web/repo/repo.go b/routers/web/repo/repo.go
index 4d17be375..711a1e1e1 100644
--- a/routers/web/repo/repo.go
+++ b/routers/web/repo/repo.go
@@ -231,6 +231,8 @@ func CreatePost(ctx *context.Context) {
 
 	ctx.Data["CanCreateRepo"] = ctx.Doer.CanCreateRepo()
 	ctx.Data["MaxCreationLimit"] = ctx.Doer.MaxCreationLimit()
+	ctx.Data["SupportedObjectFormats"] = git.SupportedObjectFormats
+	ctx.Data["DefaultObjectFormat"] = git.Sha1ObjectFormat
 
 	ctxUser := checkContextUser(ctx, form.UID)
 	if ctx.Written() {
diff --git a/templates/repo/create.tmpl b/templates/repo/create.tmpl
index 3afd978ee..d3a11e7ed 100644
--- a/templates/repo/create.tmpl
+++ b/templates/repo/create.tmpl
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@
 					<div class="inline field">
 						<label>{{ctx.Locale.Tr "repo.template"}}</label>
 						<div id="repo_template_search" class="ui search selection dropdown">
-							<input type="hidden" id="repo_template" name="repo_template" value="{{.repo_template}}">
+							<input type="hidden" id="repo_template" name="repo_template" value="{{if ne .repo_template 0}}{{.repo_template}}{{end}}">
 							<div class="default text">{{.repo_template_name}}</div>
 							<div class="menu">
 							</div>
diff --git a/tests/integration/html_helper.go b/tests/integration/html_helper.go
index 933bb51cf..6c7c8e746 100644
--- a/tests/integration/html_helper.go
+++ b/tests/integration/html_helper.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ package integration
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"fmt"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/PuerkitoBio/goquery"
@@ -36,6 +37,37 @@ func (doc *HTMLDoc) GetInputValueByName(name string) string {
 	return text
 }
 
+func (doc *HTMLDoc) AssertDropdown(t testing.TB, name string) *goquery.Selection {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	dropdownGroup := doc.Find(fmt.Sprintf(".dropdown:has(input[name='%s'])", name))
+	assert.Equal(t, dropdownGroup.Length(), 1, fmt.Sprintf("%s dropdown does not exist", name))
+	return dropdownGroup
+}
+
+// Assert that a dropdown has at least one non-empty option
+func (doc *HTMLDoc) AssertDropdownHasOptions(t testing.TB, dropdownName string) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	options := doc.AssertDropdown(t, dropdownName).Find(".menu [data-value]:not([data-value=''])")
+	assert.Greater(t, options.Length(), 0, fmt.Sprintf("%s dropdown has no options", dropdownName))
+}
+
+func (doc *HTMLDoc) AssertDropdownHasSelectedOption(t testing.TB, dropdownName, expectedValue string) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	dropdownGroup := doc.AssertDropdown(t, dropdownName)
+
+	selectedValue, _ := dropdownGroup.Find(fmt.Sprintf("input[name='%s']", dropdownName)).Attr("value")
+	assert.Equal(t, expectedValue, selectedValue, fmt.Sprintf("%s dropdown doesn't have expected value selected", dropdownName))
+
+	dropdownValues := dropdownGroup.Find(".menu [data-value]").Map(func(i int, s *goquery.Selection) string {
+		value, _ := s.Attr("data-value")
+		return value
+	})
+	assert.Contains(t, dropdownValues, expectedValue, fmt.Sprintf("%s dropdown doesn't have an option with expected value", dropdownName))
+}
+
 // Find gets the descendants of each element in the current set of
 // matched elements, filtered by a selector. It returns a new Selection
 // object containing these matched elements.
diff --git a/tests/integration/repo_generate_test.go b/tests/integration/repo_generate_test.go
index 961255ced..2cd2002b5 100644
--- a/tests/integration/repo_generate_test.go
+++ b/tests/integration/repo_generate_test.go
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ package integration
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
-	"net/http/httptest"
+	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -18,11 +18,23 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
 
-func testRepoGenerate(t *testing.T, session *TestSession, templateID, templateOwnerName, templateRepoName, generateOwnerName, generateRepoName string) *httptest.ResponseRecorder {
-	generateOwner := unittest.AssertExistsAndLoadBean(t, &user_model.User{Name: generateOwnerName})
+func assertRepoCreateForm(t *testing.T, htmlDoc *HTMLDoc, owner *user_model.User, templateID string) {
+	_, exists := htmlDoc.doc.Find("form.ui.form[action^='/repo/create']").Attr("action")
+	assert.True(t, exists, "Expected the repo creation form")
 
+	htmlDoc.AssertDropdownHasSelectedOption(t, "uid", strconv.FormatInt(owner.ID, 10))
+
+	// the template menu is loaded client-side, so don't assert the option exists
+	assert.Equal(t, templateID, htmlDoc.GetInputValueByName("repo_template"), "Unexpected repo_template selection")
+
+	for _, name := range []string{"issue_labels", "gitignores", "license", "readme", "object_format_name"} {
+		htmlDoc.AssertDropdownHasOptions(t, name)
+	}
+}
+
+func testRepoGenerate(t *testing.T, session *TestSession, templateID, templateOwnerName, templateRepoName string, user, generateOwner *user_model.User, generateRepoName string) {
 	// Step0: check the existence of the generated repo
-	req := NewRequestf(t, "GET", "/%s/%s", generateOwnerName, generateRepoName)
+	req := NewRequestf(t, "GET", "/%s/%s", generateOwner.Name, generateRepoName)
 	session.MakeRequest(t, req, http.StatusNotFound)
 
 	// Step1: go to the main page of template repo
@@ -36,12 +48,9 @@ func testRepoGenerate(t *testing.T, session *TestSession, templateID, templateOw
 	req = NewRequest(t, "GET", link)
 	resp = session.MakeRequest(t, req, http.StatusOK)
 
-	// Step3: fill the form of the create
+	// Step3: test and submit form
 	htmlDoc = NewHTMLParser(t, resp.Body)
-	link, exists = htmlDoc.doc.Find("form.ui.form[action^=\"/repo/create\"]").Attr("action")
-	assert.True(t, exists, "The template has changed")
-	_, exists = htmlDoc.doc.Find(fmt.Sprintf(".owner.dropdown .item[data-value=\"%d\"]", generateOwner.ID)).Attr("data-value")
-	assert.True(t, exists, fmt.Sprintf("Generate owner '%s' is not present in select box", generateOwnerName))
+	assertRepoCreateForm(t, htmlDoc, user, templateID)
 	req = NewRequestWithValues(t, "POST", link, map[string]string{
 		"_csrf":         htmlDoc.GetCSRF(),
 		"uid":           fmt.Sprintf("%d", generateOwner.ID),
@@ -52,41 +61,66 @@ func testRepoGenerate(t *testing.T, session *TestSession, templateID, templateOw
 	session.MakeRequest(t, req, http.StatusSeeOther)
 
 	// Step4: check the existence of the generated repo
-	req = NewRequestf(t, "GET", "/%s/%s", generateOwnerName, generateRepoName)
+	req = NewRequestf(t, "GET", "/%s/%s", generateOwner.Name, generateRepoName)
 	session.MakeRequest(t, req, http.StatusOK)
 
 	// Step5: check substituted values in Readme
-	req = NewRequestf(t, "GET", "/%s/%s/raw/branch/master/README.md", generateOwnerName, generateRepoName)
+	req = NewRequestf(t, "GET", "/%s/%s/raw/branch/master/README.md", generateOwner.Name, generateRepoName)
 	resp = session.MakeRequest(t, req, http.StatusOK)
 	body := fmt.Sprintf(`# %s Readme
 Owner: %s
 Link: /%s/%s
 Clone URL: %s%s/%s.git`,
 		generateRepoName,
-		strings.ToUpper(generateOwnerName),
-		generateOwnerName,
+		strings.ToUpper(generateOwner.Name),
+		generateOwner.Name,
 		generateRepoName,
 		setting.AppURL,
-		generateOwnerName,
+		generateOwner.Name,
 		generateRepoName)
 	assert.Equal(t, body, resp.Body.String())
 
 	// Step6: check substituted values in substituted file path ${REPO_NAME}
-	req = NewRequestf(t, "GET", "/%s/%s/raw/branch/master/%s.log", generateOwnerName, generateRepoName, generateRepoName)
+	req = NewRequestf(t, "GET", "/%s/%s/raw/branch/master/%s.log", generateOwner.Name, generateRepoName, generateRepoName)
 	resp = session.MakeRequest(t, req, http.StatusOK)
 	assert.Equal(t, generateRepoName, resp.Body.String())
+}
 
-	return resp
+// test form elements before and after POST error response
+func TestRepoCreateForm(t *testing.T) {
+	defer tests.PrepareTestEnv(t)()
+	userName := "user1"
+	session := loginUser(t, userName)
+	user := unittest.AssertExistsAndLoadBean(t, &user_model.User{Name: userName})
+
+	req := NewRequest(t, "GET", "/repo/create")
+	resp := session.MakeRequest(t, req, http.StatusOK)
+	htmlDoc := NewHTMLParser(t, resp.Body)
+	assertRepoCreateForm(t, htmlDoc, user, "")
+
+	req = NewRequestWithValues(t, "POST", "/repo/create", map[string]string{
+		"_csrf": htmlDoc.GetCSRF(),
+	})
+	resp = session.MakeRequest(t, req, http.StatusOK)
+	htmlDoc = NewHTMLParser(t, resp.Body)
+	assertRepoCreateForm(t, htmlDoc, user, "")
 }
 
 func TestRepoGenerate(t *testing.T) {
 	defer tests.PrepareTestEnv(t)()
-	session := loginUser(t, "user1")
-	testRepoGenerate(t, session, "44", "user27", "template1", "user1", "generated1")
+	userName := "user1"
+	session := loginUser(t, userName)
+	user := unittest.AssertExistsAndLoadBean(t, &user_model.User{Name: userName})
+
+	testRepoGenerate(t, session, "44", "user27", "template1", user, user, "generated1")
 }
 
 func TestRepoGenerateToOrg(t *testing.T) {
 	defer tests.PrepareTestEnv(t)()
-	session := loginUser(t, "user2")
-	testRepoGenerate(t, session, "44", "user27", "template1", "user2", "generated2")
+	userName := "user2"
+	session := loginUser(t, userName)
+	user := unittest.AssertExistsAndLoadBean(t, &user_model.User{Name: userName})
+	org := unittest.AssertExistsAndLoadBean(t, &user_model.User{Name: "org3"})
+
+	testRepoGenerate(t, session, "44", "user27", "template1", user, org, "generated2")
 }