diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index aa12aa9..8a1ac39 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -23,7 +23,13 @@ tracing-subscriber = "0.3"
 base64 = "0.22"
 
 # git
-gix = "0.62"
+# gix = "0.62"
+gix = { version = "0.62", features = [
+  "basic",
+  "extras",
+  "comfort",
+  "blocking-http-transport-reqwest-rust-tls",
+] }
 async-trait = "0.1"
 
 # fs/network
diff --git a/src/server/config/mod.rs b/src/server/config/mod.rs
index e433fc8..c98321b 100644
--- a/src/server/config/mod.rs
+++ b/src/server/config/mod.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ use std::{
     collections::HashMap,
     fmt::{Display, Formatter},
     ops::Deref,
-    path::PathBuf,
+    path::{Path, PathBuf},
 };
 
 use serde::Deserialize;
@@ -71,6 +71,11 @@ impl AsRef<str> for WebhookUrl {
 pub struct ServerStorage {
     path: PathBuf,
 }
+impl ServerStorage {
+    pub fn path(&self) -> &Path {
+        self.path.as_path()
+    }
+}
 
 /// Mapped from `.git-next.toml` file in target repo
 /// Is also derived from the optional parameters in `git-next-server.toml` at
@@ -181,7 +186,7 @@ impl Display for ForgeConfig {
 pub struct ServerRepoConfig {
     repo: String,
     branch: String,
-    gitdir: Option<PathBuf>,
+    gitdir: Option<PathBuf>, // TODO: (#71) use this when supplied
     main: Option<String>,
     next: Option<String>,
     dev: Option<String>,
@@ -229,6 +234,11 @@ impl Display for ForgeName {
         write!(f, "{}", self.0)
     }
 }
+impl From<&ForgeName> for PathBuf {
+    fn from(value: &ForgeName) -> Self {
+        Self::from(&value.0)
+    }
+}
 
 /// The hostname of a forge
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
diff --git a/src/server/gitforge/errors.rs b/src/server/gitforge/errors.rs
index 9530e51..de7064f 100644
--- a/src/server/gitforge/errors.rs
+++ b/src/server/gitforge/errors.rs
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ pub enum RepoCloneError {
     Wait(std::io::Error),
     Spawn(std::io::Error),
     Validation(String),
+    GixClone(Box<gix::clone::Error>),
+    GixFetch(Box<gix::clone::fetch::Error>),
 }
 impl std::error::Error for RepoCloneError {}
 impl std::fmt::Display for RepoCloneError {
@@ -57,6 +59,18 @@ impl std::fmt::Display for RepoCloneError {
             Self::Wait(err) => write!(f, "Waiting for command: {:?}", err),
             Self::Spawn(err) => write!(f, "Spawning comming: {:?}", err),
             Self::Validation(err) => write!(f, "Validation: {}", err),
+            Self::GixClone(err) => write!(f, "Clone: {:?}", err),
+            Self::GixFetch(err) => write!(f, "Fetch: {:?}", err),
         }
     }
 }
+impl From<gix::clone::Error> for RepoCloneError {
+    fn from(value: gix::clone::Error) -> Self {
+        Self::GixClone(Box::new(value))
+    }
+}
+impl From<gix::clone::fetch::Error> for RepoCloneError {
+    fn from(value: gix::clone::fetch::Error) -> Self {
+        Self::GixFetch(Box::new(value))
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/server/gitforge/forgejo/mod.rs b/src/server/gitforge/forgejo/mod.rs
index 4638af0..d078e1c 100644
--- a/src/server/gitforge/forgejo/mod.rs
+++ b/src/server/gitforge/forgejo/mod.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ mod repo;
 use actix::prelude::*;
 
 use kxio::network::{self, Network};
-use tracing::{error, warn};
+use tracing::{error, info, warn};
 
 use crate::server::{
     actors::repo::RepoActor,
@@ -102,11 +102,14 @@ impl super::ForgeLike for ForgeJoEnv {
 
     fn repo_clone(&self, gitdir: GitDir) -> Result<(), RepoCloneError> {
         if gitdir.exists() {
+            info!(?gitdir, "Gitdir already exists - validating...");
             gitdir
                 .validate(&self.repo_details)
                 .map_err(|e| RepoCloneError::Validation(e.to_string()))
+                .inspect(|_| info!(?gitdir, "Validation - OK"))
         } else {
-            repo::clone(&self.repo_details, gitdir)
+            info!(?gitdir, "Gitdir doesn't exists - cloning...");
+            repo::clone(&self.repo_details, gitdir).inspect(|_| info!("Cloned - OK"))
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/server/gitforge/forgejo/repo/clone.rs b/src/server/gitforge/forgejo/repo/clone.rs
index e6604d9..c4b99ec 100644
--- a/src/server/gitforge/forgejo/repo/clone.rs
+++ b/src/server/gitforge/forgejo/repo/clone.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
-use tracing::{info, warn};
+use std::{ops::Deref, sync::atomic::AtomicBool};
+
+use tracing::info;
 
 use crate::server::{
     config::{GitDir, RepoDetails},
@@ -6,35 +8,13 @@ use crate::server::{
 };
 
 pub fn clone(repo_details: &RepoDetails, gitdir: GitDir) -> Result<(), RepoCloneError> {
-    let origin = repo_details.origin();
-    // INFO: never log the command as it contains the API token within the 'origin'
     use secrecy::ExposeSecret;
-    let command: secrecy::Secret<String> = format!(
-        "/usr/bin/git clone --bare -- {} {}",
-        origin.expose_secret(),
-        gitdir
-    )
-    .into();
-    let repo_name = &repo_details.repo_alias;
-    info!(
-        %repo_name,
-        %gitdir,
-        "Cloning"
-    );
-    match gix::command::prepare(command.expose_secret())
-        .with_shell_allow_argument_splitting()
-        .spawn()
-    {
-        Ok(mut child) => match child.wait() {
-            Ok(_) => Ok(()),
-            Err(err) => {
-                warn!(?err, "Failed (wait)");
-                Err(RepoCloneError::Wait(err))
-            }
-        },
-        Err(err) => {
-            warn!(?err, "Failed (spawn)");
-            Err(RepoCloneError::Spawn(err))
-        }
-    }
+    let origin = repo_details.origin();
+    info!("Cloning");
+    let (repository, _outcome) =
+        gix::prepare_clone_bare(origin.expose_secret().as_str(), gitdir.deref())?
+            .fetch_only(gix::progress::Discard, &AtomicBool::new(false))?;
+    info!(?repository, "Cloned");
+
+    Ok(()) // TODO: (#69) return Repository inside a newtype to store in the RepoActor for reuse else where
 }
diff --git a/src/server/mod.rs b/src/server/mod.rs
index 0f77f29..168b34b 100644
--- a/src/server/mod.rs
+++ b/src/server/mod.rs
@@ -21,6 +21,16 @@ use crate::{
 
 use self::{actors::repo::RepoActor, config::ServerRepoConfig};
 
+#[derive(Debug, derive_more::Display, derive_more::From)]
+pub enum Error {
+    #[display("Failed to create data directories")]
+    FailedToCreateDataDirectory(kxio::fs::Error),
+
+    #[display("The forge data path is not a directory: {path:?}")]
+    ForgeDirIsNotDirectory { path: PathBuf },
+}
+type Result<T> = core::result::Result<T, Error>;
+
 pub fn init(fs: FileSystem) {
     let file_name = "git-next-server.toml";
     let pathbuf = PathBuf::from(file_name);
@@ -44,10 +54,7 @@ pub fn init(fs: FileSystem) {
 }
 
 pub async fn start(fs: FileSystem, net: Network) {
-    let Ok(_) = init_logging() else {
-        eprintln!("Failed to initialize logging.");
-        return;
-    };
+    init_logging();
     info!("Starting Server...");
     let server_config = match config::ServerConfig::load(&fs) {
         Ok(server_config) => server_config,
@@ -56,11 +63,24 @@ pub async fn start(fs: FileSystem, net: Network) {
             return;
         }
     };
+    // create data dir if missing
+    let dir = server_config.storage().path();
+    if !dir.exists() {
+        if let Err(err) = fs.dir_create(dir) {
+            error!(?err, ?dir, "Failed to create server storage directory");
+            return;
+        }
+    }
 
     let webhook_router = webhook::WebhookRouter::new().start();
     let webhook = server_config.webhook();
     let server_storage = server_config.storage();
 
+    if let Err(err) = create_forge_data_directories(&server_config, &fs, &dir) {
+        error!(?err, "Failure creating forge data directories");
+        return;
+    }
+
     server_config
         .forges()
         .flat_map(|(forge_name, forge_config)| {
@@ -75,6 +95,26 @@ pub async fn start(fs: FileSystem, net: Network) {
     drop(webhook_server);
 }
 
+fn create_forge_data_directories(
+    server_config: &config::ServerConfig,
+    fs: &FileSystem,
+    server_dir: &&std::path::Path,
+) -> Result<()> {
+    for (forge_name, _forge_config) in server_config.forges() {
+        let forge_dir: PathBuf = (&forge_name).into();
+        let path = server_dir.join(&forge_dir);
+        if fs.path_exists(&path)? {
+            if !fs.path_is_dir(&path)? {
+                return Err(Error::ForgeDirIsNotDirectory { path });
+            }
+        } else {
+            fs.dir_create_all(&path)?;
+        }
+    }
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 fn create_forge_repos(
     forge_config: &ForgeConfig,
     forge_name: ForgeName,
@@ -140,7 +180,7 @@ fn start_actor(
     (repo_alias, addr)
 }
 
-pub fn init_logging() -> Result<(), tracing::subscriber::SetGlobalDefaultError> {
+pub fn init_logging() {
     use tracing_subscriber::prelude::*;
 
     let subscriber = tracing_subscriber::fmt::layer()
@@ -153,5 +193,4 @@ pub fn init_logging() -> Result<(), tracing::subscriber::SetGlobalDefaultError>
         .with(console_subscriber::ConsoleLayer::builder().spawn())
         .with(subscriber)
         .init();
-    Ok(())
 }