diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/fdroid/fdroid/IndexV1Updater.java b/app/src/main/java/org/fdroid/fdroid/IndexV1Updater.java
index 08f16430b..63ee68901 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/fdroid/fdroid/IndexV1Updater.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/fdroid/fdroid/IndexV1Updater.java
@@ -62,8 +62,10 @@ import java.net.SocketTimeoutException;
 import java.net.UnknownHostException;
 import java.security.cert.X509Certificate;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.jar.JarEntry;
@@ -284,7 +286,14 @@ public class IndexV1Updater extends IndexUpdater {
         repo.name = getStringRepoValue(repoMap, "name");
         repo.icon = getStringRepoValue(repoMap, "icon");
         repo.description = getStringRepoValue(repoMap, "description");
-        repo.mirrors = getStringArrayRepoValue(repoMap, "mirrors");
+
+        // ensure the canonical URL is included in the "mirrors" list
+        List<String> mirrorsList = getStringListRepoValue(repoMap, "mirrors");
+        HashSet<String> mirrors = new HashSet<>(mirrorsList.size() + 1);
+        mirrors.addAll(mirrorsList);
+        mirrors.add(repo.address);
+        repo.mirrors = mirrors.toArray(new String[mirrors.size()]);
+
         // below are optional, can be default value
         repo.maxage = getIntRepoValue(repoMap, "maxage");
         repo.version = getIntRepoValue(repoMap, "version");
@@ -372,13 +381,12 @@ public class IndexV1Updater extends IndexUpdater {
     }
 
     @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
-    private String[] getStringArrayRepoValue(Map<String, Object> repoMap, String key) {
+    private List<String> getStringListRepoValue(Map<String, Object> repoMap, String key) {
         Object value = repoMap.get(key);
         if (value != null && value instanceof ArrayList) {
-            ArrayList<String> list = (ArrayList<String>) value;
-            return list.toArray(new String[list.size()]);
+            return (List<String>) value;
         }
-        return null;
+        return Collections.emptyList();
     }
 
     private HashMap<String, Object> parseRepo(ObjectMapper mapper, JsonParser parser) throws IOException {
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/fdroid/fdroid/data/DBHelper.java b/app/src/main/java/org/fdroid/fdroid/data/DBHelper.java
index 9eaad2d44..e56a0d139 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/fdroid/fdroid/data/DBHelper.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/fdroid/fdroid/data/DBHelper.java
@@ -1394,6 +1394,12 @@ public class DBHelper extends SQLiteOpenHelper {
         return exists;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Insert a new repo into the database.  This also initializes the list of
+     * "mirror" URLs. There should always be at least one URL there, since the
+     * logic in {@link org.fdroid.fdroid.FDroidApp#getMirror(String, Repo)}
+     * expects at least one entry in the mirrors list.
+     */
     private void insertRepo(SQLiteDatabase db, String name, String address,
                             String description, String version, String enabled,
                             String priority, String pushRequests, String pubKey) {
@@ -1410,6 +1416,9 @@ public class DBHelper extends SQLiteOpenHelper {
         values.put(RepoTable.Cols.LAST_ETAG, (String) null);
         values.put(RepoTable.Cols.TIMESTAMP, 0);
 
+        String[] initializeMirrors = {address};
+        values.put(Schema.RepoTable.Cols.MIRRORS, Utils.serializeCommaSeparatedString(initializeMirrors));
+
         switch (pushRequests) {
             case "ignore":
                 values.put(RepoTable.Cols.PUSH_REQUESTS, Repo.PUSH_REQUEST_IGNORE);
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/fdroid/fdroid/data/Repo.java b/app/src/main/java/org/fdroid/fdroid/data/Repo.java
index b3b35f4b7..1a9929789 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/fdroid/fdroid/data/Repo.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/fdroid/fdroid/data/Repo.java
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.Date;
+import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.List;
 
 
@@ -338,20 +339,29 @@ public class Repo extends ValueObject {
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * The main repo URL is included in the mirror list, so it only makes
+     * sense to activate this logic if there are more than one entry in the
+     * mirror list.
+     */
     public boolean hasMirrors() {
         return (mirrors != null && mirrors.length > 1)
                 || (userMirrors != null && userMirrors.length > 0);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @return {@link List} of valid URLs to reach this repo, including the canonical URL
+     */
     public List<String> getMirrorList() {
-        final ArrayList<String> allMirrors = new ArrayList<String>();
+        final HashSet<String> allMirrors = new HashSet<>();
         if (userMirrors != null) {
             allMirrors.addAll(Arrays.asList(userMirrors));
         }
         if (mirrors != null) {
             allMirrors.addAll(Arrays.asList(mirrors));
         }
-        return allMirrors;
+        allMirrors.add(address);
+        return new ArrayList<>(allMirrors);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -360,19 +370,26 @@ public class Repo extends ValueObject {
     public int getMirrorCount() {
         int count = 0;
         for (String m : getMirrorList()) {
-            if (!m.equals(address)) {
-                if (FDroidApp.isUsingTor()) {
-                    count++;
-                } else {
-                    if (!m.contains(".onion")) {
-                        count++;
-                    }
-                }
+            if (FDroidApp.isUsingTor()) {
+                count++;
+            } else if (!m.contains(".onion")) {
+                count++;
             }
         }
         return count;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * The mirror logic assumes that it has a mirrors list with at least once
+     * valid entry in it.  In the index format as defined by {@code fdroid update},
+     * there is always at least one valid URL: the canonical URL.  That also means
+     * if there is only one item in the mirrors list, there are no other URLs to try.
+     * <p>
+     * The initial state of the repos in the database also include the canonical
+     * URL in the mirrors list so the mirror logic works on the first index
+     * update.  That makes it possible to do the first index update via SD Card
+     * or USB OTG drive.
+     */
     public String getMirror(String lastWorkingMirror) {
         if (TextUtils.isEmpty(lastWorkingMirror)) {
             lastWorkingMirror = address;
@@ -382,7 +399,7 @@ public class Repo extends ValueObject {
         if (shuffledMirrors.size() > 1) {
             for (String m : shuffledMirrors) {
                 // Return a non default, and not last used mirror
-                if (!m.equals(address) && !m.equals(lastWorkingMirror)) {
+                if (!m.equals(lastWorkingMirror)) {
                     if (FDroidApp.isUsingTor()) {
                         return m;
                     } else {