diff --git a/commands/alpha/rpkg/clone/command.go b/commands/alpha/rpkg/clone/command.go
index 4aa3d05844..01bfe7feb2 100644
--- a/commands/alpha/rpkg/clone/command.go
+++ b/commands/alpha/rpkg/clone/command.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 
+	"github.com/GoogleContainerTools/kpt/commands/alpha/rpkg/util"
 	"github.com/GoogleContainerTools/kpt/internal/docs/generated/rpkgdocs"
 	"github.com/GoogleContainerTools/kpt/internal/errors"
 	"github.com/GoogleContainerTools/kpt/internal/util/parse"
@@ -114,9 +115,14 @@ func (r *runner) preRunE(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	source := args[0]
 	target := args[1]
 
-	if err := r.packageAlreadyExists(target); err != nil {
+	pkgExists, err := util.PackageAlreadyExists(r.ctx, r.client, r.repository, target, *r.cfg.Namespace)
+	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	if pkgExists {
+		return fmt.Errorf("`clone` cannot create a new revision for package %q that already exists in repo %q; make subsequent revisions using `copy`",
+			r.target, r.repository)
+	}
 
 	switch {
 	case strings.HasPrefix(source, "oci://"):
@@ -204,24 +210,6 @@ func (r *runner) runE(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (r *runner) packageAlreadyExists(packageName string) error {
-	// only the first package revision can be created from init or clone, so
-	// we need to check that the package doesn't already exist.
-	packageRevisionList := porchapi.PackageRevisionList{}
-	if err := r.client.List(r.ctx, &packageRevisionList, &client.ListOptions{
-		Namespace: *r.cfg.Namespace,
-	}); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	for _, pr := range packageRevisionList.Items {
-		if pr.Spec.RepositoryName == r.repository && pr.Spec.PackageName == packageName {
-			return fmt.Errorf("`clone` cannot create a new revision for package %q that already exists in repo %q; make subsequent revisions using `copy`",
-				packageName, r.repository)
-		}
-	}
-	return nil
-}
-
 func toMergeStrategy(strategy string) (porchapi.PackageMergeStrategy, error) {
 	switch strategy {
 	case string(porchapi.ResourceMerge):
diff --git a/commands/alpha/rpkg/init/command.go b/commands/alpha/rpkg/init/command.go
index bc3203ef31..5c524e39a0 100644
--- a/commands/alpha/rpkg/init/command.go
+++ b/commands/alpha/rpkg/init/command.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 
+	"github.com/GoogleContainerTools/kpt/commands/alpha/rpkg/util"
 	"github.com/GoogleContainerTools/kpt/internal/docs/generated/rpkgdocs"
 	"github.com/GoogleContainerTools/kpt/internal/errors"
 	"github.com/GoogleContainerTools/kpt/internal/util/porch"
@@ -90,7 +91,15 @@ func (r *runner) preRunE(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	}
 
 	r.name = args[0]
-	return r.packageAlreadyExists(r.name)
+	pkgExists, err := util.PackageAlreadyExists(r.ctx, r.client, r.repository, r.name, *r.cfg.Namespace)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if pkgExists {
+		return fmt.Errorf("`init` cannot create a new revision for package %q that already exists in repo %q; make subsequent revisions using `copy`",
+			r.name, r.repository)
+	}
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (r *runner) runE(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
@@ -128,21 +137,3 @@ func (r *runner) runE(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	fmt.Fprintf(cmd.OutOrStdout(), "%s created\n", pr.Name)
 	return nil
 }
-
-func (r *runner) packageAlreadyExists(packageName string) error {
-	// only the first package revision can be created from init or clone, so
-	// we need to check that the package doesn't already exist.
-	packageRevisionList := porchapi.PackageRevisionList{}
-	if err := r.client.List(r.ctx, &packageRevisionList, &client.ListOptions{
-		Namespace: *r.cfg.Namespace,
-	}); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	for _, pr := range packageRevisionList.Items {
-		if pr.Spec.RepositoryName == r.repository && pr.Spec.PackageName == packageName {
-			return fmt.Errorf("`init` cannot create a new revision for package %q that already exists in repo %q; make subsequent revisions using `copy`",
-				packageName, r.repository)
-		}
-	}
-	return nil
-}
diff --git a/commands/alpha/rpkg/util/common.go b/commands/alpha/rpkg/util/common.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4a89d557b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/commands/alpha/rpkg/util/common.go
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+// Copyright 2022 Google LLC
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package util
+
+import (
+	"context"
+
+	porchapi "github.com/GoogleContainerTools/kpt/porch/api/porch/v1alpha1"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client"
+)
+
+func PackageAlreadyExists(ctx context.Context, c client.Client, repository, packageName, namespace string) (bool, error) {
+	// only the first package revision can be created from init or clone, so
+	// we need to check that the package doesn't already exist.
+	packageRevisionList := porchapi.PackageRevisionList{}
+	if err := c.List(ctx, &packageRevisionList, &client.ListOptions{
+		Namespace: namespace,
+	}); err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+	for _, pr := range packageRevisionList.Items {
+		if pr.Spec.RepositoryName == repository && pr.Spec.PackageName == packageName {
+			return true, nil
+		}
+	}
+	return false, nil
+}
diff --git a/porch/pkg/git/git.go b/porch/pkg/git/git.go
index 148fc96e32..aaaf38ab45 100644
--- a/porch/pkg/git/git.go
+++ b/porch/pkg/git/git.go
@@ -1053,6 +1053,5 @@ func reverseSlice(s []v1alpha1.Task) {
 		s[first], s[last] = s[last], s[first]
 		first++
 		last--
-
 	}
 }