diff --git a/aider/coders/base_coder.py b/aider/coders/base_coder.py
index 565da3c2e..3b05b90b4 100755
--- a/aider/coders/base_coder.py
+++ b/aider/coders/base_coder.py
@@ -446,6 +446,9 @@ class Coder:
             files_content = self.gpt_prompts.files_content_prefix
             files_content += self.get_files_content()
             files_reply = "Ok, any changes I propose will be to those files."
+        elif repo_content:
+            files_content = self.gpt_prompts.files_no_full_files_with_repo_map
+            files_reply = "Ok, based on your requests I will suggest which files need to be edited."
         else:
             files_content = self.gpt_prompts.files_no_full_files
             files_reply = "Ok."
diff --git a/aider/coders/base_prompts.py b/aider/coders/base_prompts.py
index 0cec0fe9a..7d12ef308 100644
--- a/aider/coders/base_prompts.py
+++ b/aider/coders/base_prompts.py
@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@ You always COMPLETELY IMPLEMENT the needed code!
 
     files_no_full_files = "I am not sharing any files that you can edit yet."
 
+    files_no_full_files_with_repo_map = """Tell me which files in my repo are the most likely to **need changes** to solve the requests I make.
+Only include the 1-2 files that are most likely to actually need to be edited.
+Don't include files that might contain relevant context, just files that will need to be changed.
+"""  # noqa: E501
+
     repo_content_prefix = """Here are summaries of some files present in my git repository.
 Do not propose changes to these files, treat them as *read-only*.
 If you need to edit any of these files, ask me to *add them to the chat* first.
diff --git a/aider/repomap.py b/aider/repomap.py
index 10bb41998..59be99325 100644
--- a/aider/repomap.py
+++ b/aider/repomap.py
@@ -61,8 +61,13 @@ class RepoMap:
         if not other_files:
             return
 
+        max_map_tokens = self.max_map_tokens
+        if not chat_files:
+            # with no code in the chat, give a bigger view of the entire repo
+            max_map_tokens *= 4
+
         try:
-            files_listing = self.get_ranked_tags_map(chat_files, other_files)
+            files_listing = self.get_ranked_tags_map(chat_files, other_files, max_map_tokens)
         except RecursionError:
             self.io.tool_error("Disabling repo map, git repo too large?")
             self.max_map_tokens = 0
@@ -327,9 +332,11 @@ class RepoMap:
 
         return ranked_tags
 
-    def get_ranked_tags_map(self, chat_fnames, other_fnames=None):
+    def get_ranked_tags_map(self, chat_fnames, other_fnames=None, max_map_tokens=None):
         if not other_fnames:
             other_fnames = list()
+        if not max_map_tokens:
+            max_map_tokens = self.max_map_tokens
 
         ranked_tags = self.get_ranked_tags(chat_fnames, other_fnames)
         num_tags = len(ranked_tags)
@@ -345,7 +352,7 @@ class RepoMap:
             tree = self.to_tree(ranked_tags[:middle], chat_rel_fnames)
             num_tokens = self.token_count(tree)
 
-            if num_tokens < self.max_map_tokens:
+            if num_tokens < max_map_tokens:
                 best_tree = tree
                 lower_bound = middle + 1
             else: