diff --git a/aider/commands.py b/aider/commands.py
index e819bacc0..e6035ad10 100644
--- a/aider/commands.py
+++ b/aider/commands.py
@@ -1187,11 +1187,7 @@ def parse_quoted_filenames(args):
 
 
 def get_help_md():
-    from aider.coders import Coder
-    from aider.models import Model
-
-    coder = Coder(Model("gpt-3.5-turbo"), None)
-    md = coder.commands.get_help_md()
+    md = Commands(None, None).get_help_md()
     return md
 
 
diff --git a/aider/main.py b/aider/main.py
index b2d0e9d97..293b6cbff 100644
--- a/aider/main.py
+++ b/aider/main.py
@@ -300,6 +300,10 @@ def sanity_check_repo(repo, io):
     if not repo:
         return True
 
+    if not repo.repo.working_tree_dir:
+        io.tool_error("The git repo does not seem to have a working tree?")
+        return False
+
     try:
         repo.get_tracked_files()
         if not repo.git_repo_error: