diff --git a/dvc/cli.py b/dvc/cli.py
index 722d01119..5381426a4 100644
--- a/dvc/cli.py
+++ b/dvc/cli.py
@@ -66,6 +66,11 @@ def parse_args(argv=None):
                         'init',
                         parents=[parent_parser],
                         help='Initialize dvc over a directory (should already be a git dir)')
+    init_parser.add_argument(
+                        '--no-scm',
+                        action='store_true',
+                        default=False,
+                        help="Initiate dvc in directory that is not tracked by any scm tool(e.g. git)")
     init_parser.set_defaults(func=CmdInit)
 
     # Add
diff --git a/dvc/command/init.py b/dvc/command/init.py
index 7397d5907..c6623abb0 100644
--- a/dvc/command/init.py
+++ b/dvc/command/init.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-from dvc.project import Project
+from dvc.project import Project, InitError
+from dvc.logger import Logger
 
 
 class CmdInit(object):
@@ -6,5 +7,9 @@ class CmdInit(object):
         self.args = args
 
     def run_cmd(self):
-        Project.init('.')
+        try:
+            Project.init('.', no_scm=self.args.no_scm)
+        except InitError as e:
+            Logger.error('Failed to initiate dvc', e)
+            return 1
         return 0
diff --git a/dvc/command/metrics.py b/dvc/command/metrics.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..68c69980c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dvc/command/metrics.py
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+from dvc.command.common.base import CmdBase
+
+
+class CmdMetrics(CmdBase):
+    def run(self):
+        for branch, metric in self.project.metrics(self.args.path).items():
+            self.project.logger.info("{}: {}".format(branch, metric))
+        return 0
diff --git a/dvc/project.py b/dvc/project.py
index b2b3552b4..62627f58d 100644
--- a/dvc/project.py
+++ b/dvc/project.py
@@ -10,12 +10,17 @@ from dvc.stage import Stage, Output
 from dvc.config import Config
 from dvc.state import State
 from dvc.lock import Lock
-from dvc.scm import SCM
+from dvc.scm import SCM, Base
 from dvc.cache import Cache
 from dvc.cloud.data_cloud import DataCloud
 from dvc.system import System
 
 
+class InitError(DvcException):
+    def __init__(self, msg):
+        super(InitError, self).__init__(msg)
+
+
 class StageNotFoundError(DvcException):
     def __init__(self, path):
         msg = 'Stage file {} does not exist'.format(path)
@@ -44,7 +49,7 @@ class Project(object):
         self.cloud = DataCloud(cache=self.cache, state=self.state, config=self.config._config)
 
     @staticmethod
-    def init(root_dir=os.curdir):
+    def init(root_dir=os.curdir, no_scm=False):
         """
         Initiate dvc project in directory.
 
@@ -59,6 +64,12 @@ class Project(object):
         """
         root_dir = os.path.abspath(root_dir)
         dvc_dir = os.path.join(root_dir, Project.DVC_DIR)
+
+        scm = SCM(root_dir)
+        if type(scm) == Base and not no_scm:
+            msg = "{} is not tracked by any supported scm tool(e.g. git).".format(root_dir)
+            raise InitError(msg)
+
         os.mkdir(dvc_dir)
 
         config = Config.init(dvc_dir)
@@ -66,14 +77,14 @@ class Project(object):
         state = State.init(root_dir, dvc_dir)
         lock = Lock(dvc_dir)
 
-        scm = SCM(root_dir)
         scm.ignore_list([cache.cache_dir,
                          state.state_file,
                          lock.lock_file,
                          config.config_local_file])
 
-        ignore_file = os.path.join(dvc_dir, scm.ignore_file())
-        scm.add([config.config_file, ignore_file])
+        scm.add([config.config_file])
+        if scm.ignore_file():
+            scm.add([os.path.join(dvc_dir, scm.ignore_file())])
 
         return Project(root_dir)
 
diff --git a/dvc/scm.py b/dvc/scm.py
index cc1475903..5667c9d55 100644
--- a/dvc/scm.py
+++ b/dvc/scm.py
@@ -31,9 +31,6 @@ class Base(object):
     def ignore_list(self, p_list):
         return [self.ignore(path) for path in p_list]
 
-    def ignore_file(self):
-        return self.GITIGNORE
-
     def add(self, paths):
         pass
 
@@ -71,6 +68,9 @@ class Git(Base):
         git_dir = os.path.join(root_dir, Git.GIT_DIR)
         return os.path.isdir(git_dir)
 
+    def ignore_file(self):
+        return self.GITIGNORE
+
     def _get_gitignore(self, path):
         entry = os.path.basename(path)
         gitignore = os.path.join(os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(path)),
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ class Git(Base):
         return len(self.repo.git.ls_files(path)) != 0
 
 
-def SCM(root_dir=os.curdir):
+def SCM(root_dir=os.curdir, no_scm=False):
     if Git.is_repo(root_dir):
         return Git(root_dir)
 
diff --git a/tests/test_init.py b/tests/test_init.py
index 4f286f06e..f22571442 100644
--- a/tests/test_init.py
+++ b/tests/test_init.py
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@ import os
 
 from dvc.main import main
 from dvc.command.init import CmdInit
-from dvc.project import Project
+from dvc.project import Project, InitError
 
-from tests.basic_env import TestGit
+from tests.basic_env import TestGit, TestDir
 
 
 class TestInit(TestGit):
@@ -22,3 +22,30 @@ class TestInit(TestGit):
         self.assertEqual(ret, 0)
 
         self._test_init()
+
+
+class TestInitNoSCMFail(TestDir):
+    def test_api(self):
+        with self.assertRaises(InitError):
+            Project.init()
+
+    def test_cli(self):
+        ret = main(['init'])
+        self.assertNotEqual(ret, 0)
+
+
+class TestInitNoSCM(TestDir):
+    def _test_init(self):
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(Project.DVC_DIR))
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.isdir(Project.DVC_DIR))
+
+    def test_api(self):
+        Project.init(no_scm=True)
+
+        self._test_init()
+
+    def test_cli(self):
+        ret = main(['init', '--no-scm'])
+        self.assertEqual(ret, 0)
+
+        self._test_init()