diff --git a/project.py b/project.py
index 649196b01..b81fcd5f0 100644
--- a/project.py
+++ b/project.py
@@ -2674,11 +2674,12 @@ class Project:
             # throws an error.
             revs = [f"{self.revisionExpr}^0"]
             upstream_rev = None
+            use_superproject_for_upstream = self.upstream and (
+                self._UseSuperprojectForUpstream(use_superproject)
+            )
 
             # Only check upstream when using superproject.
-            if self.upstream and git_superproject.UseSuperproject(
-                use_superproject, self.manifest
-            ):
+            if use_superproject_for_upstream:
                 upstream_rev = self.GetRemote().ToLocal(self.upstream)
                 revs.append(upstream_rev)
 
@@ -2692,9 +2693,7 @@ class Project:
 
             # Only verify upstream relationship for superproject scenarios
             # without affecting plain usage.
-            if self.upstream and git_superproject.UseSuperproject(
-                use_superproject, self.manifest
-            ):
+            if use_superproject_for_upstream:
                 self.bare_git.merge_base(
                     "--is-ancestor",
                     self.revisionExpr,
@@ -2723,6 +2722,16 @@ class Project:
                     return True
         return False
 
+    def _UseSuperprojectForUpstream(
+        self, use_superproject: Optional[bool] = None
+    ) -> bool:
+        """Whether to include upstream in the immutability check.
+
+        The upstream ancestry check is only meaningful for projects
+        that participate in a superproject relationship.
+        """
+        return git_superproject.UseSuperproject(use_superproject, self.manifest)
+
     def _FetchArchive(self, tarpath, cwd=None):
         cmd = ["archive", "-v", "-o", tarpath]
         cmd.append("--remote=%s" % self.remote.url)
@@ -4677,6 +4686,15 @@ class MetaProject(Project):
                     self.revisionExpr = base
                     self.revisionId = None
 
+    def _UseSuperprojectForUpstream(
+        self, use_superproject: Optional[bool] = None
+    ) -> bool:
+        # MetaProjects (the manifest repo and repo itself) never
+        # participate in a superproject relationship. Returning False
+        # here also avoids loading the manifest during `repo init`,
+        # before manifest.xml has been linked into .repo/.
+        return False
+
     @property
     def HasChanges(self):
         """Has the remote received new commits not yet checked out?"""
diff --git a/tests/test_project.py b/tests/test_project.py
index ea7571030..1ebeb85d7 100644
--- a/tests/test_project.py
+++ b/tests/test_project.py
@@ -716,6 +716,31 @@ class ManifestPropertiesFetchedCorrectly(unittest.TestCase):
             fakeproj.config.SetString("manifest.platform", "auto")
             self.assertEqual(fakeproj.manifest_platform, "auto")
 
+    def test_check_immutable_revision_metaproject_skips_manifest_load(self):
+        """MetaProjects must not parse manifest.xml during immutable check.
+
+        During `repo init` the manifestProject's own Sync_NetworkHalf runs
+        before manifest.xml has been linked into .repo/, so
+        _CheckForImmutableRevision must not touch it.
+        """
+
+        with utils_for_test.TempGitTree() as tempdir:
+            fakeproj = self.setUpManifest(tempdir)
+            manifest_path = os.path.join(
+                tempdir, ".repo", manifest_xml.MANIFEST_FILE_NAME
+            )
+            self.assertFalse(os.path.exists(manifest_path))
+
+            fakeproj.revisionExpr = "deadbeefdeadbeefdeadbeefdeadbeefdeadbeef"
+            fakeproj.upstream = "refs/heads/main"
+
+            # Must return False without raising ManifestParseError, and
+            # must leave the absent manifest.xml untouched.
+            self.assertFalse(
+                fakeproj._CheckForImmutableRevision(use_superproject=None)
+            )
+            self.assertFalse(os.path.exists(manifest_path))
+
     def test_sync_use_local_gitdirs_worktree_conflict(self):
         """Test that --use-local-gitdirs conflicts with --worktree."""
         with utils_for_test.TempGitTree() as tempdir: