2 files changed, 7 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/lisp/ChangeLog b/lisp/ChangeLog
index 887959d2fe0..896f7ce9a97 100644
--- a/lisp/ChangeLog
+++ b/lisp/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2012-01-28  Phil Hagelberg  <phil@hagelb.org>
+
+        * emacs-lisp/package.el (package-install): Run
+        package-refresh-contents if there is no archive yet (Bug#97978).
+
 2012-01-28  Chong Yidong  <cyd@gnu.org>
 
         * emacs-lisp/package.el (package-maybe-load-descriptor): New
diff --git a/lisp/emacs-lisp/package.el b/lisp/emacs-lisp/package.el
index 7e56c5534ec..317fa1fd23d 100644
--- a/lisp/emacs-lisp/package.el
+++ b/lisp/emacs-lisp/package.el
@@ -889,6 +889,8 @@ archive in `package-archives'.  Interactively, prompt for NAME."
      ;; symbols for completion.
      (unless package--initialized
        (package-initialize t))
+     (unless package-archive-contents
+       (package-refresh-contents))
      (list (intern (completing-read
                     "Install package: "
                     (mapcar (lambda (elt)