diff --git a/Rakefile b/Rakefile
index 3c40c500..7af234d5 100644
--- a/Rakefile
+++ b/Rakefile
@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@ task :test do
   # You can run individual test files (or multiple files) from the command
   # line with:
   #
-  # $ bin/test tests/units/test_archive.rb
+  # $ bin/test test_archive.rb
   #
-  # $ bin/test tests/units/test_archive.rb tests/units/test_object.rb
+  # $ bin/test test_archive.rb test_object.rb
 end
 default_tasks << :test
 
diff --git a/lib/git/base.rb b/lib/git/base.rb
index 7ffb1d2e..b291c83f 100644
--- a/lib/git/base.rb
+++ b/lib/git/base.rb
@@ -851,7 +851,7 @@ def setup_logger(log_option)
     def initialize_components(options)
       @working_directory = Git::WorkingDirectory.new(options[:working_directory]) if options[:working_directory]
       @repository = Git::Repository.new(options[:repository]) if options[:repository]
-      @index = Git::Index.new(options[:index], false) if options[:index]
+      @index = Git::Index.new(options[:index], must_exist: false) if options[:index]
     end
 
     # Normalize options before they are sent to Git::Base.new