diff --git a/gxutil/pkgfile.go b/gxutil/pkgfile.go
index 3c1acaa..9e1a3bc 100644
--- a/gxutil/pkgfile.go
+++ b/gxutil/pkgfile.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package gxutil
 
 import (
+	"io/ioutil"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
@@ -12,7 +13,7 @@ type PackageBase struct {
 	Name         string        `json:"name,omitempty"`
 	Author       string        `json:"author,omitempty"`
 	Description  string        `json:"description,omitempty"`
-	Keywords     string        `json:"keywords,omitempty"`
+	Keywords     []string      `json:"keywords,omitempty"`
 	Version      string        `json:"version,omitempty"`
 	Dependencies []*Dependency `json:"gxDependencies,omitempty"`
 	Bin          string        `json:"bin,omitempty"`
@@ -20,8 +21,10 @@ type PackageBase struct {
 	Test         string        `json:"test,omitempty"`
 	Language     string        `json:"language,omitempty"`
 	License      string        `json:"license"`
-	Issues       string        `json:"bugs"`
+	Issues       *Issues       `json:"bugs"`
 	GxVersion    string        `json:"gxVersion"`
+	Repository   *Repository   `json:"repository,omitempty"`
+	NonGxFields map[string]interface{} `json:"-"`
 }
 
 type Package struct {
@@ -30,6 +33,15 @@ type Package struct {
 	Gx json.RawMessage `json:"gx,omitempty"`
 }
 
+type Repository struct {
+	Type  string `json:"type"`
+	Url   string `json:"url"`
+}
+
+type Issues struct {
+	Url string `json:"url"`
+}
+
 // Dependency represents a dependency of a package
 type Dependency struct {
 	Author  string `json:"author,omitempty"`
@@ -50,17 +62,38 @@ func LoadPackageFile(pkg interface{}, fname string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	file, err := ioutil.ReadFile(fname)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	json.Unmarshal(file, &pkg.(*Package).NonGxFields)
+
+
 	return nil
 }
 
-func SavePackageFile(pkg interface{}, fname string) error {
+func SavePackageFile(pkg interface{}, fname string, nonGxFields map[string]interface{}) error {
 	fi, err := os.Create(fname)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	defer fi.Close()
 
-	out, err := json.MarshalIndent(pkg, "", "  ")
+	base, err := json.Marshal(pkg)
+	if (err != nil) {
+		return err
+	}
+	var f map[string]interface{}
+	json.Unmarshal(base, &f)
+	var g map[string]interface{} = nonGxFields
+	if g == nil {
+		g = make(map[string]interface{})
+	}
+
+	for v, k := range f {
+		g[v] = k
+	}
+	out, err := json.MarshalIndent(g, "", "  ")
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/gxutil/pm.go b/gxutil/pm.go
index 725d202..a179b3e 100644
--- a/gxutil/pm.go
+++ b/gxutil/pm.go
@@ -184,11 +184,6 @@ func writePkgHook(dir, hook string) error {
 
 func (pm *PM) InitPkg(dir, name, lang string, setup func(*Package)) error {
 	// check for existing packagefile
-	p := filepath.Join(dir, PkgFileName)
-	_, err := os.Stat(p)
-	if err == nil {
-		return errors.New("package file already exists in working dir")
-	}
 
 	username := pm.cfg.User.Name
 	if username == "" {
@@ -208,6 +203,11 @@ func (pm *PM) InitPkg(dir, name, lang string, setup func(*Package)) error {
 			GxVersion: GxVersion,
 		},
 	}
+	p := filepath.Join(dir, PkgFileName)
+	_, err := os.Stat(p)
+	if err == nil {
+		LoadPackageFile(pkg, PkgFileName)
+	}
 
 	if setup != nil {
 		setup(pkg)
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ func (pm *PM) InitPkg(dir, name, lang string, setup func(*Package)) error {
 	// check if the user has a tool installed for the selected language
 	CheckForHelperTools(lang)
 
-	err = SavePackageFile(pkg, p)
+	err = SavePackageFile(pkg, p, pkg.NonGxFields)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index f8640d5..8fff5cb 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ var ImportCommand = cli.Command{
 		}
 
 		pkg.Dependencies = append(pkg.Dependencies, ndep)
-		err = gx.SavePackageFile(pkg, PkgFileName)
+		err = gx.SavePackageFile(pkg, PkgFileName, pkg.NonGxFields)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Fatal("writing pkgfile: %s", err)
 		}
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ var InstallCommand = cli.Command{
 		}
 
 		if save {
-			err := gx.SavePackageFile(pkg, PkgFileName)
+			err := gx.SavePackageFile(pkg, PkgFileName, pkg.NonGxFields)
 			if err != nil {
 				log.Fatal(err)
 			}
@@ -344,7 +344,12 @@ var InitCommand = cli.Command{
 
 		log.Log("initializing package %s...", pkgname)
 		err := pm.InitPkg(cwd, pkgname, lang, func(p *gx.Package) {
-			p.Issues = promptUser("where should users go to report issues?")
+			if p.Issues == nil {
+				url := promptUser("where should users go to report issues?")
+				p.Issues = &gx.Issues{
+					Url: url,
+				}
+			}
 		})
 
 		if err != nil {
@@ -444,7 +449,7 @@ continue?`, olddep.Name, olddep.Hash, npkg.Name, target)
 		olddep.Hash = target
 		olddep.Version = npkg.Version
 
-		err = gx.SavePackageFile(pkg, PkgFileName)
+		err = gx.SavePackageFile(pkg, PkgFileName, pkg.NonGxFields)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Fatal("writing package file: %s", err)
 		}
@@ -513,7 +518,7 @@ EXAMPLE:
 		}
 
 		defer func() {
-			err := gx.SavePackageFile(pkg, PkgFileName)
+			err := gx.SavePackageFile(pkg, PkgFileName, pkg.NonGxFields)
 			if err != nil {
 				log.Fatal(err)
 			}
diff --git a/update.go b/update.go
index debd794..ac0224f 100644
--- a/update.go
+++ b/update.go
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ func fetchAndUpdate(tofetch string, updates map[string]string, checked map[strin
 	}
 
 	if changed {
-		err := gx.SavePackageFile(pkg, filepath.Join(dir, pkg.Name, gx.PkgFileName))
+		err := gx.SavePackageFile(pkg, filepath.Join(dir, pkg.Name, gx.PkgFileName), pkg.NonGxFields)
 		if err != nil {
 			return "", err
 		}