diff --git a/src/routes/api/repos/[npub]/[repo]/fork/+server.ts b/src/routes/api/repos/[npub]/[repo]/fork/+server.ts
index a9ef6e5..9376ebe 100644
--- a/src/routes/api/repos/[npub]/[repo]/fork/+server.ts
+++ b/src/routes/api/repos/[npub]/[repo]/fork/+server.ts
@@ -179,14 +179,25 @@ export const POST: RequestHandler = async ({ params, request }) => {
 
     // Create fork announcement
     const gitDomain = process.env.GIT_DOMAIN || 'localhost:6543';
-    const protocol = gitDomain.startsWith('localhost') ? 'http' : 'https';
+    const isLocalhost = gitDomain.startsWith('localhost') || gitDomain.startsWith('127.0.0.1');
+    const protocol = isLocalhost ? 'http' : 'https';
     const forkGitUrl = `${protocol}://${gitDomain}/${userNpub}/${forkRepoName}.git`;
 
+    // Get Tor .onion URL if available
+    const { getTorGitUrl } = await import('$lib/services/tor/hidden-service.js');
+    const torOnionUrl = await getTorGitUrl(userNpub, forkRepoName);
+
     // Extract original clone URLs and earliest unique commit
     const originalCloneUrls = originalAnnouncement.tags
       .filter(t => t[0] === 'clone')
       .flatMap(t => t.slice(1))
-      .filter(url => url && typeof url === 'string') as string[];
+      .filter(url => url && typeof url === 'string')
+      .filter(url => {
+        // Exclude our domain and .onion URLs (we'll add our own if available)
+        if (url.includes(gitDomain)) return false;
+        if (url.includes('.onion')) return false;
+        return true;
+      }) as string[];
 
     const earliestCommitTag = originalAnnouncement.tags.find(t => t[0] === 'r' && t[2] === 'euc');
     const earliestCommit = earliestCommitTag?.[1];
@@ -195,12 +206,33 @@ export const POST: RequestHandler = async ({ params, request }) => {
     const originalName = originalAnnouncement.tags.find(t => t[0] === 'name')?.[1] || repo;
     const originalDescription = originalAnnouncement.tags.find(t => t[0] === 'description')?.[1] || '';
 
+    // Build clone URLs for fork - NEVER include localhost, only include public domain or Tor .onion
+    const forkCloneUrls: string[] = [];
+    
+    // Add our domain URL only if it's NOT localhost (explicitly check the URL)
+    if (!isLocalhost && !forkGitUrl.includes('localhost') && !forkGitUrl.includes('127.0.0.1')) {
+      forkCloneUrls.push(forkGitUrl);
+    }
+    
+    // Add Tor .onion URL if available
+    if (torOnionUrl) {
+      forkCloneUrls.push(torOnionUrl);
+    }
+    
+    // Add original clone URLs
+    forkCloneUrls.push(...originalCloneUrls);
+
+    // Validate: If using localhost, require either Tor .onion URL or at least one other clone URL
+    if (isLocalhost && !torOnionUrl && originalCloneUrls.length === 0) {
+      return error(400, 'Cannot create fork with only localhost. The original repository must have at least one public clone URL, or you need to configure a Tor .onion address.');
+    }
+
     // Build fork announcement tags
     const tags: string[][] = [
       ['d', forkRepoName],
       ['name', `${originalName} (fork)`],
       ['description', `Fork of ${originalName}${originalDescription ? `: ${originalDescription}` : ''}`],
-      ['clone', forkGitUrl, ...originalCloneUrls.filter(url => !url.includes(gitDomain))],
+      ['clone', ...forkCloneUrls],
       ['relays', ...DEFAULT_NOSTR_RELAYS],
       ['t', 'fork'], // Mark as fork
       ['a', `${KIND.REPO_ANNOUNCEMENT}:${originalOwnerPubkey}:${repo}`], // Reference to original repo
diff --git a/src/routes/api/repos/[npub]/[repo]/settings/+server.ts b/src/routes/api/repos/[npub]/[repo]/settings/+server.ts
index 0dcac2a..15c6f07 100644
--- a/src/routes/api/repos/[npub]/[repo]/settings/+server.ts
+++ b/src/routes/api/repos/[npub]/[repo]/settings/+server.ts
@@ -171,19 +171,43 @@ export const POST: RequestHandler = async ({ params, request }) => {
 
     // Build updated tags
     const gitDomain = process.env.GIT_DOMAIN || 'localhost:6543';
-    const protocol = gitDomain.startsWith('localhost') ? 'http' : 'https';
+    const isLocalhost = gitDomain.startsWith('localhost') || gitDomain.startsWith('127.0.0.1');
+    const protocol = isLocalhost ? 'http' : 'https';
     const gitUrl = `${protocol}://${gitDomain}/${npub}/${repo}.git`;
 
     // Get Tor .onion URL if available
     const { getTorGitUrl } = await import('$lib/services/tor/hidden-service.js');
     const torOnionUrl = await getTorGitUrl(npub, repo);
 
-    // Build clone URLs - include regular domain and Tor .onion if available
-    const cloneUrlList = [
-      gitUrl,
-      ...(torOnionUrl ? [torOnionUrl] : []),
-      ...(cloneUrls || []).filter((url: string) => url && !url.includes(gitDomain) && !url.includes('.onion'))
-    ];
+    // Filter user-provided clone URLs (exclude localhost and .onion duplicates)
+    const userCloneUrls = (cloneUrls || []).filter((url: string) => {
+      if (!url || !url.trim()) return false;
+      // Exclude if it's our domain or already a .onion
+      if (url.includes(gitDomain)) return false;
+      if (url.includes('.onion')) return false;
+      return true;
+    });
+
+    // Build clone URLs - NEVER include localhost, only include public domain or Tor .onion
+    const cloneUrlList: string[] = [];
+    
+    // Add our domain URL only if it's NOT localhost (explicitly check the URL)
+    if (!isLocalhost && !gitUrl.includes('localhost') && !gitUrl.includes('127.0.0.1')) {
+      cloneUrlList.push(gitUrl);
+    }
+    
+    // Add Tor .onion URL if available (always useful, even with localhost)
+    if (torOnionUrl) {
+      cloneUrlList.push(torOnionUrl);
+    }
+    
+    // Add user-provided clone URLs
+    cloneUrlList.push(...userCloneUrls);
+
+    // Validate: If using localhost, require either Tor .onion URL or at least one other clone URL
+    if (isLocalhost && !torOnionUrl && userCloneUrls.length === 0) {
+      return error(400, 'Cannot update with only localhost. You need either a Tor .onion address or at least one other clone URL.');
+    }
 
     const tags: string[][] = [
       ['d', repo],
diff --git a/src/routes/signup/+page.svelte b/src/routes/signup/+page.svelte
index 372d53f..31c967a 100644
--- a/src/routes/signup/+page.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/signup/+page.svelte
@@ -879,7 +879,8 @@
 
       // Get git domain from layout data
       const gitDomain = $page.data.gitDomain || 'localhost:6543';
-      const protocol = gitDomain.startsWith('localhost') ? 'http' : 'https';
+      const isLocalhost = gitDomain.startsWith('localhost') || gitDomain.startsWith('127.0.0.1');
+      const protocol = isLocalhost ? 'http' : 'https';
       const gitUrl = `${protocol}://${gitDomain}/${npub}/${dTag}.git`;
 
       // Try to get Tor .onion address and add it to clone URLs
@@ -896,12 +897,40 @@
         // Tor not available, continue without it
       }
 
-      // Build clone URLs - always include our domain, and Tor .onion if available
-      const allCloneUrls = [
-        gitUrl,
-        ...(torOnionUrl ? [torOnionUrl] : []), // Add Tor .onion URL if available
-        ...cloneUrls.filter(url => url.trim() && !url.includes(gitDomain) && !url.includes('.onion'))
-      ];
+      // Filter user-provided clone URLs (exclude localhost and .onion duplicates)
+      const userCloneUrls = cloneUrls.filter(url => {
+        const trimmed = url.trim();
+        if (!trimmed) return false;
+        // Exclude if it's our domain or already a .onion
+        if (trimmed.includes(gitDomain)) return false;
+        if (trimmed.includes('.onion')) return false;
+        return true;
+      });
+
+      // Validate: If using localhost, require either Tor .onion URL or at least one other clone URL
+      if (isLocalhost && !torOnionUrl && userCloneUrls.length === 0) {
+        error = 'Cannot publish with only localhost. You need either:\n' +
+          '• A Tor .onion address (configure Tor hidden service and set TOR_ONION_ADDRESS)\n' +
+          '• At least one other clone URL (e.g., GitHub, GitLab, or another GitRepublic instance)';
+        loading = false;
+        return;
+      }
+
+      // Build clone URLs - NEVER include localhost, only include public domain or Tor .onion
+      const allCloneUrls: string[] = [];
+      
+      // Add our domain URL only if it's NOT localhost (explicitly check the URL)
+      if (!isLocalhost && !gitUrl.includes('localhost') && !gitUrl.includes('127.0.0.1')) {
+        allCloneUrls.push(gitUrl);
+      }
+      
+      // Add Tor .onion URL if available (always useful, even with localhost)
+      if (torOnionUrl) {
+        allCloneUrls.push(torOnionUrl);
+      }
+      
+      // Add user-provided clone URLs
+      allCloneUrls.push(...userCloneUrls);
 
       // Build web URLs
       const allWebUrls = webUrls.filter(url => url.trim());
@@ -1264,7 +1293,13 @@
       <div class="form-group">
         <div class="label">
           Clone URLs
-          <small>{$page.data.gitDomain || 'localhost:6543'} will be added automatically, but you can add any existing ones here.</small>
+          <small>
+            {#if ($page.data.gitDomain || 'localhost:6543').startsWith('localhost') || ($page.data.gitDomain || 'localhost:6543').startsWith('127.0.0.1')}
+              <strong>Note:</strong> Your server is using localhost, which won't work for others. You must add at least one public clone URL (e.g., GitHub, GitLab) or configure a Tor .onion address.
+            {:else}
+              {$page.data.gitDomain || 'localhost:6543'} will be added automatically, but you can add any existing ones here.
+            {/if}
+          </small>
         </div>
         {#each cloneUrls as url, index}
           <div class="input-group">