diff --git a/pkg/mirror/repo_pool.go b/pkg/mirror/repo_pool.go
index f7e2c3c..7237cc6 100644
--- a/pkg/mirror/repo_pool.go
+++ b/pkg/mirror/repo_pool.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"log/slog"
+	"time"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@ type RepoPool struct {
 
 // NewRepoPool will create mirror repositories based on given config and start loop
 // RepoPool provides simple wrapper around Repository methods and used remote url to select repository
+// remote repo will not be mirrored until either Mirror() or StartLoop() is called
 func NewRepoPool(conf RepoPoolConfig, log *slog.Logger, commonENVs []string) (*RepoPool, error) {
 	if err := conf.ValidateDefaults(); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -52,8 +54,8 @@ func NewRepoPool(conf RepoPoolConfig, log *slog.Logger, commonENVs []string) (*R
 	return rp, nil
 }
 
-// AddRepository will add given repository to repoPool and
-// start mirror loop if its not already started
+// AddRepository will add given repository to repoPool
+// remote repo will not be mirrored until either Mirror() or StartLoop() is called
 func (rp *RepoPool) AddRepository(repo *Repository) error {
 	if repo, _ := rp.Repo(repo.remote); repo != nil {
 		return ErrExist
@@ -61,13 +63,38 @@ func (rp *RepoPool) AddRepository(repo *Repository) error {
 
 	rp.repos = append(rp.repos, repo)
 
-	if !repo.running {
-		go repo.StartLoop(context.TODO())
+	return nil
+}
+
+// Mirror will trigger mirror on every repo in foreground with given timeout
+// it will error out if any of the repository mirror errors
+// ideally Mirror should be used for the first mirror to ensure repositories are
+// successfully mirrored
+func (rp *RepoPool) Mirror(ctx context.Context, timeout time.Duration) error {
+	for _, repo := range rp.repos {
+		mCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, timeout)
+		err := repo.Mirror(mCtx)
+		cancel()
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("repository mirror failed err:%w", err)
+		}
 	}
 
 	return nil
 }
 
+// StartLoop will start mirror loop if its not already started
+func (rp *RepoPool) StartLoop() error {
+	for _, repo := range rp.repos {
+		if !repo.running {
+			go repo.StartLoop(context.TODO())
+			continue
+		}
+		rp.log.Info("start loop is already running", "repo", repo.gitURL.repo)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // Repo will return Repository object based on given remote URL
 func (rp *RepoPool) Repo(remote string) (*Repository, error) {
 	gitURL, err := ParseGitURL(remote)
diff --git a/pkg/mirror/repo_pool_test.go b/pkg/mirror/repo_pool_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e82fab8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/mirror/repo_pool_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+package mirror
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestRepoPool_validateLinkPath(t *testing.T) {
+	root := "/tmp/root"
+
+	rpc := RepoPoolConfig{
+		Defaults: DefaultConfig{
+			Root: root, Interval: testInterval, MirrorTimeout: testTimeout, GitGC: "always",
+		},
+		Repositories: []RepositoryConfig{
+			{
+				Remote:    "git@github.com:org/repo1.git",
+				Worktrees: []WorktreeConfig{{Link: "link1"}},
+			},
+			{
+				Remote:    "git@github.com:org/repo2.git",
+				Worktrees: []WorktreeConfig{{Link: "link2"}},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	rp, err := NewRepoPool(rpc, nil, testENVs)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected err:%s", err)
+	}
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name    string
+		repo    *Repository
+		link    string
+		wantErr bool
+	}{
+		{"add-repo2-link-to-repo1", rp.repos[0], "link2", true},
+		{"add-repo2-abs-link-to-repo1", rp.repos[0], filepath.Join(root, "link2"), true},
+		{"add-repo1-link-to-repo2", rp.repos[1], "link1", true},
+		{"add-repo1-abs-link-to-repo2", rp.repos[1], filepath.Join(root, "link1"), true},
+		{"add-new-link", rp.repos[0], "link3", false},
+		{"add-new-link", rp.repos[1], "link3", false},
+		{"add-new-abs-link", rp.repos[0], filepath.Join(os.TempDir(), "temp", "link1"), false},
+		{"add-new-abs-link", rp.repos[1], filepath.Join(os.TempDir(), "temp", "link2"), false},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+
+			if err := rp.validateLinkPath(tt.repo, tt.link); (err != nil) != tt.wantErr {
+				t.Errorf("RepoPool.validateLinkPath() error = %v, wantErr %v", err, tt.wantErr)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/mirror/z_e2e_test.go b/pkg/mirror/z_e2e_test.go
index 3b08079..3029c85 100644
--- a/pkg/mirror/z_e2e_test.go
+++ b/pkg/mirror/z_e2e_test.go
@@ -1031,7 +1031,10 @@ func Test_RepoPool_Success(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("unexpected err:%s", err)
 	}
 
-	time.Sleep(time.Second)
+	// run initial mirror
+	if err := rp.Mirror(context.TODO(), testTimeout); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected err:%s", err)
+	}
 
 	// verify Hash and checked out files
 	if got, err := rp.Hash(txtCtx, remote1, "HEAD", ""); err != nil {
@@ -1069,11 +1072,21 @@ func Test_RepoPool_Success(t *testing.T) {
 
 	t.Log("TEST-2: forward both upstream and test mirrors")
 
+	// start mirror loop
+	if err := rp.StartLoop(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected err:%s", err)
+	}
+	time.Sleep(time.Second)
+	// start mirror loop again this should be no op
+	if err := rp.StartLoop(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected err:%s", err)
+	}
+
 	fileU1SHA2 := mustCommit(t, upstream1, "file", t.Name()+"-u1-main-2")
 	fileU2SHA2 := mustCommit(t, upstream2, "file", t.Name()+"-u2-main-2")
 
 	// wait for the mirror
-	time.Sleep(time.Second)
+	time.Sleep(2 * time.Second)
 
 	// verify Hash, commit msg and checked out files
 	if got, err := rp.Hash(txtCtx, remote1, "HEAD", ""); err != nil {
@@ -1213,6 +1226,10 @@ func Test_RepoPool_Error(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
 	}
+	// start mirror loop
+	if err := rp.StartLoop(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected err:%s", err)
+	}
 
 	time.Sleep(time.Second)
 
@@ -1274,67 +1291,6 @@ func Test_RepoPool_Error(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestRepoPool_validateLinkPath(t *testing.T) {
-	testTmpDir := mustTmpDir(t)
-	defer os.RemoveAll(testTmpDir)
-
-	upstream1 := filepath.Join(testTmpDir, testUpstreamRepo)
-	remote1 := "file://" + upstream1
-	upstream2 := filepath.Join(testTmpDir, "upstream2")
-	remote2 := "file://" + upstream2
-	root := filepath.Join(testTmpDir, testRoot)
-
-	t.Log("TEST-1: init both upstream and test mirrors")
-
-	mustInitRepo(t, upstream1, "file", t.Name()+"-u1-main-1")
-	mustInitRepo(t, upstream2, "file", t.Name()+"-u2-main-1")
-
-	rpc := RepoPoolConfig{
-		Defaults: DefaultConfig{
-			Root: root, Interval: testInterval, MirrorTimeout: testTimeout, GitGC: "always",
-		},
-		Repositories: []RepositoryConfig{
-			{
-				Remote:    remote1,
-				Worktrees: []WorktreeConfig{{Link: "link1"}},
-			},
-			{
-				Remote:    remote2,
-				Worktrees: []WorktreeConfig{{Link: "link2"}},
-			},
-		},
-	}
-
-	rp, err := NewRepoPool(rpc, nil, testENVs)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("unexpected err:%s", err)
-	}
-
-	tests := []struct {
-		name    string
-		repo    *Repository
-		link    string
-		wantErr bool
-	}{
-		{"add-repo2-link-to-repo1", rp.repos[0], "link2", true},
-		{"add-repo2-abs-link-to-repo1", rp.repos[0], filepath.Join(root, "link2"), true},
-		{"add-repo1-link-to-repo2", rp.repos[1], "link1", true},
-		{"add-repo1-abs-link-to-repo2", rp.repos[1], filepath.Join(root, "link1"), true},
-		{"add-new-link", rp.repos[0], "link3", false},
-		{"add-new-link", rp.repos[1], "link3", false},
-		{"add-new-abs-link", rp.repos[0], filepath.Join(testTmpDir, "temp", "link1"), false},
-		{"add-new-abs-link", rp.repos[1], filepath.Join(testTmpDir, "temp", "link2"), false},
-	}
-	for _, tt := range tests {
-		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-
-			if err := rp.validateLinkPath(tt.repo, tt.link); (err != nil) != tt.wantErr {
-				t.Errorf("RepoPool.validateLinkPath() error = %v, wantErr %v", err, tt.wantErr)
-			}
-		})
-	}
-}
-
 // ##############################################
 // HELPER FUNCS
 // ##############################################