diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2901ba4..5e009b4 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ It has been tested to work with many operating systems.
   * `hg` -- Mercurial
   * `svn` -- SubVersion (Thanks, Ben Drasin!)
   * `p4` -- Perforce
+  * none -- The files can be decrypted outside of a repo if the keyrings directory is intact
 * Operating system
   * CentOS / RedHat
   * MacOS X
@@ -616,6 +617,21 @@ rm -rf /tmp/NEWMASTER
 Also shred any other temporary files you may have made.
 
 
+Using Blackbox without a repo
+===========================
+If the files are copied out of a repo they can still be decrypted
+and edited.  Obviously edits, changes to keys, and such will be lost
+if they are made outside the repo. Also note that commands are most
+likely to only work if run from the base directory (i.e. the parent to
+the keyrings directory).
+
+The following commands have been tested outside a repo:
+
+  * `blackbox_postdeploy`
+  * `blackbox_edit_start`
+  * `blackbox_edit_end`
+
+
 Help out: Submit bugs, pull requests and ideas:
 ============
 
diff --git a/bin/_blackbox_common.sh b/bin/_blackbox_common.sh
index 420af23..106b53e 100755
--- a/bin/_blackbox_common.sh
+++ b/bin/_blackbox_common.sh
@@ -45,7 +45,9 @@ function _determine_vcs_base_and_type() {
     # NOTE: hg has to be tested last because it always "succeeds".
     VCS_TYPE=hg
   else
-    echo /dev/null
+    # We aren't in a repo at all.  Assume the cwd is the root
+    # of the tree.
+    echo .
     VCS_TYPE=unknown
   fi
   export VCS_TYPE
@@ -360,6 +362,10 @@ function is_in_p4() {
     echo false
   fi
 }
+# No repo
+function is_in_unknown() {
+  echo true
+}
 
 
 # Add a file to the repo (but don't commit it).
@@ -382,6 +388,10 @@ function vcs_add_svn() {
 function vcs_add_p4() {
   p4 add """$@"""
 }
+# No repo
+function vcs_add_unknown() {
+  :
+}
 
 
 # Commit a file to the repo
@@ -404,6 +414,10 @@ function vcs_commit_svn() {
 function vcs_commit_p4() {
   p4 submit -d """$@"""
 }
+# No repo
+function vcs_commit_unknown() {
+  :
+}
 
 
 # Remove file from repo, even if it was deleted locally already.
@@ -424,6 +438,10 @@ function vcs_remove_svn() {
   svn delete """$@"""
 }
 # Perforce
-function vcs_remove_svn() {
+function vcs_remove_p4() {
   p4 delete """$@"""
 }
+# No repo
+function vcs_remove_unknown() {
+  :
+}
diff --git a/tools/confidence_test.sh b/tools/confidence_test.sh
index 55d7fab..f928f04 100755
--- a/tools/confidence_test.sh
+++ b/tools/confidence_test.sh
@@ -229,6 +229,50 @@ assert_file_missing secret.txt
 assert_file_exists secret.txt.gpg
 
 
+PHASE 'Alice copies files to a non-repo directory. (NO REPO)'
+
+# Copy the repo entirely:
+make_self_deleting_tempdir fake_alice_filedir
+tar cf - . | ( cd "$fake_alice_filedir" && tar xpvf - )
+# Remove the .git directory
+rm -rf "$fake_alice_filedir/.git"
+(
+cd "$fake_alice_filedir"
+assert_file_missing '.git'
+assert_file_exists 'secret.txt.gpg'
+assert_file_missing 'secret.txt'
+blackbox_postdeploy
+assert_file_missing '.git'
+assert_file_exists 'secret.txt.gpg'
+assert_file_exists 'secret.txt'
+assert_file_md5hash secret.txt "08a3fa763a05c018a38e9924363b97e7"
+
+PHASE 'Alice shreds these non-repo files. (NO REPO)'
+blackbox_shred_all_files
+assert_file_missing '.git'
+assert_file_exists 'secret.txt.gpg'
+assert_file_missing 'secret.txt'
+
+PHASE 'Alice decrypts secrets.txt (NO REPO).'
+blackbox_edit_start secret.txt
+assert_file_exists secret.txt
+assert_file_exists secret.txt.gpg
+assert_file_md5hash secret.txt "08a3fa763a05c018a38e9924363b97e7"
+
+PHASE 'Alice edits secrets.txt. (NO REPO EDIT)'
+echo 'NOREPO EDIT' >secret.txt
+assert_file_md5hash secret.txt "d3e6bbdfc76fae7fd0a921f3408db1d1"
+blackbox_edit_end secret.txt
+assert_file_missing secret.txt
+assert_file_exists secret.txt.gpg
+
+PHASE 'Alice decrypts secrets.txt (NO REPO EDIT).'
+blackbox_edit_start secret.txt
+assert_file_exists secret.txt
+assert_file_exists secret.txt.gpg
+assert_file_md5hash secret.txt "d3e6bbdfc76fae7fd0a921f3408db1d1"
+)
+
 PHASE 'Bob appears.'
 become_bob