diff --git a/lib/init/config-initializer.js b/lib/init/config-initializer.js
index b4f436a2..f0548b0f 100644
--- a/lib/init/config-initializer.js
+++ b/lib/init/config-initializer.js
@@ -295,10 +295,9 @@ function installModules(modules, packageManager) {
 /**
  * Ask user to install modules.
  * @param {string[]} modules Array of modules to be installed.
- * @param {boolean} packageJsonExists Indicates if package.json is existed.
  * @returns {Promise<void>} Answer that indicates if user wants to install.
  */
-function askInstallModules(modules, packageJsonExists) {
+function askInstallModules(modules) {
 
     // If no modules, do nothing.
     if (modules.length === 0) {
@@ -316,7 +315,7 @@ function askInstallModules(modules, packageJsonExists) {
             disabled: "No",
             initial: 1,
             skip() {
-                return !(modules.length && packageJsonExists);
+                return !modules.length;
             },
             result(input) {
                 return this.skipped ? null : input;
@@ -345,7 +344,11 @@ function askInstallModules(modules, packageJsonExists) {
  * @returns {Promise<void>} The promise with the result of the prompt
  */
 function promptUser() {
+    const packageJsonExists = npmUtils.checkPackageJson();
 
+    if (!packageJsonExists) {
+        throw new Error("A package.json file is necessary to initialize ESLint. Run `npm init` to create a package.json file and try again.");
+    }
     return enquirer.prompt([
         {
             type: "select",
@@ -427,8 +430,7 @@ function promptUser() {
                 { message: "XO: https://github.com/xojs/eslint-config-xo", name: "xo" }
             ],
             skip() {
-                this.state.answers.packageJsonExists = npmUtils.checkPackageJson();
-                return !(this.state.answers.source === "guide" && this.state.answers.packageJsonExists);
+                return this.state.answers.source !== "guide";
             },
             result(input) {
                 return this.skipped ? null : input;
@@ -456,7 +458,7 @@ function promptUser() {
             disabled: "No",
             initial: 1,
             skip() {
-                return !(this.state.answers.source === "guide" && this.state.answers.packageJsonExists && hasESLintVersionConflict(this.state.answers));
+                return !(this.state.answers.source === "guide" && hasESLintVersionConflict(this.state.answers));
             },
             result(input) {
                 return this.skipped ? null : input;
@@ -469,16 +471,12 @@ function promptUser() {
             const config = processAnswers(earlyAnswers);
             const modules = getModulesList(config);
 
-            return askInstallModules(modules, earlyAnswers.packageJsonExists)
+            return askInstallModules(modules)
                 .then(() => writeFile(config, earlyAnswers.format));
         }
 
         // early exit if you are using a style guide
         if (earlyAnswers.source === "guide") {
-            if (!earlyAnswers.packageJsonExists) {
-                info("A package.json is necessary to install plugins such as style guides. Run `npm init` to create a package.json file and try again.");
-                return void 0;
-            }
             if (earlyAnswers.installESLint === false && !semver.satisfies(earlyAnswers.localESLintVersion, earlyAnswers.requiredESLintVersionRange)) {
                 info(`Note: it might not work since ESLint's version is mismatched with the ${earlyAnswers.styleguide} config.`);
             }
@@ -498,7 +496,7 @@ function promptUser() {
 
             const modules = getModulesList(config);
 
-            return askInstallModules(modules, earlyAnswers.packageJsonExists)
+            return askInstallModules(modules)
                 .then(() => writeFile(config, earlyAnswers.format));
 
         }
@@ -540,7 +538,7 @@ function promptUser() {
             const config = processAnswers(totalAnswers);
             const modules = getModulesList(config);
 
-            return askInstallModules(modules, earlyAnswers.packageJsonExists).then(() => writeFile(config, earlyAnswers.format));
+            return askInstallModules(modules).then(() => writeFile(config, earlyAnswers.format));
         });
     });
 }
diff --git a/tests/init/config-initializer.js b/tests/init/config-initializer.js
index db643602..9e867737 100644
--- a/tests/init/config-initializer.js
+++ b/tests/init/config-initializer.js
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import sh from "shelljs";
 import esmock from "esmock";
 import { fileURLToPath } from "url";
 import * as npmUtils from "../../lib/init/npm-utils.js";
+import { defineInMemoryFs } from "../_utils/index.js";
 
 const originalDir = process.cwd();
 const { assert } = chai;
@@ -137,6 +138,21 @@ describe("configInitializer", () => {
                     format: "JSON"
                 };
             });
+            it("should throw error with message when no package.json", async () => {
+                const requireStubs = {
+                    "../../lib/shared/logging.js": log,
+                    "../../lib/init/npm-utils.js": {
+                        ...await esmock("../../lib/init/npm-utils.js", { fs: defineInMemoryFs({}) })
+                    }
+                };
+
+
+                init = await esmock("../../lib/init/config-initializer.js", requireStubs, { });
+
+                assert.throws(() => {
+                    init.initializeConfig();
+                }, "A package.json file is necessary to initialize ESLint. Run `npm init` to create a package.json file and try again.");
+            });
 
             it("should create default config", () => {
                 const config = init.processAnswers(answers);