diff --git a/assets/ContractTemplate.sol b/assets/ContractTemplate.sol
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..fb706945cff8b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/assets/ContractTemplate.sol
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Unlicense
+pragma solidity 0.8.10;
+
+contract Contract {}
diff --git a/assets/ContractTemplate.t.sol b/assets/ContractTemplate.t.sol
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..409403a84941f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/assets/ContractTemplate.t.sol
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Unlicense
+pragma solidity 0.8.10;
+
+contract ContractTest {
+    function setUp() public {}
+}
diff --git a/cli/src/forge.rs b/cli/src/forge.rs
index 8a3d1e8425a73..3c2d61b92b4ed 100644
--- a/cli/src/forge.rs
+++ b/cli/src/forge.rs
@@ -245,6 +245,55 @@ fn main() -> eyre::Result<()> {
                 .collect();
             remappings.iter().for_each(|x| println!("{}", x));
         }
+        Subcommands::Init { root, template } => {
+            let root = root.unwrap_or_else(|| std::env::current_dir().unwrap());
+            // create the root dir if it does not exist
+            if !root.exists() {
+                std::fs::create_dir_all(&root)?;
+            }
+            let root = std::fs::canonicalize(root)?;
+
+            // if a template is provided, then this command is just an alias to `git clone <url>
+            // <path>`
+            if let Some(ref template) = template {
+                println!("Initializing {} from {}...", root.display(), template);
+                std::process::Command::new("git")
+                    .args(&["clone", template, &root.display().to_string()])
+                    .spawn()?
+                    .wait()?;
+            } else {
+                println!("Initializing {}...", root.display());
+
+                // make the dirs
+                let src = root.join("src");
+                let test = src.join("test");
+                std::fs::create_dir_all(&test)?;
+                let lib = root.join("lib");
+                std::fs::create_dir(&lib)?;
+
+                // write the contract file
+                let contract_path = src.join("Contract.sol");
+                std::fs::write(contract_path, include_str!("../../assets/ContractTemplate.sol"))?;
+                // write the tests
+                let contract_path = test.join("Contract.t.sol");
+                std::fs::write(contract_path, include_str!("../../assets/ContractTemplate.t.sol"))?;
+
+                // sets up git
+                std::process::Command::new("git").arg("init").current_dir(&root).spawn()?.wait()?;
+                std::process::Command::new("git")
+                    .args(&["add", "."])
+                    .current_dir(&root)
+                    .spawn()?
+                    .wait()?;
+                std::process::Command::new("git")
+                    .args(&["commit", "-m", "chore: forge init"])
+                    .current_dir(&root)
+                    .spawn()?
+                    .wait()?;
+            }
+
+            println!("Done.");
+        }
     }
 
     Ok(())
diff --git a/cli/src/forge_opts.rs b/cli/src/forge_opts.rs
index a14c601350c82..88df61e6d9a9a 100644
--- a/cli/src/forge_opts.rs
+++ b/cli/src/forge_opts.rs
@@ -122,6 +122,13 @@ pub enum Subcommands {
         #[structopt(long, help = "verify on Etherscan")]
         verify: bool,
     },
+    #[structopt(alias = "i", about = "initializes a new forge repository")]
+    Init {
+        #[structopt(help = "the project's root path, default being the current directory")]
+        root: Option<PathBuf>,
+        #[structopt(help = "optional solidity template to start from", long, short)]
+        template: Option<String>,
+    },
 }
 
 /// Represents the common dapp argument pattern for `<path>:<contractname>` where `<path>:` is