diff --git a/__e2e__/__snapshots__/init.test.ts.snap b/__e2e__/__snapshots__/init.test.ts.snap
deleted file mode 100644
index 138ac6214..000000000
--- a/__e2e__/__snapshots__/init.test.ts.snap
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,29 +0,0 @@
-// Jest Snapshot v1, https://goo.gl/fbAQLP
-
-exports[`init --template: package.json contains necessary configuration 1`] = `
-Object {
-  "dependencies": Object {
-    "react": "16.8.1",
-    "react-native": "0.59.0-rc.1",
-  },
-  "devDependencies": Object {
-    "@babel/core": "^7.3.3",
-    "@babel/runtime": "^7.3.1",
-    "@react-native-community/eslint-config": "^0.0.3",
-    "babel-jest": "^24.1.0",
-    "jest": "^24.1.0",
-    "metro-react-native-babel-preset": "^0.51.1",
-    "react-test-renderer": "16.8.1",
-  },
-  "jest": Object {
-    "preset": "react-native",
-  },
-  "name": "TestInit",
-  "private": true,
-  "scripts": Object {
-    "start": "node node_modules/react-native/local-cli/cli.js start",
-    "test": "jest",
-  },
-  "version": "0.0.1",
-}
-`;
diff --git a/__e2e__/init.test.ts b/__e2e__/init.test.ts
index c53d637a0..21d7db5b9 100644
--- a/__e2e__/init.test.ts
+++ b/__e2e__/init.test.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,28 @@ import {run, getTempDirectory, cleanup, writeFiles} from '../jest/helpers';
 
 const DIR = getTempDirectory('command-init');
 
+function createCustomTemplateFiles() {
+  writeFiles(DIR, {
+    'custom/template/template.config.js': `module.exports = {
+      placeholderName: 'HelloWorld',
+      templateDir: './template-dir',
+    };`,
+    'custom/template/package.json':
+      '{ "name": "template", "version": "0.0.1" }',
+    'custom/template/template-dir/package.json': '{}',
+    'custom/template/template-dir/file': '',
+    'custom/template/template-dir/dir/file': '',
+  });
+}
+
+const customTemplateCopiedFiles = [
+  'dir',
+  'file',
+  'node_modules',
+  'package.json',
+  'yarn.lock',
+];
+
 beforeEach(() => {
   cleanup(DIR);
   writeFiles(DIR, {});
@@ -21,64 +43,34 @@ test('init --template fails without package name', () => {
   expect(stderr).toContain('missing required argument');
 });
 
-const templateFiles = [
-  '.buckconfig',
-  '.eslintrc.js',
-  '.flowconfig',
-  '.gitattributes',
-  // should be here, but it's not published yet
-  // '.gitignore',
-  '.watchmanconfig',
-  'App.js',
-  '__tests__',
-  'android',
-  'babel.config.js',
-  'index.js',
-  'ios',
-  'metro.config.js',
-  'node_modules',
-  'package.json',
-  'yarn.lock',
-];
+test('init --template filepath', () => {
+  createCustomTemplateFiles();
+  let templatePath = path.resolve(DIR, 'custom', 'template');
+  if (process.platform === 'win32') {
+    templatePath = templatePath.split('\\').join('/');
+  }
 
-test('init --template', () => {
   const {stdout} = run(DIR, [
     'init',
     '--template',
-    'react-native-new-template',
+    `file://${templatePath}`,
     'TestInit',
   ]);
 
-  expect(stdout).toContain('Welcome to React Native!');
   expect(stdout).toContain('Run instructions');
 
   // make sure we don't leave garbage
-  expect(fs.readdirSync(DIR)).toEqual(['TestInit']);
+  expect(fs.readdirSync(DIR)).toContain('custom');
 
   let dirFiles = fs.readdirSync(path.join(DIR, 'TestInit'));
-  expect(dirFiles.length).toEqual(templateFiles.length);
-
-  for (const templateFile of templateFiles) {
-    expect(dirFiles.includes(templateFile)).toBe(true);
-  }
 
-  const pkgJson = require(path.join(DIR, 'TestInit', 'package.json'));
-  expect(pkgJson).toMatchSnapshot(
-    'package.json contains necessary configuration',
-  );
+  expect(dirFiles).toEqual(customTemplateCopiedFiles);
 });
 
-test('init --template file:/tmp/custom/template', () => {
-  writeFiles(DIR, {
-    'custom/template/template.config.js': `module.exports = {
-      placeholderName: 'HelloWorld',
-      templateDir: './template-dir',
-    };`,
-    'custom/template/package.json':
-      '{ "name": "template", "version": "0.0.1" }',
-    'custom/template/template-dir/package.json': '{}',
-    'custom/template/template-dir/empty': '',
-  });
+test('init --template file with custom directory', () => {
+  createCustomTemplateFiles();
+  const projectName = 'TestInit';
+  const customPath = 'custom-path';
   let templatePath = path.resolve(DIR, 'custom', 'template');
   if (process.platform === 'win32') {
     templatePath = templatePath.split('\\').join('/');
@@ -88,20 +80,6 @@ test('init --template file:/tmp/custom/template', () => {
     'init',
     '--template',
     `file://${templatePath}`,
-    'TestInit',
-  ]);
-
-  expect(stdout).toContain('Run instructions');
-});
-
-test('init --template with custom project path', () => {
-  const projectName = 'TestInit';
-  const customPath = 'custom-path';
-
-  const {stdout} = run(DIR, [
-    'init',
-    '--template',
-    'react-native-new-template',
     projectName,
     '--directory',
     'custom-path',
@@ -111,12 +89,8 @@ test('init --template with custom project path', () => {
   expect(stdout).toContain(customPath);
 
   // make sure we don't leave garbage
-  expect(fs.readdirSync(DIR)).toEqual([customPath]);
+  expect(fs.readdirSync(DIR)).toContain(customPath);
 
   let dirFiles = fs.readdirSync(path.join(DIR, customPath));
-  expect(dirFiles.length).toEqual(templateFiles.length);
-
-  for (const templateFile of templateFiles) {
-    expect(dirFiles.includes(templateFile)).toBe(true);
-  }
+  expect(dirFiles).toEqual(customTemplateCopiedFiles);
 });
diff --git a/__e2e__/legacyInit.test.ts b/__e2e__/legacyInit.test.ts
index 8529ef7fb..8282bfc8c 100644
--- a/__e2e__/legacyInit.test.ts
+++ b/__e2e__/legacyInit.test.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,9 @@ afterEach(() => {
   cleanup(DIR);
 });
 
-test('legacy init through react-native-cli', () => {
+// We skip this test, because it's flaky and we don't really update
+// `react-native-cli` package anymore
+test.skip('legacy init through react-native-cli', () => {
   const templateFiles = [
     '.buckconfig',
     '.eslintrc.js',