diff --git a/cli/args/flags.rs b/cli/args/flags.rs
index 39db12b5f1b855..5d98b9c18b2231 100644
--- a/cli/args/flags.rs
+++ b/cli/args/flags.rs
@@ -221,6 +221,7 @@ impl FmtFlags {
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, Eq, PartialEq)]
 pub struct InitFlags {
+  pub package: Option<String>,
   pub dir: Option<String>,
   pub lib: bool,
   pub serve: bool,
@@ -4652,6 +4653,8 @@ fn fmt_parse(
 
 fn init_parse(flags: &mut Flags, matches: &mut ArgMatches) {
   flags.subcommand = DenoSubcommand::Init(InitFlags {
+    // TODO:
+    package: None,
     dir: matches.remove_one::<String>("dir"),
     lib: matches.get_flag("lib"),
     serve: matches.get_flag("serve"),
@@ -10600,6 +10603,7 @@ mod tests {
       r.unwrap(),
       Flags {
         subcommand: DenoSubcommand::Init(InitFlags {
+          package: None,
           dir: None,
           lib: false,
           serve: false,
@@ -10613,6 +10617,7 @@ mod tests {
       r.unwrap(),
       Flags {
         subcommand: DenoSubcommand::Init(InitFlags {
+          package: None,
           dir: Some(String::from("foo")),
           lib: false,
           serve: false,
@@ -10626,6 +10631,7 @@ mod tests {
       r.unwrap(),
       Flags {
         subcommand: DenoSubcommand::Init(InitFlags {
+          package: None,
           dir: None,
           lib: false,
           serve: false,
@@ -10640,6 +10646,7 @@ mod tests {
       r.unwrap(),
       Flags {
         subcommand: DenoSubcommand::Init(InitFlags {
+          package: None,
           dir: None,
           lib: true,
           serve: false,
@@ -10653,6 +10660,7 @@ mod tests {
       r.unwrap(),
       Flags {
         subcommand: DenoSubcommand::Init(InitFlags {
+          package: None,
           dir: None,
           lib: false,
           serve: true,
@@ -10666,6 +10674,7 @@ mod tests {
       r.unwrap(),
       Flags {
         subcommand: DenoSubcommand::Init(InitFlags {
+          package: None,
           dir: Some(String::from("foo")),
           lib: true,
           serve: false,
@@ -10673,6 +10682,26 @@ mod tests {
         ..Flags::default()
       }
     );
+
+    let r = flags_from_vec(svec!["deno", "init", "npm:vite", "--lib"]);
+    assert!(r.is_err());
+
+    let r = flags_from_vec(svec!["deno", "init", "npm:vite", "--serve"]);
+    assert!(r.is_err());
+
+    let r = flags_from_vec(svec!["deno", "init", "npm:vite", "new_dir"]);
+    assert_eq!(
+      r.unwrap(),
+      Flags {
+        subcommand: DenoSubcommand::Init(InitFlags {
+          package: Some("npm:vite".to_string()),
+          dir: Some(String::from("new_dir")),
+          lib: true,
+          serve: false,
+        }),
+        ..Flags::default()
+      }
+    );
   }
 
   #[test]
diff --git a/cli/args/mod.rs b/cli/args/mod.rs
index ec75d7a100b157..0649f7c017a578 100644
--- a/cli/args/mod.rs
+++ b/cli/args/mod.rs
@@ -1621,8 +1621,9 @@ impl CliOptions {
       DenoSubcommand::Install(_)
         | DenoSubcommand::Add(_)
         | DenoSubcommand::Remove(_)
+        | DenoSubcommand::Init(_)
     ) {
-      // For `deno install/add/remove` we want to force the managed resolver so it can set up `node_modules/` directory.
+      // For `deno install/add/remove/init` we want to force the managed resolver so it can set up `node_modules/` directory.
       return false;
     }
     if self.node_modules_dir().ok().flatten().is_none()
diff --git a/cli/main.rs b/cli/main.rs
index 7d3ef0e6a0563a..80230d463f5098 100644
--- a/cli/main.rs
+++ b/cli/main.rs
@@ -35,7 +35,11 @@ use crate::util::display;
 use crate::util::v8::get_v8_flags_from_env;
 use crate::util::v8::init_v8_flags;
 
+use args::PackagesAllowedScripts;
+use args::PermissionFlags;
+use args::RunFlags;
 use args::TaskFlags;
+use deno_core::anyhow::bail;
 use deno_resolver::npm::ByonmResolvePkgFolderFromDenoReqError;
 use deno_resolver::npm::ResolvePkgFolderFromDenoReqError;
 use deno_runtime::WorkerExecutionMode;
@@ -143,6 +147,14 @@ async fn run_subcommand(flags: Arc<Flags>) -> Result<i32, AnyError> {
       )
     }
     DenoSubcommand::Init(init_flags) => {
+      if let Some(dir) = &init_flags.dir {
+        if dir.starts_with("jsr:") {
+          bail!("Initializing project from a jsr package is currently not supported.");
+        } else if dir.starts_with("npm:") {
+          return tools::init::init_npm(dir).await;
+        }
+      }
+
       spawn_subcommand(async {
         // make compiler happy since init_project is sync
         tokio::task::yield_now().await;
diff --git a/cli/tools/init/mod.rs b/cli/tools/init/mod.rs
index 4e4a686c5f2d7b..5ed1538cb6af83 100644
--- a/cli/tools/init/mod.rs
+++ b/cli/tools/init/mod.rs
@@ -1,10 +1,16 @@
 // Copyright 2018-2024 the Deno authors. All rights reserved. MIT license.
 
+use crate::args::DenoSubcommand;
+use crate::args::Flags;
 use crate::args::InitFlags;
+use crate::args::PackagesAllowedScripts;
+use crate::args::PermissionFlags;
+use crate::args::RunFlags;
 use crate::colors;
 use deno_core::anyhow::Context;
 use deno_core::error::AnyError;
 use deno_core::serde_json::json;
+use deno_runtime::WorkerExecutionMode;
 use log::info;
 use std::io::Write;
 use std::path::Path;
@@ -238,6 +244,33 @@ Deno.test(function addTest() {
   Ok(())
 }
 
+pub async fn init_npm(name: &str) -> Result<i32, AnyError> {
+  // TODO: do prompt
+  let script_name =
+    format!("npm:create-{}", name.strip_prefix("npm:").unwrap());
+
+  let new_flags = Flags {
+    permissions: PermissionFlags {
+      allow_all: true,
+      ..Default::default()
+    },
+    allow_scripts: PackagesAllowedScripts::All,
+    // TODO:
+    argv: vec![],
+    subcommand: DenoSubcommand::Run(RunFlags {
+      script: script_name,
+      ..Default::default()
+    }),
+    ..Default::default()
+  };
+  crate::tools::run::run_script(
+    WorkerExecutionMode::Run,
+    new_flags.into(),
+    None,
+  )
+  .await
+}
+
 fn create_json_file(
   dir: &Path,
   filename: &str,