diff --git a/src/cli/cmd.h b/src/cli/cmd.h
index 5ac67f526..194a0b505 100644
--- a/src/cli/cmd.h
+++ b/src/cli/cmd.h
@@ -32,5 +32,6 @@ extern int cmd_config(int argc, char **argv);
 extern int cmd_hash_object(int argc, char **argv);
 extern int cmd_help(int argc, char **argv);
 extern int cmd_index_pack(int argc, char **argv);
+extern int cmd_init(int argc, char **argv);
 
 #endif /* CLI_cmd_h__ */
diff --git a/src/cli/cmd_init.c b/src/cli/cmd_init.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b6468961e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/cmd_init.c
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) the libgit2 contributors. All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * This file is part of libgit2, distributed under the GNU GPL v2 with
+ * a Linking Exception. For full terms see the included COPYING file.
+ */
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <git2.h>
+#include "common.h"
+#include "cmd.h"
+#include "error.h"
+#include "sighandler.h"
+#include "progress.h"
+
+#include "fs_path.h"
+#include "futils.h"
+
+#define COMMAND_NAME "init"
+
+static char *branch, *git_dir, *template_dir, *path;
+static int quiet, bare;
+
+static const cli_opt_spec opts[] = {
+	CLI_COMMON_OPT,
+
+	{ CLI_OPT_TYPE_SWITCH,    "quiet",           'q', &quiet,       1,
+	  CLI_OPT_USAGE_DEFAULT,   NULL,             "quiet mode; don't display informational messages" },
+	{ CLI_OPT_TYPE_SWITCH,    "bare",             0,  &bare,        1,
+	  CLI_OPT_USAGE_DEFAULT,   NULL,             "don't create a working directory" },
+	{ CLI_OPT_TYPE_VALUE,     "initial-branch",  'b', &branch,      0,
+	  CLI_OPT_USAGE_DEFAULT,  "name",            "initial branch name" },
+	{ CLI_OPT_TYPE_VALUE,     "separate-git-dir", 0, &git_dir,      0,
+	  CLI_OPT_USAGE_DEFAULT,  "git-dir",         "path to separate git directory" },
+	{ CLI_OPT_TYPE_VALUE,     "template",         0, &template_dir, 0,
+	  CLI_OPT_USAGE_DEFAULT,  "template-dir",    "path to git directory templates" },
+	{ CLI_OPT_TYPE_LITERAL },
+	{ CLI_OPT_TYPE_ARG,       "directory",        0,  &path,        0,
+	  CLI_OPT_USAGE_DEFAULT,  "directory",       "directory to create repository in" },
+	{ 0 }
+};
+
+static void print_help(void)
+{
+	cli_opt_usage_fprint(stdout, PROGRAM_NAME, COMMAND_NAME, opts, 0);
+	printf("\n");
+
+	printf("Create a new git repository.\n");
+	printf("\n");
+
+	printf("Options:\n");
+
+	cli_opt_help_fprint(stdout, opts);
+}
+
+int cmd_init(int argc, char **argv)
+{
+	git_repository *repo = NULL;
+	git_repository_init_options init_opts = GIT_REPOSITORY_INIT_OPTIONS_INIT;
+	cli_opt invalid_opt;
+	const char *repo_path;
+	int ret = 0;
+
+	if (cli_opt_parse(&invalid_opt, opts, argv + 1, argc - 1, CLI_OPT_PARSE_GNU))
+		return cli_opt_usage_error(COMMAND_NAME, opts, &invalid_opt);
+
+	if (cli_opt__show_help) {
+		print_help();
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	init_opts.flags |= GIT_REPOSITORY_INIT_MKPATH |
+	                   GIT_REPOSITORY_INIT_EXTERNAL_TEMPLATE;
+
+	if (bare && git_dir)
+		return cli_error_usage("the '--bare' and '--separate-git-dir' options cannot be used together");
+
+	if (bare)
+		init_opts.flags |= GIT_REPOSITORY_INIT_BARE;
+
+	init_opts.template_path = template_dir;
+	init_opts.initial_head = branch;
+
+	if (git_dir) {
+		init_opts.flags |= GIT_REPOSITORY_INIT_NO_DOTGIT_DIR;
+		init_opts.workdir_path = path;
+
+		repo_path = git_dir;
+	} else {
+		repo_path = path;
+	}
+
+	if (git_repository_init_ext(&repo, repo_path, &init_opts) < 0) {
+		ret = cli_error_git();
+	} else if (!quiet) {
+		printf("Initialized empty Git repository in %s\n",
+			git_repository_path(repo));
+	}
+
+	git_repository_free(repo);
+	return ret;
+}
diff --git a/src/cli/main.c b/src/cli/main.c
index 1cc8dd3e2..be913ba64 100644
--- a/src/cli/main.c
+++ b/src/cli/main.c
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ const cli_cmd_spec cli_cmds[] = {
 	{ "hash-object", cmd_hash_object, "Hash a raw object and product its object ID" },
 	{ "help",        cmd_help,        "Display help information" },
 	{ "index-pack",  cmd_index_pack,  "Create an index for a packfile" },
+	{ "init",        cmd_init,        "Create a new git repository" },
 	{ NULL }
 };
 
diff --git a/src/cli/opt_usage.c b/src/cli/opt_usage.c
index ecb4f1461..b887509d7 100644
--- a/src/cli/opt_usage.c
+++ b/src/cli/opt_usage.c
@@ -8,32 +8,81 @@
 #include "common.h"
 #include "str.h"
 
-static int print_spec_name(git_str *out, const cli_opt_spec *spec)
+#define is_switch_or_value(spec) \
+	((spec)->type == CLI_OPT_TYPE_SWITCH || \
+	 (spec)->type == CLI_OPT_TYPE_VALUE)
+
+static int print_spec_args(git_str *out, const cli_opt_spec *spec)
 {
-	if (spec->type == CLI_OPT_TYPE_VALUE && spec->alias &&
-	    !(spec->usage & CLI_OPT_USAGE_VALUE_OPTIONAL) &&
-	    !(spec->usage & CLI_OPT_USAGE_SHOW_LONG))
-		return git_str_printf(out, "-%c <%s>", spec->alias, spec->value_name);
-	if (spec->type == CLI_OPT_TYPE_VALUE && spec->alias &&
-	    !(spec->usage & CLI_OPT_USAGE_SHOW_LONG))
-		return git_str_printf(out, "-%c [<%s>]", spec->alias, spec->value_name);
-	if (spec->type == CLI_OPT_TYPE_VALUE &&
-	    !(spec->usage & CLI_OPT_USAGE_VALUE_OPTIONAL))
-		return git_str_printf(out, "--%s[=<%s>]", spec->name, spec->value_name);
-	if (spec->type == CLI_OPT_TYPE_VALUE)
-		return git_str_printf(out, "--%s=<%s>", spec->name, spec->value_name);
+	GIT_ASSERT(!is_switch_or_value(spec));
+
 	if (spec->type == CLI_OPT_TYPE_ARG)
 		return git_str_printf(out, "<%s>", spec->value_name);
 	if (spec->type == CLI_OPT_TYPE_ARGS)
 		return git_str_printf(out, "<%s>...", spec->value_name);
 	if (spec->type == CLI_OPT_TYPE_LITERAL)
 		return git_str_printf(out, "--");
-	if (spec->alias && !(spec->usage & CLI_OPT_USAGE_SHOW_LONG))
-		return git_str_printf(out, "-%c", spec->alias);
-	if (spec->name)
-		return git_str_printf(out, "--%s", spec->name);
 
-	GIT_ASSERT(0);
+	GIT_ASSERT(!"unknown option spec type");
+	return -1;
+}
+
+GIT_INLINE(int) print_spec_alias(git_str *out, const cli_opt_spec *spec)
+{
+	GIT_ASSERT(is_switch_or_value(spec) && spec->alias);
+
+	if (spec->type == CLI_OPT_TYPE_VALUE &&
+	    !(spec->usage & CLI_OPT_USAGE_VALUE_OPTIONAL))
+		return git_str_printf(out, "-%c <%s>", spec->alias, spec->value_name);
+	else if (spec->type == CLI_OPT_TYPE_VALUE)
+		return git_str_printf(out, "-%c [<%s>]", spec->alias, spec->value_name);
+	else
+		return git_str_printf(out, "-%c", spec->alias);
+}
+
+GIT_INLINE(int) print_spec_name(git_str *out, const cli_opt_spec *spec)
+{
+	GIT_ASSERT(is_switch_or_value(spec) && spec->name);
+
+	if (spec->type == CLI_OPT_TYPE_VALUE &&
+	    !(spec->usage & CLI_OPT_USAGE_VALUE_OPTIONAL))
+		return git_str_printf(out, "--%s=<%s>", spec->name, spec->value_name);
+	else if (spec->type == CLI_OPT_TYPE_VALUE)
+		return git_str_printf(out, "--%s[=<%s>]", spec->name, spec->value_name);
+	else
+		return git_str_printf(out, "--%s", spec->name);
+}
+
+GIT_INLINE(int) print_spec_full(git_str *out, const cli_opt_spec *spec)
+{
+	int error = 0;
+
+	if (is_switch_or_value(spec)) {
+		if (spec->alias)
+			error |= print_spec_alias(out, spec);
+
+		if (spec->alias && spec->name)
+			error |= git_str_printf(out, ", ");
+
+		if (spec->name)
+			error |= print_spec_name(out, spec);
+	} else {
+		error |= print_spec_args(out, spec);
+	}
+
+	return error;
+}
+
+GIT_INLINE(int) print_spec(git_str *out, const cli_opt_spec *spec)
+{
+	if (is_switch_or_value(spec)) {
+		if (spec->alias && !(spec->usage & CLI_OPT_USAGE_SHOW_LONG))
+			return print_spec_alias(out, spec);
+		else
+			return print_spec_name(out, spec);
+	}
+
+	return print_spec_args(out, spec);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -56,7 +105,7 @@ int cli_opt_usage_fprint(
 	int error;
 
 	/* TODO: query actual console width. */
-	int console_width = 80;
+	int console_width = 78;
 
 	if ((error = git_str_printf(&usage, "usage: %s", command)) < 0)
 		goto done;
@@ -88,7 +137,7 @@ int cli_opt_usage_fprint(
 		if (!optional && !choice && next_choice)
 			git_str_putc(&opt, '(');
 
-		if ((error = print_spec_name(&opt, spec)) < 0)
+		if ((error = print_spec(&opt, spec)) < 0)
 			goto done;
 
 		if (!optional && choice && !next_choice)
@@ -113,11 +162,11 @@ int cli_opt_usage_fprint(
 				git_str_putc(&usage, ' ');
 
 			linelen = prefixlen;
-		} else {
-			git_str_putc(&usage, ' ');
-			linelen += git_str_len(&opt) + 1;
 		}
 
+		git_str_putc(&usage, ' ');
+		linelen += git_str_len(&opt) + 1;
+
 		git_str_puts(&usage, git_str_cstr(&opt));
 
 		if (git_str_oom(&usage)) {
@@ -169,13 +218,13 @@ int cli_opt_help_fprint(
 
 		git_str_printf(&help, "    ");
 
-		if ((error = print_spec_name(&help, spec)) < 0)
+		if ((error = print_spec_full(&help, spec)) < 0)
 			goto done;
 
-		if (spec->help)
-			git_str_printf(&help, ": %s", spec->help);
-
 		git_str_printf(&help, "\n");
+
+		if (spec->help)
+			git_str_printf(&help, "        %s\n", spec->help);
 	}
 
 	/* Display the remaining arguments */
@@ -192,13 +241,13 @@ int cli_opt_help_fprint(
 
 		git_str_printf(&help, "    ");
 
-		if ((error = print_spec_name(&help, spec)) < 0)
+		if ((error = print_spec_full(&help, spec)) < 0)
 			goto done;
 
-		if (spec->help)
-			git_str_printf(&help, ": %s", spec->help);
-
 		git_str_printf(&help, "\n");
+
+		if (spec->help)
+			git_str_printf(&help, "        %s\n", spec->help);
 	}
 
 	if (git_str_oom(&help) ||