diff --git a/guide/src/cli/init.md b/guide/src/cli/init.md
index 99c0be09a6..5d0f903287 100644
--- a/guide/src/cli/init.md
+++ b/guide/src/cli/init.md
@@ -68,3 +68,7 @@ Create a `.gitignore` file configured to ignore the `book` directory created whe
 If not supplied, an interactive prompt will ask whether it should be created.
 
 [building]: build.md
+
+#### --force
+
+Skip the prompts to create a `.gitignore` and for the title for the book.
diff --git a/src/cmd/init.rs b/src/cmd/init.rs
index d8ce93d162..3a60d97586 100644
--- a/src/cmd/init.rs
+++ b/src/cmd/init.rs
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ pub fn execute(args: &ArgMatches) -> Result<()> {
             "git" => builder.create_gitignore(true),
             _ => builder.create_gitignore(false),
         };
-    } else {
+    } else if !args.get_flag("force") {
         println!("\nDo you want a .gitignore to be created? (y/n)");
         if confirm() {
             builder.create_gitignore(true);
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ pub fn execute(args: &ArgMatches) -> Result<()> {
 
     config.book.title = if args.contains_id("title") {
         args.get_one::<String>("title").map(String::from)
+    } else if args.get_flag("force") {
+        None
     } else {
         request_book_title()
     };
diff --git a/tests/cli/init.rs b/tests/cli/init.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6bd1227437
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cli/init.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+use crate::cli::cmd::mdbook_cmd;
+use crate::dummy_book::DummyBook;
+
+use mdbook::config::Config;
+
+/// Run `mdbook init` with `--force` to skip the confirmation prompts
+#[test]
+fn base_mdbook_init_can_skip_confirmation_prompts() {
+    let temp = DummyBook::new().build().unwrap();
+
+    // doesn't exist before
+    assert!(!temp.path().join("book").exists());
+
+    let mut cmd = mdbook_cmd();
+    cmd.args(["init", "--force"]).current_dir(temp.path());
+    cmd.assert()
+        .success()
+        .stdout(predicates::str::contains("\nAll done, no errors...\n"));
+
+    let config = Config::from_disk(temp.path().join("book.toml")).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(config.book.title, None);
+
+    assert!(!temp.path().join(".gitignore").exists());
+}
diff --git a/tests/cli/mod.rs b/tests/cli/mod.rs
index 989f443f02..152b4ee91b 100644
--- a/tests/cli/mod.rs
+++ b/tests/cli/mod.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 mod build;
 mod cmd;
+mod init;
 mod test;