diff --git a/packages/api/core/src/api/import.ts b/packages/api/core/src/api/import.ts
index faf98813e9..557b572b41 100644
--- a/packages/api/core/src/api/import.ts
+++ b/packages/api/core/src/api/import.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import fs from 'fs-extra';
 import { merge } from 'lodash';
 
 import { updateElectronDependency } from '../util/electron-version';
-import { setInitialForgeConfig } from '../util/forge-config';
 import installDepList, { DepType, DepVersionRestriction } from '../util/install-dependencies';
 import { info, warn } from '../util/messages';
 import { readRawPackageJson } from '../util/read-package-json';
@@ -204,10 +203,6 @@ export default async ({
     packageJSON.config.forge = templatePackageJSON.config.forge;
   }
 
-  if (typeof packageJSON.config.forge !== 'string') {
-    setInitialForgeConfig(packageJSON);
-  }
-
   await writeChanges();
 
   await asyncOra('Fixing .gitignore', async () => {
diff --git a/packages/api/core/src/api/init.ts b/packages/api/core/src/api/init.ts
index 010a350c8c..e132e5a090 100644
--- a/packages/api/core/src/api/init.ts
+++ b/packages/api/core/src/api/init.ts
@@ -3,10 +3,8 @@ import path from 'path';
 import { asyncOra } from '@electron-forge/async-ora';
 import { ForgeTemplate } from '@electron-forge/shared-types';
 import debug from 'debug';
-import fs from 'fs-extra';
 import semver from 'semver';
 
-import { setInitialForgeConfig } from '../util/forge-config';
 import installDepList, { DepType } from '../util/install-dependencies';
 import { readRawPackageJson } from '../util/read-package-json';
 
@@ -66,9 +64,6 @@ export default async ({ dir = process.cwd(), interactive = false, copyCIFiles =
 
   if (typeof templateModule.initializeTemplate === 'function') {
     await templateModule.initializeTemplate(dir, { copyCIFiles });
-    const packageJSON = await readRawPackageJson(dir);
-    setInitialForgeConfig(packageJSON);
-    await fs.writeJson(path.join(dir, 'package.json'), packageJSON, { spaces: 2 });
   }
 
   await asyncOra('Installing Template Dependencies', async () => {
diff --git a/packages/api/core/src/util/forge-config.ts b/packages/api/core/src/util/forge-config.ts
index e1d951b3bd..99e87b92e6 100644
--- a/packages/api/core/src/util/forge-config.ts
+++ b/packages/api/core/src/util/forge-config.ts
@@ -81,15 +81,6 @@ const proxify = <T extends ProxiedObject>(buildIdentifier: string | (() => strin
 };
 /* eslint-enable @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any */
 
-/**
- * Sets sensible defaults for the `config.forge` object.
- */
-export function setInitialForgeConfig(packageJSON: PackageJSONForInitialForgeConfig): void {
-  const { name = '' } = packageJSON;
-
-  ((packageJSON.config.forge as ForgeConfig).makers as IForgeResolvableMaker[])[0].config.name = name.replace(/-/g, '_');
-}
-
 export type BuildIdentifierMap<T> = Record<string, T | undefined>;
 export type BuildIdentifierConfig<T> = {
   map: BuildIdentifierMap<T>;
diff --git a/packages/api/core/test/fast/forge-config_spec.ts b/packages/api/core/test/fast/forge-config_spec.ts
index 2210b788a8..e83791f5e7 100644
--- a/packages/api/core/test/fast/forge-config_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/api/core/test/fast/forge-config_spec.ts
@@ -3,12 +3,7 @@ import path from 'path';
 import { ResolvedForgeConfig } from '@electron-forge/shared-types';
 import { expect } from 'chai';
 
-import findConfig, {
-  forgeConfigIsValidFilePath,
-  PackageJSONForInitialForgeConfig,
-  renderConfigTemplate,
-  setInitialForgeConfig,
-} from '../../src/util/forge-config';
+import findConfig, { forgeConfigIsValidFilePath, renderConfigTemplate } from '../../src/util/forge-config';
 
 const defaults = {
   packagerConfig: {},
@@ -219,45 +214,4 @@ describe('forge-config', () => {
       });
     });
   });
-
-  describe('setInitialForgeConfig', () => {
-    it('should normalize hyphens in maker names to underscores', () => {
-      const packageJSON: PackageJSONForInitialForgeConfig = {
-        name: 'foo-bar',
-        config: {
-          forge: {
-            makers: [
-              {
-                name: '@electron-forge/maker-test',
-                config: {
-                  name: 'will be overwritten',
-                },
-              },
-            ],
-          },
-        },
-      };
-      setInitialForgeConfig(packageJSON);
-      expect(packageJSON.config.forge.makers[0].config.name).to.equal('foo_bar');
-    });
-
-    it('should handle when package.json name is not set', () => {
-      const packageJSON = {
-        config: {
-          forge: {
-            makers: [
-              {
-                name: '@electron-forge/maker-test',
-                config: {
-                  name: 'will be overwritten',
-                },
-              },
-            ],
-          },
-        },
-      };
-      setInitialForgeConfig(packageJSON);
-      expect(packageJSON.config.forge.makers[0].config.name).to.equal('');
-    });
-  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/api/core/test/slow/api_spec_slow.ts b/packages/api/core/test/slow/api_spec_slow.ts
index f7ead4ad15..51ec63ae58 100644
--- a/packages/api/core/test/slow/api_spec_slow.ts
+++ b/packages/api/core/test/slow/api_spec_slow.ts
@@ -204,20 +204,8 @@ for (const nodeInstaller of ['npm', 'yarn']) {
 
         await forge.import({ dir });
 
-        const {
-          config: {
-            forge: {
-              makers: [
-                {
-                  config: { name: winstallerName },
-                },
-              ],
-            },
-          },
-          customProp,
-        } = await readRawPackageJson(dir);
+        const { customProp } = await readRawPackageJson(dir);
 
-        expect(winstallerName).to.equal('Name');
         expect(customProp).to.equal('propVal');
       });
 
diff --git a/packages/maker/squirrel/src/MakerSquirrel.ts b/packages/maker/squirrel/src/MakerSquirrel.ts
index f18c24e7cf..2ba293f191 100644
--- a/packages/maker/squirrel/src/MakerSquirrel.ts
+++ b/packages/maker/squirrel/src/MakerSquirrel.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ export default class MakerSquirrel extends MakerBase<MakerSquirrelConfig> {
     await this.ensureDirectory(outPath);
 
     const winstallerConfig: ElectronWinstallerOptions = {
-      name: packageJSON.name,
+      name: typeof packageJSON.name === 'string' ? packageJSON.name.replace(/-/g, '_') : undefined, // squirrel hates hyphens
       title: appName,
       noMsi: true,
       exe: `${forgeConfig.packagerConfig.executableName || appName}.exe`,
diff --git a/packages/template/base/tmpl/package.json b/packages/template/base/tmpl/package.json
index 84162c78f5..850feab7fe 100644
--- a/packages/template/base/tmpl/package.json
+++ b/packages/template/base/tmpl/package.json
@@ -19,9 +19,7 @@
       "makers": [
         {
           "name": "@electron-forge/maker-squirrel",
-          "config": {
-            "name": ""
-          }
+          "config": {}
         },
         {
           "name": "@electron-forge/maker-zip",