diff --git a/cargo-workspaces/src/init.rs b/cargo-workspaces/src/init.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..30d4154
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cargo-workspaces/src/init.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+use crate::utils::info;
+use crate::utils::{Error, Result};
+use cargo_metadata::MetadataCommand;
+use clap::Clap;
+use glob::glob;
+use std::{collections::HashSet, fs, path::PathBuf};
+
+/// Create a new cargo workspace in an existing directory
+#[derive(Debug, Clap)]
+pub struct Init {
+    /// Path to the workspace root
+    #[clap(parse(from_os_str), default_value = ".")]
+    path: PathBuf,
+}
+
+impl Init {
+    pub fn run(&self) -> Result {
+        if !self.path.is_dir() {
+            return Err(Error::Init(format!(
+                "the path `{}` does not exist",
+                self.path.display()
+            )));
+        }
+
+        let cargo_toml = self.path.join("Cargo.toml");
+
+        if cargo_toml.is_file() {
+            return Err(Error::Init(format!(
+                "`init` cannot be run on existing Cargo packages."
+            )));
+        }
+
+        let ws = fs::canonicalize(&self.path)?;
+
+        let mut workspace_roots = HashSet::new();
+
+        for path in glob(&format!("{}/**/Cargo.toml", self.path.display()))?.filter_map(|e| e.ok())
+        {
+            let metadata = MetadataCommand::default()
+                .manifest_path(path)
+                .exec()
+                .map_err(|e| Error::Init(e.to_string()))?;
+            workspace_roots.insert(metadata.workspace_root);
+        }
+
+        let mut content = "[workspace]\nmembers = [".to_string();
+
+        let mut members: Vec<_> = workspace_roots
+            .iter()
+            .filter_map(|m| m.strip_prefix(&ws).ok())
+            .collect();
+
+        members.sort();
+        if !members.is_empty() {
+            content.push_str("\n");
+        }
+
+        members
+            .into_iter()
+            .for_each(|m| content.push_str(&format!("    \"{}\",\n", m.display())));
+        content.push_str("]");
+
+        fs::write(cargo_toml, content)?;
+
+        info!(
+            "success",
+            format!("Initialized workspace `{}`.", self.path.display())
+        )?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
diff --git a/cargo-workspaces/src/main.rs b/cargo-workspaces/src/main.rs
index 1d99505..d2940d9 100644
--- a/cargo-workspaces/src/main.rs
+++ b/cargo-workspaces/src/main.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ use std::process::exit;
 mod changed;
 mod create;
 mod exec;
+mod init;
 mod list;
 mod publish;
 mod rename;
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ enum Subcommand {
     Exec(exec::Exec),
     Create(create::Create),
     Rename(rename::Rename),
+    Init(init::Init),
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clap)]
@@ -64,25 +66,30 @@ fn main() {
         utils::set_debug();
     }
 
-    let mut cmd = MetadataCommand::new();
-
-    cmd.features(CargoOpt::AllFeatures);
-    cmd.no_deps();
-
-    if let Some(path) = opt.manifest_path {
-        cmd.manifest_path(path);
-    }
-
-    let metadata = cmd.exec().unwrap();
-
-    let err = match opt.subcommand {
-        Subcommand::List(x) => x.run(metadata),
-        Subcommand::Changed(x) => x.run(metadata),
-        Subcommand::Version(x) => x.run(metadata),
-        Subcommand::Publish(x) => x.run(metadata),
-        Subcommand::Exec(x) => x.run(metadata),
-        Subcommand::Create(x) => x.run(metadata),
-        Subcommand::Rename(x) => x.run(metadata),
+    let err = if let Subcommand::Init(ref init) = opt.subcommand {
+        init.run()
+    } else {
+        let mut cmd = MetadataCommand::new();
+
+        cmd.features(CargoOpt::AllFeatures);
+        cmd.no_deps();
+
+        if let Some(path) = opt.manifest_path {
+            cmd.manifest_path(path);
+        }
+
+        let metadata = cmd.exec().unwrap();
+
+        match opt.subcommand {
+            Subcommand::List(x) => x.run(metadata),
+            Subcommand::Changed(x) => x.run(metadata),
+            Subcommand::Version(x) => x.run(metadata),
+            Subcommand::Publish(x) => x.run(metadata),
+            Subcommand::Exec(x) => x.run(metadata),
+            Subcommand::Create(x) => x.run(metadata),
+            Subcommand::Rename(x) => x.run(metadata),
+            _ => unreachable!(),
+        }
     }
     .err();
 
diff --git a/cargo-workspaces/src/utils/error.rs b/cargo-workspaces/src/utils/error.rs
index 3a5f6f0..f2fba1c 100644
--- a/cargo-workspaces/src/utils/error.rs
+++ b/cargo-workspaces/src/utils/error.rs
@@ -68,6 +68,8 @@ pub enum Error {
     Update,
     #[error("unable to create crate")]
     Create,
+    #[error("unable to initialize workspace: {0}")]
+    Init(String),
     #[error("package {0}'s manifest has not parent directory")]
     ManifestHasNoParent(String),
     #[error("unable to update crate index, got {0}")]