diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/bin/cdk.ts b/packages/aws-cdk/bin/cdk.ts
index 97864cd79f503..23ebee1d93265 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/bin/cdk.ts
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/bin/cdk.ts
@@ -70,7 +70,8 @@ async function parseCommandLineArguments() {
     .command('metadata [STACK]', 'Returns all metadata associated with this stack')
     .command('init [TEMPLATE]', 'Create a new, empty CDK project from a template. Invoked without TEMPLATE, the app template will be used.', yargs => yargs
       .option('language', { type: 'string', alias: 'l', desc: 'The language to be used for the new project (default can be configured in ~/.cdk.json)', choices: initTemplateLanuages })
-      .option('list', { type: 'boolean', desc: 'List the available templates' }))
+      .option('list', { type: 'boolean', desc: 'List the available templates' })
+      .option('generate-only', { type: 'boolean', default: false, desc: 'If true, only generates project files, without executing additional operations such as setting up a git repo, installing dependencies or compiling the project'}))
     .commandDir('../lib/commands', { exclude: /^_.*/ })
     .version(version.DISPLAY_VERSION)
     .demandCommand(1, '') // just print help
@@ -100,6 +101,7 @@ async function initCommandLine() {
     proxyAddress: argv.proxy,
     ec2creds: argv.ec2creds,
   });
+
   const configuration = new Configuration(argv);
   await configuration.load();
 
@@ -225,10 +227,11 @@ async function initCommandLine() {
 
       case 'init':
         const language = configuration.settings.get(['language']);
+        const generateOnly = configuration.settings.get(['generate-only']);
         if (args.list) {
           return await printAvailableTemplates(language);
         } else {
-          return await cliInit(args.TEMPLATE, language);
+          return await cliInit(args.TEMPLATE, language, undefined, generateOnly);
         }
       case 'version':
         return print(version.DISPLAY_VERSION);
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init.ts b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init.ts
index 23d0df997bca2..55fbbec4d140f 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init.ts
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ const CDK_HOME = process.env.CDK_HOME ? path.resolve(process.env.CDK_HOME) : pat
 /**
  * Initialize a CDK package in the current directory
  */
-export async function cliInit(type?: string, language?: string, canUseNetwork?: boolean) {
+export async function cliInit(type?: string, language?: string, canUseNetwork = true, generateOnly = false) {
   if (!type && !language) {
     await printAvailableTemplates();
     return;
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@ export async function cliInit(type?: string, language?: string, canUseNetwork?:
     print(`Available languages for ${colors.green(type)}: ${template.languages.map(l => colors.blue(l)).join(', ')}`);
     throw new Error('No language was selected');
   }
-  await initializeProject(template, language, canUseNetwork !== undefined ? canUseNetwork : true);
+
+  await initializeProject(template, language, canUseNetwork, generateOnly);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -211,12 +212,14 @@ export async function printAvailableTemplates(language?: string) {
   }
 }
 
-async function initializeProject(template: InitTemplate, language: string, canUseNetwork: boolean) {
+async function initializeProject(template: InitTemplate, language: string, canUseNetwork: boolean, generateOnly: boolean) {
   await assertIsEmptyDirectory();
   print(`Applying project template ${colors.green(template.name)} for ${colors.blue(language)}`);
   await template.install(language, process.cwd());
-  await initializeGitRepository();
-  await postInstall(language, canUseNetwork);
+  if (!generateOnly) {
+    await initializeGitRepository();
+    await postInstall(language, canUseNetwork);
+  }
   if (await fs.pathExists('README.md')) {
     print(colors.green(await fs.readFile('README.md', { encoding: 'utf-8' })));
   } else {
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/settings.ts b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/settings.ts
index 13bb5b83a9b7c..a6cf22d2b2e15 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/settings.ts
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/settings.ts
@@ -233,6 +233,7 @@ export class Settings {
       versionReporting: argv.versionReporting,
       staging: argv.staging,
       output: argv.output,
+      generateOnly: argv.generateOnly,
     });
   }