diff --git a/plugins/all-contributors/__tests__/all-contributors.test.ts b/plugins/all-contributors/__tests__/all-contributors.test.ts
index 91591bb55..f4390d464 100644
--- a/plugins/all-contributors/__tests__/all-contributors.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/all-contributors/__tests__/all-contributors.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import * as Auto from "@auto-it/core";
+import generateReadme from "all-contributors-cli/dist/generate";
 import addContributor from "all-contributors-cli/dist/contributors";
 import {
   makeHooks,
@@ -11,6 +12,7 @@ import env from "env-ci";
 
 import AllContributors from "../src";
 
+const generateMock = jest.fn();
 const addContributorMock = jest.fn();
 const envMock = jest.fn();
 const gitShow = jest.fn();
@@ -25,6 +27,9 @@ jest.mock("env-ci");
 jest.mock("child_process");
 jest.mock("all-contributors-cli/dist/contributors");
 jest.mock("all-contributors-cli/dist/generate");
+
+// @ts-ignore 
+generateReadme.mockImplementation(generateMock);
 // @ts-ignore
 addContributor.mockImplementation(addContributorMock);
 // @ts-ignore
@@ -546,6 +551,35 @@ describe("All Contributors Plugin", () => {
     expect(addContributorMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
+  test("should initialize contributors if not already initialized", async () => {
+    const releasedLabel = new AllContributors();
+    const autoHooks = makeHooks();
+    mockRead(
+      '{ "contributors": [ { "login": "Jeff", "contributions": ["code"] } ], "files": ["README.md"]}'
+    );
+
+    mockRead(
+      "<!-- ALL-CONTRIBUTORS-LIST:START - Do not remove or modify this section --><!-- prettier-ignore-start -->\n<!-- markdownlint-disable -->\n<!-- markdownlint-restore -->\n<!-- prettier-ignore-end -->\n<!-- ALL-CONTRIBUTORS-LIST:END -->"
+    );
+
+    releasedLabel.apply({ hooks: autoHooks, logger: dummyLog() } as Auto.Auto);
+
+    await autoHooks.afterAddToChangelog.promise({
+      bump: Auto.SEMVER.patch,
+      currentVersion: "0.0.0",
+      lastRelease: "0.0.0",
+      releaseNotes: "",
+      commits: [
+        makeCommitFromMsg("Do the thing", {
+          files: ["src/index.ts"],
+          username: "Jeff",
+        }),
+      ],
+    });
+
+    expect(generateMock).toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
   describe("parseCommit", () => {
     test("should do nothing if no extra contributions are found", async () => {
       const releasedLabel = new AllContributors();
diff --git a/plugins/all-contributors/src/index.ts b/plugins/all-contributors/src/index.ts
index ac1ef803d..59338f99a 100644
--- a/plugins/all-contributors/src/index.ts
+++ b/plugins/all-contributors/src/index.ts
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ function getRcFile(auto: Auto) {
       `Encountered errors loading all-contributors configuration at ${rcFile}`,
       error
     );
-    process.exit(1)
+    process.exit(1);
   }
 }
 
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ interface AllContributorsRc {
   /** All of the current contributors */
   contributors: Contributor[];
   /** Files to generate a markdown table of contributors in */
-  files: string[];
+  files?: string[];
 }
 
 const defaultOptions: IAllContributorsPluginOptions = {
@@ -173,6 +173,31 @@ function getExtraContributors(body?: string) {
   return authorContributions;
 }
 
+/** Determine which files need to display contributors and generate contributors */
+function generateContributorReadme(
+  config: AllContributorsRc,
+  contributors: any
+) {
+  return Promise.all(
+    (config.files || ["README.md"]).map(async (file) => {
+      const oldReadMe = fs.readFileSync(file, {
+        encoding: "utf-8",
+      });
+      const newReadMe = await generateReadme(
+        {
+          contributorsPerLine: 7,
+          imageSize: 100,
+          ...config,
+          contributors,
+        },
+        contributors,
+        oldReadMe
+      );
+      fs.writeFileSync(file, newReadMe);
+    })
+  );
+}
+
 /** Automatically add contributors as changelogs are produced. */
 export default class AllContributorsPlugin implements IPlugin {
   /** The name of the plugin */
@@ -180,6 +205,8 @@ export default class AllContributorsPlugin implements IPlugin {
 
   /** The options of the plugin */
   readonly options: Required<IAllContributorsPluginOptions>;
+  /** Has the Readme been initialized */
+  private generatedReadme: boolean;
 
   /** Initialize the plugin with it's options */
   constructor(options: IAllContributorsPluginOptions = {}) {
@@ -187,6 +214,8 @@ export default class AllContributorsPlugin implements IPlugin {
       exclude: [...(defaultOptions.exclude || []), ...(options.exclude || [])],
       types: { ...defaultOptions.types, ...options.types },
     };
+
+    this.generatedReadme = false;
   }
 
   /** Tap into auto plugin points. */
@@ -485,31 +514,35 @@ export default class AllContributorsPlugin implements IPlugin {
           username,
           Array.from(newContributions).join(",")
         );
-
+        this.generatedReadme = true;
         // Update files that contain contributors table
-        await Promise.all(
-          (config.files || ["README.md"]).map(async (file) => {
-            const oldReadMe = fs.readFileSync(file, {
-              encoding: "utf-8",
-            });
-            const newReadMe = await generateReadme(
-              {
-                contributorsPerLine: 7,
-                imageSize: 100,
-                ...config,
-                contributors,
-              },
-              contributors,
-              oldReadMe
-            );
-            fs.writeFileSync(file, newReadMe);
-          })
-        );
+        await generateContributorReadme(config, contributors);
       } else {
         auto.logger.verbose.warn(`"${username}" had no new contributions...`);
       }
     }
 
+    if (config.contributors.length && !this.generatedReadme) {
+      // if the all-contributors has not been generated ... generate it
+      try {
+        // test if the first file in the list of files has been init
+        const file = path.join(
+          process.cwd(),
+          config.files ? config.files[0] : "README.md"
+        );
+
+        const displayFile = file ? fs.readFileSync(file, "utf8") : "";
+
+        const notInitalized = displayFile.indexOf(
+          "<!-- markdownlint-disable -->\n<!-- markdownlint-restore -->"
+        );
+
+        if (notInitalized && file) {
+          await generateContributorReadme(config, config.contributors);
+        }
+      } catch {}
+    }
+
     if (didUpdate) {
       auto.logger.log.success("Updated contributors!");
     }