diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index dc653271..a45019f3 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
-  description = "Manage system config using nix on any distro";
+  description = "Manage system configurations using Nix on any Linux distribution.";
 
   nixConfig = {
     extra-substituters = [ "https://numtide.cachix.org" ];
@@ -90,5 +90,21 @@
               });
           }
       );
+
+      nixosModules = rec {
+        system-manager = ./nix/modules;
+        default = system-manager;
+      };
+
+      templates = {
+        standalone = {
+          path = ./templates/standalone;
+          description = "System Manager standalone setup";
+        };
+        nixos = {
+          path = ./templates/nixos;
+          description = "System Manager as a NixOS module";
+        };
+      };
     };
 }
diff --git a/package.nix b/package.nix
index 4c73ed0f..3c9e57e1 100644
--- a/package.nix
+++ b/package.nix
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ let
         ./Cargo.lock
         ./src
         ./test/rust
+        ./templates
       ];
     };
 
diff --git a/shell.nix b/shell.nix
index c80f3847..5ae34da5 100644
--- a/shell.nix
+++ b/shell.nix
@@ -40,5 +40,6 @@ pkgs.mkShellNoCC {
     clippy
     mdbook
     mdformat
+    rust-analyzer
   ];
 }
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 8e629843..2cff4157 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -1,12 +1,27 @@
-use anyhow::Result;
+use anyhow::{anyhow, bail, Result};
 use clap::Parser;
 use std::ffi::OsString;
+use std::fs::{create_dir_all, OpenOptions};
+use std::io::Write;
 use std::mem;
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use std::process::{self, ExitCode};
 
 use system_manager::{NixOptions, StorePath};
 
+/// The bytes for the NixOS flake template is included in the binary to avoid unnecessary
+/// network calls when initializing a system-manager configuration from the command line.
+pub const NIXOS_FLAKE_TEMPLATE: &[u8; 683] = include_bytes!("../templates/nixos/flake.nix");
+
+/// The bytes for the standalone flake template is included in the binary to avoid unnecessary
+/// network calls when initializing a system-manager configuration from the command line.
+pub const STANDALONE_FLAKE_TEMPLATE: &[u8; 739] =
+    include_bytes!("../templates/standalone/flake.nix");
+
+/// The bytes for the standalone module template is included in the binary to avoid unnecessary
+/// network calls when initializing a system-manager configuration from the command line.
+pub const SYSTEM_MODULE_TEMPLATE: &[u8; 1153] = include_bytes!("../templates/system.nix");
+
 #[derive(clap::Parser, Debug)]
 #[command(
     author,
@@ -31,6 +46,34 @@ struct Args {
     nix_options: Option<Vec<String>>,
 }
 
+#[derive(clap::Args, Debug)]
+struct InitArgs {
+    /// The path to initialize the configuration at.
+    #[arg(
+        // The default_value is not resolved at this point so we must
+        // parse it ourselves with a value_parser closure.
+        default_value = "~/.config/system-manager",
+        value_parser = |src: &str| -> Result<PathBuf> {
+            if src.starts_with("~") {
+                if let Some(home) = std::env::home_dir() {
+                    let expanded = src.replace("~", &home.to_string_lossy());
+                    return Ok(PathBuf::from(expanded));
+                }
+                bail!("Failed to determine a home directory to initialize the configuration in.")
+            }
+            Ok(PathBuf::from(src))
+        },
+    )]
+    path: PathBuf,
+    /// Whether or not to include a 'flake.nix' as part of the new configuration.
+    /// By default, if the host has the 'flakes' and 'nix-command' experimental features
+    /// enabled, a 'flake.nix' will be included. A flake template is automatically selected
+    /// by checking the host system's features. Flake templates are available on the system-manager
+    /// flake attribute 'outputs.templates'.
+    #[arg(long, default_value = "false")]
+    no_flake: bool,
+}
+
 #[derive(clap::Args, Debug)]
 struct BuildArgs {
     #[arg(long = "flake", name = "FLAKE_URI")]
@@ -83,6 +126,13 @@ struct StoreOrFlakeArgs {
 
 #[derive(clap::Subcommand, Debug)]
 enum Action {
+    /// Initializes a configuration in the given directory. If the directory
+    /// does not exist, then it will be created. The default directory is
+    /// '~/.config/system-manager'.
+    Init {
+        #[command(flatten)]
+        init_args: InitArgs,
+    },
     /// Build a new system-manager generation, register it as the active profile, and activate it
     Switch {
         #[command(flatten)]
@@ -177,6 +227,60 @@ fn go(args: Args) -> Result<()> {
             &nix_options,
         )
         .and_then(print_store_path),
+        Action::Init {
+            init_args: InitArgs { mut path, no_flake },
+        } => {
+            create_dir_all(&path).map_err(|err| {
+                anyhow!(
+                    "encountered an error while creating configuration directory '{}': {err:?}",
+                    path.display()
+                )
+            })?;
+            path = path.canonicalize().map_err(|err| {
+                anyhow!(
+                    "failed to resolve '{}' into an absolute path: {err:?}",
+                    path.display()
+                )
+            })?;
+            log::info!(
+                "Initializing new system-manager configuration at '{}'",
+                path.display()
+            );
+
+            let system_config_filepath = {
+                let mut buf = path.clone();
+                buf.push("system.nix");
+                buf
+            };
+            init_config_file(&system_config_filepath, SYSTEM_MODULE_TEMPLATE)?;
+
+            let has_flake_support = process::Command::new("nix")
+                .arg("show-config")
+                .output()
+                .is_ok_and(|output| {
+                    let out_str = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stdout);
+                    out_str.contains("experimental-features")
+                        && out_str.contains("flakes")
+                        && out_str.contains("nix-command")
+                });
+            if !no_flake && has_flake_support {
+                let flake_config_filepath = {
+                    let mut buf = path.clone();
+                    buf.push("flake.nix");
+                    buf
+                };
+                let is_nixos = process::Command::new("nixos-version")
+                    .output()
+                    .is_ok_and(|output| !output.stdout.is_empty());
+                if is_nixos {
+                    init_config_file(&flake_config_filepath, NIXOS_FLAKE_TEMPLATE)?
+                } else {
+                    init_config_file(&flake_config_filepath, STANDALONE_FLAKE_TEMPLATE)?
+                }
+            }
+            log::info!("Configuration '{}' ready for activation!", path.display());
+            Ok(())
+        }
         Action::Switch {
             build_args: BuildArgs { flake_uri },
             activation_args: ActivationArgs { ephemeral },
@@ -196,6 +300,34 @@ fn go(args: Args) -> Result<()> {
     }
 }
 
+/// Create and write all bytes from a buffer into a new config file if it doesn't already exist.
+fn init_config_file(filepath: &PathBuf, buf: &[u8]) -> Result<()> {
+    match OpenOptions::new()
+        .create_new(true)
+        .write(true)
+        .truncate(false)
+        .open(filepath)
+    {
+        Ok(mut file) => {
+            file.write_all(buf)?;
+            log::info!("{}B written to '{}'", buf.len(), filepath.display())
+        }
+        Err(err) if matches!(err.kind(), std::io::ErrorKind::AlreadyExists) => {
+            log::warn!(
+                "'{}' already exists, leaving it unchanged...",
+                filepath.display()
+            )
+        }
+        Err(err) => {
+            bail!(
+                "failed to initialize system configuration at '{}': {err:?}",
+                filepath.display()
+            )
+        }
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 fn print_store_path<SP: AsRef<StorePath>>(store_path: SP) -> Result<()> {
     // Print the raw store path to stdout
     println!("{}", store_path.as_ref());
diff --git a/templates/nixos/flake.nix b/templates/nixos/flake.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4ea2af1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/nixos/flake.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+{
+  description = "NixOS System Manager configuration";
+
+  inputs = {
+    # Specify the source of System Manager and Nixpkgs.
+    nixpkgs.url = "github:nixos/nixpkgs/nixos-unstable";
+    system-manager = {
+      url = "github:numtide/system-manager";
+      inputs.nixpkgs.follows = "nixpkgs";
+    };
+  };
+
+  outputs =
+    {
+      self,
+      nixpkgs,
+      system-manager,
+      ...
+    }:
+    let
+      system = "x86_64-linux";
+    in
+    {
+      nixosConfigurations.default = nixpkgs.lib.nixosSystem {
+        inherit system;
+        modules = [
+          ./configuration.nix
+          ./system.nix
+          system-manager.nixosModules.system-manager
+        ];
+      };
+    };
+}
diff --git a/templates/standalone/flake.nix b/templates/standalone/flake.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..57ea20e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/standalone/flake.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+{
+  description = "Standalone System Manager configuration";
+
+  inputs = {
+    # Specify the source of System Manager and Nixpkgs.
+    nixpkgs.url = "github:nixos/nixpkgs/nixos-unstable";
+    system-manager = {
+      url = "github:numtide/system-manager";
+      inputs.nixpkgs.follows = "nixpkgs";
+    };
+  };
+
+  outputs =
+    {
+      self,
+      nixpkgs,
+      system-manager,
+      ...
+    }:
+    let
+      system = "x86_64-linux";
+    in
+    {
+      systemConfigs.default = system-manager.lib.makeSystemConfig {
+        # Specify your system configuration modules here, for example,
+        # the path to your system.nix.
+        modules = [ ./system.nix ];
+
+        # Optionally specify extraSpecialArgs and overlays
+      };
+    };
+}
diff --git a/templates/system.nix b/templates/system.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b5ebcf24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/system.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+{ lib, pkgs, ... }:
+{
+  config = {
+    nixpkgs.hostPlatform = "x86_64-linux";
+
+    # Enable and configure services
+    services = {
+      # nginx.enable = true;
+    };
+
+    environment = {
+      # Packages that should be installed on a system
+      systemPackages = [
+        # pkgs.hello
+      ];
+
+      # Add directories and files to `/etc` and set their permissions
+      etc = {
+        # with_ownership = {
+        #   text = ''
+        #     This is just a test!
+        #   '';
+        #   mode = "0755";
+        #   uid = 5;
+        #   gid = 6;
+        # };
+        #
+        # with_ownership2 = {
+        #   text = ''
+        #     This is just a test!
+        #   '';
+        #   mode = "0755";
+        #   user = "nobody";
+        #   group = "users";
+        # };
+      };
+    };
+
+    # Enable and configure systemd services
+    systemd.services = { };
+
+    # Configure systemd tmpfile settings
+    systemd.tmpfiles = {
+      # rules = [
+      #   "D /var/tmp/system-manager 0755 root root -"
+      # ];
+      #
+      # settings.sample = {
+      #   "/var/tmp/sample".d = {
+      #     mode = "0755";
+      #   };
+      # };
+    };
+  };
+}