diff --git a/lib/commands/init.js b/lib/commands/init.js
index 039f08e06059e..192812a84dc4b 100644
--- a/lib/commands/init.js
+++ b/lib/commands/init.js
@@ -51,7 +51,16 @@ class Init extends BaseCommand {
     // reads package.json for the top-level folder first, by doing this we
     // ensure the command throw if no package.json is found before trying
     // to create a workspace package.json file or its folders
-    const pkg = await rpj(resolve(this.npm.localPrefix, 'package.json'))
+    let pkg
+    try {
+      pkg = await rpj(resolve(this.npm.localPrefix, 'package.json'))
+    } catch (err) {
+      if (err.code === 'ENOENT') {
+        log.warn('Missing package.json. Try with `--include-workspace-root`.')
+      }
+
+      throw err
+    }
     const wPath = filterArg => resolve(this.npm.localPrefix, filterArg)
 
     const workspacesPaths = []
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 6efd43f49e96f..564c50deece97 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -29,16 +29,16 @@
   "author": "Isaac Z. Schlueter <i@izs.me> (http://blog.izs.me)",
   "repository": {
     "type": "git",
-    "url": "https://github.com/npm/cli"
+    "url": "git+https://github.com/npm/cli.git"
   },
   "bugs": {
     "url": "https://github.com/npm/cli/issues"
   },
   "directories": {
-    "bin": "./bin",
-    "doc": "./doc",
-    "lib": "./lib",
-    "man": "./man"
+    "doc": "docs",
+    "lib": "lib",
+    "man": "man",
+    "test": "test"
   },
   "main": "./index.js",
   "bin": {
diff --git a/tap-snapshots/test/lib/commands/init.js.test.cjs b/tap-snapshots/test/lib/commands/init.js.test.cjs
index 97a6722f3ece4..9045bee1bbf02 100644
--- a/tap-snapshots/test/lib/commands/init.js.test.cjs
+++ b/tap-snapshots/test/lib/commands/init.js.test.cjs
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@
  * Make sure to inspect the output below.  Do not ignore changes!
  */
 'use strict'
+exports[`test/lib/commands/init.js TAP no args, missing package > should print warn info 1`] = `
+Array []
+`
+
 exports[`test/lib/commands/init.js TAP npm init workspces with root > does not print helper info 1`] = `
 Array []
 `
diff --git a/test/lib/commands/init.js b/test/lib/commands/init.js
index e7b2739341437..4cd406e4b6323 100644
--- a/test/lib/commands/init.js
+++ b/test/lib/commands/init.js
@@ -472,7 +472,15 @@ t.test('workspaces', t => {
 
     npm.localPrefix = t.testdir({})
 
-    const Init = require('../../../lib/commands/init.js')
+    const Init = t.mock('../../../lib/commands/init.js', {
+      ...mocks,
+      'proc-log': {
+        ...mocks['proc-log'],
+        warn: (msg) => {
+          t.equal(msg, 'Missing package.json. Try with `--include-workspace-root`.')
+        },
+      },
+    })
     const init = new Init(npm)
 
     await t.rejects(
@@ -482,6 +490,27 @@ t.test('workspaces', t => {
     )
   })
 
+  t.test('other errors pass through when setting workspace', async t => {
+    // init-package-json prints directly to console.log
+    // this avoids poluting test output with those logs
+    console.log = noop
+
+    npm.localPrefix = t.testdir({
+      'package.json': {
+        name: 'ape-ecs',
+        version: '1.0.0',
+      },
+    })
+    const Init = require('../../../lib/commands/init.js')
+    const init = new Init(npm)
+
+    await t.rejects(
+      init.execWorkspaces([], ['a@kl@ijasdf']),
+      { code: 'EISDIR' },
+      'should exit with missing package.json file error'
+    )
+  })
+
   t.test('using args', async t => {
     npm.localPrefix = t.testdir({
       b: {
@@ -540,3 +569,33 @@ t.test('npm init workspces with root', async t => {
   t.equal(pkg.license, 'ISC')
   t.matchSnapshot(npm._mockOutputs, 'does not print helper info')
 })
+
+t.test('no args, missing package', async t => {
+  t.teardown(() => {
+    npm._mockOutputs.length = 0
+  })
+
+  const Init = t.mock('../../../lib/commands/init.js', {
+    ...mocks,
+    'proc-log': {
+      ...mocks['proc-log'],
+      warn: (msg) => {
+        t.equal(msg, 'Missing package.json. Try with `--include-workspace-root`.')
+      },
+    },
+  })
+  const init = new Init(npm)
+  // init-package-json prints directly to console.log
+  // this avoids poluting test output with those logs
+  console.log = noop
+
+  npm.localPrefix = t.testdir({})
+
+  await t.rejects(
+    init.execWorkspaces([], ['a']),
+    { code: 'ENOENT' },
+    'should exit with missing package.json file error'
+  )
+
+  t.matchSnapshot(npm._mockOutputs, 'should print warn info')
+})