diff --git a/cmd/config/configcobra/cmds.go b/cmd/config/configcobra/cmds.go
index 82754e74d..2c32756e6 100644
--- a/cmd/config/configcobra/cmds.go
+++ b/cmd/config/configcobra/cmds.go
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ func NewConfigCommand(name string) *cobra.Command {
 	root.AddCommand(commands.XArgsCommand())
 	root.AddCommand(commands.WrapCommand())
 
+	root.AddCommand(commands.InitCommand(name))
 	root.AddCommand(commands.SetCommand(name))
 	root.AddCommand(commands.ListSettersCommand(name))
 	root.AddCommand(commands.CreateSetterCommand(name))
diff --git a/cmd/config/docs/commands/init.md b/cmd/config/docs/commands/init.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cc5e6f066
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/config/docs/commands/init.md
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+## init
+
+[Alpha] Initialize a directory with a Krmfile.
+
+### Synopsis
+
+[Alpha]  Initialize a directory with a Krmfile.
+
+  DIR:
+    Path to local directory.
+
+### Examples
+
+    # create a Krmfile in the local directory
+    kustomize config init
+
+    # create a Krmfile in my-dir/
+    kustomize config init my-dir/
diff --git a/cmd/config/internal/commands/cmdinit.go b/cmd/config/internal/commands/cmdinit.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e72a0932d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/config/internal/commands/cmdinit.go
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+// Copyright 2019 The Kubernetes Authors.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+package commands
+
+import (
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/cmd/config/internal/generateddocs/commands"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/kyaml/errors"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/kyaml/krmfile"
+)
+
+// GetInitRunner returns a command InitRunner.
+func GetInitRunner(name string) *InitRunner {
+	r := &InitRunner{}
+	c := &cobra.Command{
+		Use:     "init DIR...",
+		Args:    cobra.RangeArgs(0, 1),
+		Short:   commands.InitShort,
+		Long:    commands.InitLong,
+		Example: commands.InitExamples,
+		RunE:    r.runE,
+	}
+	fixDocs(name, c)
+	r.Command = c
+	return r
+}
+
+func InitCommand(name string) *cobra.Command {
+	return GetInitRunner(name).Command
+}
+
+// InitRunner contains the init function
+type InitRunner struct {
+	Command *cobra.Command
+}
+
+func (r *InitRunner) runE(c *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+	var dir string
+	if len(args) == 0 {
+		dir = "."
+	} else {
+		dir = args[0]
+	}
+	filename := filepath.Join(dir, krmfile.KrmfileName)
+
+	if _, err := os.Stat(filename); err == nil || !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		return errors.Errorf("directory already initialized with a Krmfile")
+	}
+
+	return ioutil.WriteFile(filename, []byte(strings.TrimSpace(`
+apiVersion: config.k8s.io/v1alpha1
+kind: Krmfile
+`)), 0600)
+}
diff --git a/cmd/config/internal/commands/cmdset.go b/cmd/config/internal/commands/cmdset.go
index b0c364bef..6886d16ed 100644
--- a/cmd/config/internal/commands/cmdset.go
+++ b/cmd/config/internal/commands/cmdset.go
@@ -159,7 +159,6 @@ func lookup(l setters.LookupSetters, c *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	}
 	table.Render()
 
-	fmt.Println(l.SetterCounts)
 	if len(l.SetterCounts) == 0 {
 		// exit non-0 if no matching setters are found
 		os.Exit(1)
diff --git a/cmd/config/internal/commands/e2e/init_test.go b/cmd/config/internal/commands/e2e/init_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7fd22187d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/config/internal/commands/e2e/init_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+// Copyright 2019 The Kubernetes Authors.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+package e2e
+
+import "testing"
+
+func TestInit(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []test{
+		{
+			name: "init",
+			args: []string{"init"},
+			expectedFiles: map[string]string{
+				"Krmfile": `
+apiVersion: config.k8s.io/v1alpha1
+kind: Krmfile
+`,
+			},
+		},
+
+		{
+			name: "init",
+			args: []string{"init", "."},
+			expectedFiles: map[string]string{
+				"Krmfile": `
+apiVersion: config.k8s.io/v1alpha1
+kind: Krmfile
+`,
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	runTests(t, tests)
+}
diff --git a/cmd/config/internal/commands/init_test.go b/cmd/config/internal/commands/init_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e49649712
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/config/internal/commands/init_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+// Copyright 2019 The Kubernetes Authors.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+package commands_test
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/cmd/config/internal/commands"
+)
+
+func TestInit_args(t *testing.T) {
+	d, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "kustomize-cat-test")
+	if !assert.NoError(t, err) {
+		return
+	}
+	defer os.RemoveAll(d)
+
+	// fmt the files
+	b := &bytes.Buffer{}
+	r := commands.GetInitRunner("")
+	r.Command.SetArgs([]string{d})
+	r.Command.SetOut(b)
+	if !assert.NoError(t, r.Command.Execute()) {
+		t.FailNow()
+	}
+
+	actual, err := ioutil.ReadFile(filepath.Join(d, "Krmfile"))
+	if !assert.NoError(t, err) {
+		t.FailNow()
+	}
+
+	if !assert.Equal(t, strings.TrimSpace(`
+apiVersion: config.k8s.io/v1alpha1
+kind: Krmfile
+`), strings.TrimSpace(string(actual))) {
+		t.FailNow()
+	}
+
+	if !assert.Equal(t, "", b.String()) {
+		t.FailNow()
+	}
+}
+
+func TestInit_noargs(t *testing.T) {
+	d, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "kustomize-test-")
+	if !assert.NoError(t, err) {
+		return
+	}
+	defer os.RemoveAll(d)
+
+	if !assert.NoError(t, os.Chdir(d)) {
+		t.FailNow()
+	}
+
+	b := &bytes.Buffer{}
+	r := commands.GetInitRunner("")
+	r.Command.SetOut(b)
+	if !assert.NoError(t, r.Command.Execute()) {
+		t.FailNow()
+	}
+
+	actual, err := ioutil.ReadFile(filepath.Join(d, "Krmfile"))
+	if !assert.NoError(t, err) {
+		t.FailNow()
+	}
+
+	if !assert.Equal(t, strings.TrimSpace(`
+apiVersion: config.k8s.io/v1alpha1
+kind: Krmfile
+`), strings.TrimSpace(string(actual))) {
+		t.FailNow()
+	}
+
+	if !assert.Equal(t, "", b.String()) {
+		t.FailNow()
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/config/internal/generateddocs/commands/docs.go b/cmd/config/internal/generateddocs/commands/docs.go
index 163399efb..05ce0a9d1 100644
--- a/cmd/config/internal/generateddocs/commands/docs.go
+++ b/cmd/config/internal/generateddocs/commands/docs.go
@@ -156,6 +156,20 @@ var GrepExamples = `
     # look for Resources matching a specific container image
     kustomize config grep "spec.template.spec.containers[name=nginx].image=nginx:1\.7\.9" my-dir/ | kustomize config tree`
 
+var InitShort = `[Alpha] Initialize a directory with a Krmfile.`
+var InitLong = `
+[Alpha]  Initialize a directory with a Krmfile.
+
+  DIR:
+    Path to local directory.
+`
+var InitExamples = `
+    # create a Krmfile in the local directory
+    kustomize config init
+
+    # create a Krmfile in my-dir/
+    kustomize config init my-dir/`
+
 var ListSettersShort = `[Alpha] List setters for Resources.`
 var ListSettersLong = `
 List setters for Resources.