diff --git a/src/shared/options/ensureRepositoryExists.test.ts b/src/shared/options/ensureRepositoryExists.test.ts
index 6e33f1e28..0e86ebfaf 100644
--- a/src/shared/options/ensureRepositoryExists.test.ts
+++ b/src/shared/options/ensureRepositoryExists.test.ts
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ const createMockOctokit = () =>
 describe("ensureRepositoryExists", () => {
 	it("returns the repository when octokit is undefined", async () => {
 		const actual = await ensureRepositoryExists(undefined, {
+			mode: "initialize",
 			owner,
 			repository,
 		});
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@ describe("ensureRepositoryExists", () => {
 		const actual = await ensureRepositoryExists(
 			{ auth, octokit },
 			{
+				mode: "initialize",
 				owner,
 				repository,
 			},
@@ -67,10 +69,7 @@ describe("ensureRepositoryExists", () => {
 
 		const actual = await ensureRepositoryExists(
 			{ auth, octokit },
-			{
-				owner,
-				repository,
-			},
+			{ mode: "initialize", owner, repository },
 		);
 
 		expect(actual).toEqual({ github: { auth, octokit }, repository });
@@ -82,6 +81,26 @@ describe("ensureRepositoryExists", () => {
 		});
 	});
 
+	it("defaults to creating a repository when mode is 'create'", async () => {
+		const octokit = createMockOctokit();
+
+		mockDoesRepositoryExist.mockResolvedValue(false);
+
+		const actual = await ensureRepositoryExists(
+			{ auth, octokit },
+			{ mode: "create", owner, repository },
+		);
+
+		expect(actual).toEqual({ github: { auth, octokit }, repository });
+		expect(octokit.rest.repos.createUsingTemplate).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+			name: repository,
+			owner,
+			template_owner: "JoshuaKGoldberg",
+			template_repo: "create-typescript-app",
+		});
+		expect(mockSelect).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+	});
+
 	it("returns the second repository when the prompt is 'different', the first repository does not exist, and the second repository exists", async () => {
 		const octokit = createMockOctokit();
 		const newRepository = "new-repository";
@@ -94,10 +113,7 @@ describe("ensureRepositoryExists", () => {
 
 		const actual = await ensureRepositoryExists(
 			{ auth, octokit },
-			{
-				owner,
-				repository,
-			},
+			{ mode: "initialize", owner, repository },
 		);
 
 		expect(actual).toEqual({
@@ -119,10 +135,7 @@ describe("ensureRepositoryExists", () => {
 
 		const actual = await ensureRepositoryExists(
 			{ auth, octokit },
-			{
-				owner,
-				repository,
-			},
+			{ mode: "initialize", owner, repository },
 		);
 
 		expect(actual).toEqual({
@@ -145,10 +158,7 @@ describe("ensureRepositoryExists", () => {
 
 		const actual = await ensureRepositoryExists(
 			{ auth, octokit },
-			{
-				owner,
-				repository,
-			},
+			{ mode: "initialize", owner, repository },
 		);
 
 		expect(actual).toEqual({ octokit: undefined, repository });
diff --git a/src/shared/options/ensureRepositoryExists.ts b/src/shared/options/ensureRepositoryExists.ts
index f3d8f512b..2914c0afa 100644
--- a/src/shared/options/ensureRepositoryExists.ts
+++ b/src/shared/options/ensureRepositoryExists.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import { GitHub } from "./getGitHub.js";
 
 export type EnsureRepositoryExistsOptions = Pick<
 	Options,
-	"owner" | "repository"
+	"mode" | "owner" | "repository"
 >;
 
 export interface RepositoryExistsResult {
@@ -19,7 +19,9 @@ export async function ensureRepositoryExists(
 	github: GitHub | undefined,
 	options: EnsureRepositoryExistsOptions,
 ): Promise<Partial<RepositoryExistsResult>> {
+	// We'll only respect input options once before prompting for them
 	let { repository } = options;
+	let createRepository = options.mode === "create";
 
 	// We'll continuously pester the user for a repository
 	// until they bail, create a new one, or it exists.
@@ -28,23 +30,27 @@ export async function ensureRepositoryExists(
 			return { github, repository };
 		}
 
-		const selection = filterPromptCancel(
-			(await prompts.select({
-				message: `Repository ${options.repository} doesn't seem to exist under ${options.owner}. What would you like to do?`,
-				options: [
-					{ label: "Create a new repository", value: "create" },
-					{
-						label: "Switch to a different repository name",
-						value: "different",
-					},
-					{
-						label: "Keep changes local",
-						value: "local",
-					},
-					{ label: "Bail out and maybe try again later", value: "bail" },
-				],
-			})) as "bail" | "create" | "different" | "local",
-		);
+		const selection = createRepository
+			? "create"
+			: filterPromptCancel(
+					(await prompts.select({
+						message: `Repository ${options.repository} doesn't seem to exist under ${options.owner}. What would you like to do?`,
+						options: [
+							{ label: "Create a new repository", value: "create" },
+							{
+								label: "Switch to a different repository name",
+								value: "different",
+							},
+							{
+								label: "Keep changes local",
+								value: "local",
+							},
+							{ label: "Bail out and maybe try again later", value: "bail" },
+						],
+					})) as "bail" | "create" | "different" | "local",
+			  );
+
+		createRepository = false;
 
 		switch (selection) {
 			case undefined:
diff --git a/src/shared/options/readOptions.ts b/src/shared/options/readOptions.ts
index bbb011d35..d2fc9904d 100644
--- a/src/shared/options/readOptions.ts
+++ b/src/shared/options/readOptions.ts
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ export async function readOptions(
 			? undefined
 			: await withSpinner("Checking GitHub authentication", getGitHub),
 		{
+			mode,
 			owner: options.owner,
 			repository: options.repository,
 		},