diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 83e8f2b..825da4b 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -153,7 +153,8 @@ func main() {
 				offline.ClipClearArgument()
 			case "sync":
 				cli.SshypSync() // TODO Remove after native sync is implemented
-			case "init": // TODO offline.Init(), exit after run
+			case "init":
+				cli.TempInitCli()
 			case "tweak": // TODO offline.Tweak(), exit after run
 			case "add":
 				cli.HelpAdd()
diff --git a/src/cli/entryList.go b/src/cli/entryList.go
index 14ee68a..20e9431 100644
--- a/src/cli/entryList.go
+++ b/src/cli/entryList.go
@@ -88,16 +88,12 @@ func EntryListGen() {
 
 			// check for errors encountered while walking directory
 			if err != nil {
-				// create EntryRoot if the error is the result of it not existing on the system
 				if os.IsNotExist(err) {
-					_ = os.Mkdir(offline.EntryRoot, 0700)
-					dirList = append(dirList, "")
+					fmt.Println(offline.AnsiError + "The entry directory does not exist - run \"mutn init\" to create it" + offline.AnsiReset)
 				} else {
 					// otherwise, print the source of the error
 					fmt.Println(offline.AnsiError + "An unexpected error occurred while generating the entry list: " + err.Error() + offline.AnsiReset)
 				}
-				// quit walking EntryRoot and return nil to allow the program to continue
-				return nil
 			}
 
 			// trim root path from each path before storing
diff --git a/src/cli/init.go b/src/cli/init.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..93fa6c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/init.go
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+package cli
+
+import (
+	"github.com/rwinkhart/MUTN/src/offline"
+	"os"
+	"os/exec"
+)
+
+func TempInitCli() {
+	// gpgID
+	cmd := exec.Command("gpg", "-k")
+	cmd.Stdout = os.Stdout
+	cmd.Run()
+	gpgID := input("GPG key ID:")
+
+	// textEditor
+	textEditor := input("Text editor (leave blank for $EDITOR, falls back to \"vi\"):")
+
+	offline.TempInit(map[string]string{"textEditor": textEditor, "gpgID": gpgID})
+}
diff --git a/src/offline/2globalsUNIX.go b/src/offline/2globalsUNIX.go
index a2728ef..513f6d8 100644
--- a/src/offline/2globalsUNIX.go
+++ b/src/offline/2globalsUNIX.go
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ package offline
 
 // EntryRoot path to libmutton entry directory
 var EntryRoot = home + "/.local/share/libmutton"
-var ConfigPath = home + "/.config/libmutton/libmutton.ini"
+var ConfigDir = home + "/.config/libmutton"
+var ConfigPath = ConfigDir + "/libmutton.ini"
 
 // PathSeparator defines the character used to separate directories in a path (platform-specific)
 const PathSeparator = "/"
diff --git a/src/offline/2globalsWIN.go b/src/offline/2globalsWIN.go
index dfd2460..8e15007 100644
--- a/src/offline/2globalsWIN.go
+++ b/src/offline/2globalsWIN.go
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ package offline
 
 // EntryRoot path to libmutton entry directory
 var EntryRoot = home + "\\AppData\\Local\\libmutton\\entries"
-var ConfigPath = home + "\\AppData\\Local\\libmutton\\libmutton.ini"
+var ConfigDir = home + "\\AppData\\Local\\libmutton"
+var ConfigPath = ConfigDir + "\\libmutton.ini"
 
 // PathSeparator defines the character used to separate directories in a path (platform-specific)
 const PathSeparator = "\\"
diff --git a/src/offline/init.go b/src/offline/init.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0d500ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/offline/init.go
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+package offline
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+)
+
+func TempInit(configFileMap map[string]string) {
+	// create EntryRoot and ConfigDir
+	dirInit()
+
+	// remove existing config file
+	err := os.Remove(ConfigPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		// ignore error if file does not exist
+		if !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+			fmt.Println(AnsiError + "Failed to remove existing libmutton.ini:" + err.Error() + AnsiReset)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// ensure textEditor is set
+	if configFileMap["textEditor"] == "" {
+		textEditor := os.Getenv("EDITOR")
+		if textEditor == "" {
+			textEditor = fallbackEditor
+		}
+		configFileMap["textEditor"] = textEditor
+	}
+
+	// create and write config file
+	configFile, _ := os.OpenFile(ConfigPath, os.O_CREATE|os.O_WRONLY, 0600)
+	defer configFile.Close()
+	configFile.WriteString("[LIBMUTTON]\n")
+	for key, value := range configFileMap {
+		configFile.WriteString(key + " = " + value + "\n")
+	}
+
+	os.Exit(0)
+}
diff --git a/src/offline/initUNIX.go b/src/offline/initUNIX.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..32ea062
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/offline/initUNIX.go
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+//go:build !windows
+
+package offline
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+)
+
+const fallbackEditor = "vi" // vi is pre-installed on most UNIX systems
+
+func dirInit() {
+	// create EntryRoot
+	err := os.MkdirAll(EntryRoot, 0700)
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Println(AnsiError + "Failed to create \"" + EntryRoot + "\":" + err.Error() + AnsiReset)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+
+	// create config directory
+	err = os.MkdirAll(ConfigDir, 0700)
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Println(AnsiError + "Failed to create \"" + ConfigDir + "\":" + err.Error() + AnsiReset)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/offline/initWIN.go b/src/offline/initWIN.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..809e60d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/offline/initWIN.go
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+//go:build windows
+
+package offline
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+)
+
+const fallbackEditor = "nvim" // since there is no pre-installed CLI editor on Windows, default to the most popular one
+
+func dirInit() {
+	// create EntryRoot (includes config directory on Windows)
+	err := os.MkdirAll(EntryRoot, 0700)
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Println(AnsiError + "Failed to create \"" + EntryRoot + "\":" + err.Error() + AnsiReset)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+}