diff --git a/cli/templateinit.go b/cli/templateinit.go
index ff7a99eefbd3c..82ec3f845b846 100644
--- a/cli/templateinit.go
+++ b/cli/templateinit.go
@@ -2,9 +2,15 @@ package cli
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"sort"
+
+	"golang.org/x/exp/maps"
+	"golang.org/x/xerrors"
 
 	"github.com/coder/coder/cli/clibase"
 	"github.com/coder/coder/cli/cliui"
@@ -14,38 +20,60 @@ import (
 )
 
 func (*RootCmd) templateInit() *clibase.Cmd {
-	return &clibase.Cmd{
+	var templateID string
+	exampleList, err := examples.List()
+	if err != nil {
+		// This should not happen. If it does, something is very wrong.
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	var templateIDs []string
+	for _, ex := range exampleList {
+		templateIDs = append(templateIDs, ex.ID)
+	}
+	sort.Strings(templateIDs)
+	cmd := &clibase.Cmd{
 		Use:        "init [directory]",
 		Short:      "Get started with a templated template.",
 		Middleware: clibase.RequireRangeArgs(0, 1),
 		Handler: func(inv *clibase.Invocation) error {
-			exampleList, err := examples.List()
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-			exampleNames := []string{}
-			exampleByName := map[string]codersdk.TemplateExample{}
-			for _, example := range exampleList {
-				name := fmt.Sprintf(
-					"%s\n%s\n%s\n",
-					cliui.Styles.Bold.Render(example.Name),
-					cliui.Styles.Wrap.Copy().PaddingLeft(6).Render(example.Description),
-					cliui.Styles.Keyword.Copy().PaddingLeft(6).Render(example.URL),
-				)
-				exampleNames = append(exampleNames, name)
-				exampleByName[name] = example
+			// If the user didn't specify any template, prompt them to select one.
+			if templateID == "" {
+				optsToID := map[string]string{}
+				for _, example := range exampleList {
+					name := fmt.Sprintf(
+						"%s\n%s\n%s\n",
+						cliui.Styles.Bold.Render(example.Name),
+						cliui.Styles.Wrap.Copy().PaddingLeft(6).Render(example.Description),
+						cliui.Styles.Keyword.Copy().PaddingLeft(6).Render(example.URL),
+					)
+					optsToID[name] = example.ID
+				}
+				opts := maps.Keys(optsToID)
+				sort.Strings(opts)
+				_, _ = fmt.Fprintln(inv.Stdout, cliui.Styles.Wrap.Render(
+					"A template defines infrastructure as code to be provisioned "+
+						"for individual developer workspaces. Select an example to be copied to the active directory:\n"))
+				selected, err := cliui.Select(inv, cliui.SelectOptions{
+					Options: opts,
+				})
+				if err != nil {
+					if errors.Is(err, io.EOF) {
+						return xerrors.Errorf(
+							"Couldn't find a matching template!\n" +
+								"Tip: if you're trying to automate template creation, try\n" +
+								"coder templates init --id <template_id> instead!",
+						)
+					}
+					return err
+				}
+				templateID = optsToID[selected]
 			}
 
-			_, _ = fmt.Fprintln(inv.Stdout, cliui.Styles.Wrap.Render(
-				"A template defines infrastructure as code to be provisioned "+
-					"for individual developer workspaces. Select an example to be copied to the active directory:\n"))
-			option, err := cliui.Select(inv, cliui.SelectOptions{
-				Options: exampleNames,
-			})
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
+			selectedTemplate, ok := templateByID(templateID, exampleList)
+			if !ok {
+				// clibase.EnumOf would normally handle this.
+				return xerrors.Errorf("template not found: %q", templateID)
 			}
-			selectedTemplate := exampleByName[option]
 			archive, err := examples.Archive(selectedTemplate.ID)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
@@ -81,4 +109,23 @@ func (*RootCmd) templateInit() *clibase.Cmd {
 			return nil
 		},
 	}
+
+	cmd.Options = clibase.OptionSet{
+		{
+			Flag:        "id",
+			Description: "Specify a given example template by ID.",
+			Value:       clibase.EnumOf(&templateID, templateIDs...),
+		},
+	}
+
+	return cmd
+}
+
+func templateByID(templateID string, tes []codersdk.TemplateExample) (codersdk.TemplateExample, bool) {
+	for _, te := range tes {
+		if te.ID == templateID {
+			return te, true
+		}
+	}
+	return codersdk.TemplateExample{}, false
 }
diff --git a/cli/templateinit_test.go b/cli/templateinit_test.go
index 9663d5ebd5776..ba99f76e95ece 100644
--- a/cli/templateinit_test.go
+++ b/cli/templateinit_test.go
@@ -22,4 +22,27 @@ func TestTemplateInit(t *testing.T) {
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 		require.Greater(t, len(files), 0)
 	})
+
+	t.Run("ExtractSpecific", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+		tempDir := t.TempDir()
+		inv, _ := clitest.New(t, "templates", "init", "--id", "docker", tempDir)
+		ptytest.New(t).Attach(inv)
+		clitest.Run(t, inv)
+		files, err := os.ReadDir(tempDir)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Greater(t, len(files), 0)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("NotFound", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+		tempDir := t.TempDir()
+		inv, _ := clitest.New(t, "templates", "init", "--id", "thistemplatedoesnotexist", tempDir)
+		ptytest.New(t).Attach(inv)
+		err := inv.Run()
+		require.ErrorContains(t, err, "invalid choice: thistemplatedoesnotexist, should be one of")
+		files, err := os.ReadDir(tempDir)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Empty(t, files)
+	})
 }
diff --git a/cli/testdata/coder_templates_init_--help.golden b/cli/testdata/coder_templates_init_--help.golden
index acf84939b4f4e..2a60cc6e0c2d8 100644
--- a/cli/testdata/coder_templates_init_--help.golden
+++ b/cli/testdata/coder_templates_init_--help.golden
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
-Usage: coder templates init [directory]
+Usage: coder templates init [flags] [directory]
 
 Get started with a templated template.
 
+Options
+      --id aws-ecs-container|aws-linux|aws-windows|azure-linux|do-linux|docker|docker-with-dotfiles|fly-docker-image|gcp-linux|gcp-vm-container|gcp-windows|kubernetes
+          Specify a given example template by ID.
+
 ---
 Run `coder --help` for a list of global options.
diff --git a/docs/cli/templates_init.md b/docs/cli/templates_init.md
index 722607a3ef022..a128d3533c189 100644
--- a/docs/cli/templates_init.md
+++ b/docs/cli/templates_init.md
@@ -7,5 +7,15 @@ Get started with a templated template.
 ## Usage
 
 ```console
-coder templates init [directory]
+coder templates init [flags] [directory]
 ```
+
+## Options
+
+### --id
+
+|      |                              |
+| ---- | ---------------------------- | --------- | ----------- | ----------- | -------- | ------ | -------------------- | ---------------- | --------- | ---------------- | ----------- | ------------------ |
+| Type | <code>enum[aws-ecs-container | aws-linux | aws-windows | azure-linux | do-linux | docker | docker-with-dotfiles | fly-docker-image | gcp-linux | gcp-vm-container | gcp-windows | kubernetes]</code> |
+
+Specify a given example template by ID.
diff --git a/examples/lima/coder.yaml b/examples/lima/coder.yaml
index 7b4382e19742f..7eb5566df327b 100644
--- a/examples/lima/coder.yaml
+++ b/examples/lima/coder.yaml
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ provision:
       [ ! -e ~/.config/coderv2/session ] && coder login http://localhost:3000 --first-user-username admin --first-user-email admin@coder.com --first-user-password $(< /dev/urandom tr -dc _A-Z-a-z-0-9 | head -c12 | tee ${HOME}/.config/coderv2/password)
       # Create an initial template
       temp_template_dir=$(mktemp -d)
-      echo code-server | coder templates init "${temp_template_dir}"
+      coder templates init --id docker "${temp_template_dir}"
       DOCKER_ARCH="amd64"
       if [ "$(arch)" = "aarch64" ]; then
         DOCKER_ARCH="arm64"
diff --git a/scripts/develop.sh b/scripts/develop.sh
index 93696f36f16cc..eb4f6f4262d7d 100755
--- a/scripts/develop.sh
+++ b/scripts/develop.sh
@@ -151,7 +151,6 @@ fatal() {
 
 	# If we have docker available and the "docker" template doesn't already
 	# exist, then let's try to create a template!
-	example_template="code-server"
 	template_name="docker"
 	if docker info >/dev/null 2>&1 && ! "${CODER_DEV_SHIM}" templates versions list "${template_name}" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
 		# sometimes terraform isn't installed yet when we go to create the
@@ -159,7 +158,7 @@ fatal() {
 		sleep 5
 
 		temp_template_dir="$(mktemp -d)"
-		echo "${example_template}" | "${CODER_DEV_SHIM}" templates init "${temp_template_dir}"
+		"${CODER_DEV_SHIM}" templates init --id "${template_name}" "${temp_template_dir}"
 
 		DOCKER_HOST="$(docker context inspect --format '{{ .Endpoints.docker.Host }}')"
 		printf 'docker_arch: "%s"\ndocker_host: "%s"\n' "${GOARCH}" "${DOCKER_HOST}" >"${temp_template_dir}/params.yaml"