diff --git a/packages/api/core/spec/slow/init.slow.spec.ts b/packages/api/core/spec/slow/init.slow.spec.ts
index df6ce43417..2bd85e9d10 100644
--- a/packages/api/core/spec/slow/init.slow.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/api/core/spec/slow/init.slow.spec.ts
@@ -39,6 +39,14 @@ describe('init', () => {
       fs.existsSync(path.resolve(dir, 'node_modules/@electron-forge/cli')),
     ).toEqual(true);
     expect(fs.existsSync(path.join(dir, 'forge.config.js'))).toEqual(true);
+
+    // init should create a `private: true` npm package
+    const packageJSONString = await fs.promises.readFile(
+      path.join(dir, 'package.json'),
+      'utf-8',
+    );
+    const packageJSON = JSON.parse(packageJSONString);
+    expect(packageJSON).toHaveProperty('private', true);
   });
 
   describe('with electronVersion', () => {
diff --git a/packages/template/base/tmpl/package.json b/packages/template/base/tmpl/package.json
index ec4b7f596b..25b32b1ff2 100644
--- a/packages/template/base/tmpl/package.json
+++ b/packages/template/base/tmpl/package.json
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
   "version": "1.0.0",
   "description": "My Electron application description",
   "main": "src/index.js",
+  "private": true,
   "scripts": {
     "start": "electron-forge start",
     "package": "electron-forge package",
diff --git a/packages/template/vite-typescript/spec/ViteTypeScriptTemplate.slow.spec.ts b/packages/template/vite-typescript/spec/ViteTypeScriptTemplate.slow.spec.ts
index b359f0cf0f..122461c8a6 100644
--- a/packages/template/vite-typescript/spec/ViteTypeScriptTemplate.slow.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/template/vite-typescript/spec/ViteTypeScriptTemplate.slow.spec.ts
@@ -59,6 +59,15 @@ describe('ViteTypeScriptTemplate', () => {
       const jsFiles = await glob(path.join(dir, 'src', '**', '*.js'));
       expect(jsFiles.length).toEqual(0);
     });
+
+    it('should contain `private:true` in package.json', async () => {
+      const packageJSONString = await fs.promises.readFile(
+        path.join(dir, 'package.json'),
+        'utf-8',
+      );
+      const packageJSON = JSON.parse(packageJSONString);
+      expect(packageJSON).toHaveProperty('private', true);
+    });
   });
 
   describe('lint', () => {
diff --git a/packages/template/vite/spec/ViteTemplate.spec.ts b/packages/template/vite/spec/ViteTemplate.spec.ts
index 3ad02ab0e1..4de3a21c30 100644
--- a/packages/template/vite/spec/ViteTemplate.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/template/vite/spec/ViteTemplate.spec.ts
@@ -69,4 +69,13 @@ describe('ViteTemplate', () => {
       (await fs.promises.readFile(path.join(dir, 'index.html'))).toString(),
     ).toMatch(/src="\/src\/renderer\.js"/);
   });
+
+  it('should contain `private:true` in package.json', async () => {
+    const packageJSONString = await fs.promises.readFile(
+      path.join(dir, 'package.json'),
+      'utf-8',
+    );
+    const packageJSON = JSON.parse(packageJSONString);
+    expect(packageJSON).toHaveProperty('private', true);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/template/webpack-typescript/spec/WebpackTypeScript.slow.spec.ts b/packages/template/webpack-typescript/spec/WebpackTypeScript.slow.spec.ts
index fa4ddb33f7..b1fbd8cddb 100644
--- a/packages/template/webpack-typescript/spec/WebpackTypeScript.slow.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/template/webpack-typescript/spec/WebpackTypeScript.slow.spec.ts
@@ -51,6 +51,15 @@ describe('WebpackTypeScriptTemplate', () => {
     expect(jsFiles.length).toEqual(0);
   });
 
+  it('should contain `private:true` in package.json', async () => {
+    const packageJSONString = await fs.promises.readFile(
+      path.join(dir, 'package.json'),
+      'utf-8',
+    );
+    const packageJSON = JSON.parse(packageJSONString);
+    expect(packageJSON).toHaveProperty('private', true);
+  });
+
   describe('lint', () => {
     it('should initially pass the linting process', async () => {
       delete process.env.TS_NODE_PROJECT;
diff --git a/packages/template/webpack/spec/WebpackTemplate.spec.ts b/packages/template/webpack/spec/WebpackTemplate.spec.ts
index 259e2933a6..3e5d911548 100644
--- a/packages/template/webpack/spec/WebpackTemplate.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/template/webpack/spec/WebpackTemplate.spec.ts
@@ -61,4 +61,13 @@ describe('WebpackTemplate', () => {
       ).toString(),
     ).not.toMatch(/link rel="stylesheet"/);
   });
+
+  it('should contain `private:true` in package.json', async () => {
+    const packageJSONString = await fs.promises.readFile(
+      path.join(dir, 'package.json'),
+      'utf-8',
+    );
+    const packageJSON = JSON.parse(packageJSONString);
+    expect(packageJSON).toHaveProperty('private', true);
+  });
 });