diff --git a/internal/boxcli/init.go b/internal/boxcli/init.go
index 1efaebabb3f..a203217c375 100644
--- a/internal/boxcli/init.go
+++ b/internal/boxcli/init.go
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 package boxcli
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
+
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
@@ -31,7 +33,7 @@ func initCmd() *cobra.Command {
 	}
 
 	command.Flags().BoolVar(&flags.auto, "auto", false, "Automatically detect packages to add")
-	command.Flags().BoolVar(&flags.dryRun, "dry-run", false, "Dry run")
+	command.Flags().BoolVar(&flags.dryRun, "dry-run", false, "Dry run for auto mode. Prints the config that would be used")
 	_ = command.Flags().MarkHidden("auto")
 	_ = command.Flags().MarkHidden("dry-run")
 
@@ -41,18 +43,17 @@ func initCmd() *cobra.Command {
 func runInitCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string, flags *initFlags) error {
 	path := pathArg(args)
 
-	if flags.auto && flags.dryRun {
-		return autodetect.DryRun(cmd.Context(), path, cmd.ErrOrStderr())
-	}
-
-	err := devbox.InitConfig(path)
-	if err != nil {
-		return errors.WithStack(err)
-	}
-
 	if flags.auto {
-		err = autodetect.PopulateConfig(cmd.Context(), path, cmd.ErrOrStderr())
+		if flags.dryRun {
+			config, err := autodetect.DryRun(cmd.Context(), path)
+			if err != nil {
+				return errors.WithStack(err)
+			}
+			fmt.Fprintln(cmd.OutOrStdout(), string(config))
+			return nil
+		}
+		return autodetect.InitConfig(cmd.Context(), path)
 	}
 
-	return errors.WithStack(err)
+	return devbox.InitConfig(path)
 }
diff --git a/internal/devbox/devbox.go b/internal/devbox/devbox.go
index ec82a86b949..557f6de7ebe 100644
--- a/internal/devbox/devbox.go
+++ b/internal/devbox/devbox.go
@@ -72,7 +72,8 @@ type Devbox struct {
 var legacyPackagesWarningHasBeenShown = false
 
 func InitConfig(dir string) error {
-	return devconfig.Init(dir)
+	_, err := devconfig.Init(dir)
+	return err
 }
 
 func Open(opts *devopt.Opts) (*Devbox, error) {
diff --git a/internal/devbox/devbox_test.go b/internal/devbox/devbox_test.go
index 5d0346b86d4..579b5b7a496 100644
--- a/internal/devbox/devbox_test.go
+++ b/internal/devbox/devbox_test.go
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ func TestComputeDevboxPathWhenRemoving(t *testing.T) {
 
 func devboxForTesting(t *testing.T) *Devbox {
 	path := t.TempDir()
-	err := devconfig.Init(path)
+	_, err := devconfig.Init(path)
 	require.NoError(t, err, "InitConfig should not fail")
 	d, err := Open(&devopt.Opts{
 		Dir:    path,
diff --git a/internal/devconfig/config_test.go b/internal/devconfig/config_test.go
index d625de332bf..521aa09f033 100644
--- a/internal/devconfig/config_test.go
+++ b/internal/devconfig/config_test.go
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import (
 func TestOpen(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("Dir", func(t *testing.T) {
 		root, _, _ := mkNestedDirs(t)
-		if err := Init(root); err != nil {
+		if _, err := Init(root); err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("Init(%q) error: %v", root, err)
 		}
 
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ func TestOpen(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 	t.Run("File", func(t *testing.T) {
 		root, _, _ := mkNestedDirs(t)
-		if err := Init(root); err != nil {
+		if _, err := Init(root); err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("Init(%q) error: %v", root, err)
 		}
 		path := filepath.Join(root, "devbox.json")
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ func TestOpen(t *testing.T) {
 func TestOpenError(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("NotExist", func(t *testing.T) {
 		root, _, _ := mkNestedDirs(t)
-		if err := Init(root); err != nil {
+		if _, err := Init(root); err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("Init(%q) error: %v", root, err)
 		}
 
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ func TestOpenError(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 	t.Run("ParentNotFound", func(t *testing.T) {
 		root, child, _ := mkNestedDirs(t)
-		if err := Init(root); err != nil {
+		if _, err := Init(root); err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("Init(%q) error: %v", root, err)
 		}
 
@@ -96,10 +96,10 @@ func TestOpenError(t *testing.T) {
 func TestFind(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("StartInSameDir", func(t *testing.T) {
 		root, child, _ := mkNestedDirs(t)
-		if err := Init(root); err != nil {
+		if _, err := Init(root); err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("Init(%q) error: %v", root, err)
 		}
-		if err := Init(child); err != nil {
+		if _, err := Init(child); err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("Init(%q) error: %v", child, err)
 		}
 
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ func TestFind(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 	t.Run("StartInChildDir", func(t *testing.T) {
 		root, child, _ := mkNestedDirs(t)
-		if err := Init(root); err != nil {
+		if _, err := Init(root); err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("Init(%q) error: %v", root, err)
 		}
 
@@ -129,10 +129,10 @@ func TestFind(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 	t.Run("StartInNestedChildDir", func(t *testing.T) {
 		root, child, nested := mkNestedDirs(t)
-		if err := Init(root); err != nil {
+		if _, err := Init(root); err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("Init(%q) error: %v", root, err)
 		}
-		if err := Init(child); err != nil {
+		if _, err := Init(child); err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("Init(%q) error: %v", child, err)
 		}
 
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ func TestFind(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 	t.Run("IgnoreDirsWithMatchingName", func(t *testing.T) {
 		root, child, _ := mkNestedDirs(t)
-		if err := Init(root); err != nil {
+		if _, err := Init(root); err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("Init(%q) error: %v", root, err)
 		}
 
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ func TestFind(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 	t.Run("ExactFile", func(t *testing.T) {
 		root, _, _ := mkNestedDirs(t)
-		if err := Init(root); err != nil {
+		if _, err := Init(root); err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("Init(%q) error: %v", root, err)
 		}
 
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ func TestFind(t *testing.T) {
 func TestFindError(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("NotExist", func(t *testing.T) {
 		root, _, _ := mkNestedDirs(t)
-		if err := Init(root); err != nil {
+		if _, err := Init(root); err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("Init(%q) error: %v", root, err)
 		}
 
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ func TestFindError(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 	t.Run("NotFound", func(t *testing.T) {
 		root, child, _ := mkNestedDirs(t)
-		if err := Init(child); err != nil {
+		if _, err := Init(child); err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("Init(%q) error: %v", root, err)
 		}
 
@@ -221,10 +221,10 @@ func TestFindError(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 	t.Run("Permissions", func(t *testing.T) {
 		root, child, _ := mkNestedDirs(t)
-		if err := Init(root); err != nil {
+		if _, err := Init(root); err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("Init(%q) error: %v", root, err)
 		}
-		if err := Init(child); err != nil {
+		if _, err := Init(child); err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("Init(%q) error: %v", child, err)
 		}
 		path := filepath.Join(child, "devbox.json")
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ func TestFindError(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 	t.Run("ExactFilePermissions", func(t *testing.T) {
 		root, _, _ := mkNestedDirs(t)
-		if err := Init(root); err != nil {
+		if _, err := Init(root); err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("Init(%q) error: %v", root, err)
 		}
 		path := filepath.Join(root, "devbox.json")
diff --git a/internal/devconfig/init.go b/internal/devconfig/init.go
index 8671cb03bd0..df7cc0cdfd1 100644
--- a/internal/devconfig/init.go
+++ b/internal/devconfig/init.go
@@ -11,17 +11,19 @@ import (
 	"go.jetpack.io/devbox/internal/devconfig/configfile"
 )
 
-func Init(dir string) error {
+func Init(dir string) (*Config, error) {
 	file, err := os.OpenFile(
 		filepath.Join(dir, configfile.DefaultName),
 		os.O_RDWR|os.O_CREATE|os.O_EXCL,
 		0o644,
 	)
 	if errors.Is(err, os.ErrExist) {
-		return nil
+		// TODO: Should we return an error here?
+		// If we do, it breaks a bunch of tests, but it's likely the correct behavior
+		return nil, nil
 	}
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	defer func() {
 		if err != nil {
@@ -29,10 +31,11 @@ func Init(dir string) error {
 		}
 	}()
 
-	_, err = file.Write(DefaultConfig().Root.Bytes())
+	newConfig := DefaultConfig()
+	_, err = file.Write(newConfig.Root.Bytes())
+	defer file.Close()
 	if err != nil {
-		file.Close()
-		return err
+		return nil, err
 	}
-	return file.Close()
+	return newConfig, nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/autodetect/autodetect.go b/pkg/autodetect/autodetect.go
index 09cd51e064d..a4ac0c5710b 100644
--- a/pkg/autodetect/autodetect.go
+++ b/pkg/autodetect/autodetect.go
@@ -2,40 +2,35 @@ package autodetect
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"fmt"
-	"io"
 
-	"go.jetpack.io/devbox/internal/devbox"
-	"go.jetpack.io/devbox/internal/devbox/devopt"
+	"go.jetpack.io/devbox/internal/devconfig"
 	"go.jetpack.io/devbox/pkg/autodetect/detector"
 )
 
-func PopulateConfig(ctx context.Context, path string, stderr io.Writer) error {
-	pkgs, err := packages(ctx, path)
+func InitConfig(ctx context.Context, path string) error {
+	config, err := devconfig.Init(path)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	devbox, err := devbox.Open(&devopt.Opts{
-		Dir:    path,
-		Stderr: stderr,
-	})
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
+
+	return populateConfig(ctx, path, config)
+}
+
+func DryRun(ctx context.Context, path string) ([]byte, error) {
+	config := devconfig.DefaultConfig()
+	if err := populateConfig(ctx, path, config); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
 	}
-	return devbox.Add(ctx, pkgs, devopt.AddOpts{})
+	return config.Root.Bytes(), nil
 }
 
-func DryRun(ctx context.Context, path string, stderr io.Writer) error {
+func populateConfig(ctx context.Context, path string, config *devconfig.Config) error {
 	pkgs, err := packages(ctx, path)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
-	} else if len(pkgs) == 0 {
-		fmt.Fprintln(stderr, "No packages to add")
-		return nil
 	}
-	fmt.Fprintln(stderr, "Packages to add:")
 	for _, pkg := range pkgs {
-		fmt.Fprintln(stderr, pkg)
+		config.PackageMutator().Add(pkg)
 	}
 	return nil
 }