diff --git a/core/modules/commands/init.js b/core/modules/commands/init.js
index 108124112..51b80f267 100644
--- a/core/modules/commands/init.js
+++ b/core/modules/commands/init.js
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ Command.prototype.execute = function() {
 	var fs = require("fs"),
 		path = require("path");
 	// Check that we don't already have a valid wiki folder
-	if($tw.boot.wikiTiddlersPath) {
+	if($tw.boot.wikiTiddlersPath || ($tw.utils.isDirectory($tw.boot.wikiPath) && !$tw.utils.isDirectoryEmpty($tw.boot.wikiPath))) {
 		return "Wiki folder is not empty";
 	}
 	// Loop through each of the specified editions
diff --git a/core/modules/utils/filesystem.js b/core/modules/utils/filesystem.js
index d0fe34645..d7d084221 100644
--- a/core/modules/utils/filesystem.js
+++ b/core/modules/utils/filesystem.js
@@ -139,4 +139,21 @@ exports.isDirectory = function(dirPath) {
 	return fs.existsSync(dirPath) && fs.statSync(dirPath).isDirectory();
 };
 
+/*
+Check if a path identifies a directory that is empty
+*/
+exports.isDirectoryEmpty = function(dirPath) {
+	if(!$tw.utils.isDirectory(dirPath)) {
+		return false;
+	}
+	var files = fs.readdirSync(dirPath),
+		empty = true;
+	$tw.utils.each(files,function(file,index) {
+		if(file.charAt(0) !== ".") {
+			empty = false;
+		}
+	});
+	return empty;
+};
+
 })();