diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 797d5a7eff..d07275c0d6 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@
     "form-data": "^2.1.2",
     "fs-pull-blob-store": "^0.4.1",
     "gulp": "^3.9.1",
-    "interface-ipfs-core": "^0.22.0",
+    "interface-ipfs-core": "^0.22.1",
     "left-pad": "^1.1.3",
     "lodash": "^4.17.2",
     "ncp": "^2.0.0",
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@
     "hapi": "^16.0.1",
     "hapi-set-header": "^1.0.2",
     "idb-pull-blob-store": "^0.5.1",
-    "ipfs-api": "^12.0.3",
+    "ipfs-api": "^12.1.0",
     "ipfs-bitswap": "^0.8.2",
     "ipfs-block": "^0.5.1",
     "ipfs-block-service": "^0.7.1",
@@ -150,4 +150,4 @@
     "nginnever <ginneversource@gmail.com>",
     "npmcdn-to-unpkg-bot <npmcdn-to-unpkg-bot@users.noreply.github.com>"
   ]
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/cli/commands/object/new.js b/src/cli/commands/object/new.js
index ec2853ec3c..6a9d27b0df 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/object/new.js
+++ b/src/cli/commands/object/new.js
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ const log = debug('cli:object')
 log.error = debug('cli:object:error')
 
 module.exports = {
-  command: 'new',
+  command: 'new [<template>]',
 
   describe: 'Create new ipfs objects',
 
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ module.exports = {
   handler (argv) {
     waterfall([
       (cb) => utils.getIPFS(cb),
-      (ipfs, cb) => ipfs.object.new(cb)
+      (ipfs, cb) => ipfs.object.new(argv.template, cb)
     ], (err, node) => {
       if (err) {
         throw err
diff --git a/src/core/components/init.js b/src/core/components/init.js
index a2081984ec..0350563a0e 100644
--- a/src/core/components/init.js
+++ b/src/core/components/init.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 const peerId = require('peer-id')
 const waterfall = require('async/waterfall')
+const parallel = require('async/parallel')
 
 const addDefaultAssets = require('./init-assets')
 
@@ -51,11 +52,28 @@ module.exports = function init (self) {
       },
       (cb) => self._repo.config.set(config, cb),
       (cb) => {
-        if (typeof addDefaultAssets === 'function' && !opts.emptyRepo) {
-          return addDefaultAssets(self, opts.log, cb)
+        if (opts.emptyRepo) {
+          return cb(null, true)
         }
 
-        cb(null, true)
+        const tasks = [
+          // add empty unixfs dir object (go-ipfs assumes this exists)
+          (cb) => self.object.new('unixfs-dir', cb)
+        ]
+
+        if (typeof addDefaultAssets === 'function') {
+          tasks.push(
+            (cb) => addDefaultAssets(self, opts.log, cb)
+          )
+        }
+
+        parallel(tasks, (err) => {
+          if (err) {
+            return cb(err)
+          }
+
+          cb(null, true)
+        })
       }
     ], callback)
   }
diff --git a/src/core/components/object.js b/src/core/components/object.js
index 86f851798d..da0b4b65a9 100644
--- a/src/core/components/object.js
+++ b/src/core/components/object.js
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ const DAGNode = dagPB.DAGNode
 const DAGLink = dagPB.DAGLink
 const CID = require('cids')
 const mh = require('multihashes')
+const Unixfs = require('ipfs-unixfs')
+const assert = require('assert')
 
 function normalizeMultihash (multihash, enc) {
   if (typeof multihash === 'string') {
@@ -91,8 +93,22 @@ module.exports = function object (self) {
   }
 
   return {
-    new: promisify((callback) => {
-      DAGNode.create(new Buffer(0), (err, node) => {
+    new: promisify((template, callback) => {
+      if (typeof template === 'function') {
+        callback = template
+        template = undefined
+      }
+
+      let data
+
+      if (template) {
+        assert(template === 'unixfs-dir', 'unkown template')
+        data = (new Unixfs('directory')).marshal()
+      } else {
+        data = new Buffer(0)
+      }
+
+      DAGNode.create(data, (err, node) => {
         if (err) {
           return callback(err)
         }
diff --git a/src/http-api/resources/object.js b/src/http-api/resources/object.js
index 112735591b..a68132cf83 100644
--- a/src/http-api/resources/object.js
+++ b/src/http-api/resources/object.js
@@ -34,8 +34,9 @@ exports.parseKey = (request, reply) => {
 
 exports.new = (request, reply) => {
   const ipfs = request.server.app.ipfs
+  const template = request.query.arg
 
-  ipfs.object.new((err, node) => {
+  ipfs.object.new(template, (err, node) => {
     if (err) {
       log.error(err)
       return reply({
diff --git a/test/cli/test-object.js b/test/cli/test-object.js
index 383b32457b..c109f9cd2e 100644
--- a/test/cli/test-object.js
+++ b/test/cli/test-object.js
@@ -17,6 +17,14 @@ describe('object', () => {
       })
     })
 
+    it('new unixfs-dir', () => {
+      return ipfs('object new unixfs-dir').then((out) => {
+        expect(out).to.be.eql(
+          'QmUNLLsPACCz1vLxQVkXqqLX5R1X345qqfHbsf67hvA3Nn'
+        )
+      })
+    })
+
     it('get', () => {
       return ipfs('object get QmdfTbBqBPQ7VNxZEYEj14VmRuZBkqFbiwReogJgS1zR1n').then((out) => {
         const result = JSON.parse(out)