diff --git a/bench/app.py b/bench/app.py
index 90c096ed..8b528ae6 100644
--- a/bench/app.py
+++ b/bench/app.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ import os
 from .utils import exec_cmd, get_frappe, check_git_for_shallow_clone, get_config
 
 import logging
+import requests
+import json
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -43,3 +45,16 @@ def pull_all_apps(bench='.'):
 		if os.path.exists(os.path.join(app_dir, '.git')):
 			logger.info('pulling {}'.format(app))
 			exec_cmd("git pull --rebase upstream HEAD", cwd=app_dir)
+
+def install_apps_from_path(path, bench='.'):
+	apps = get_apps_dict(path)
+	for app, url in apps.items():
+		get_app(app, url, bench=bench)
+
+def get_apps_dict(path):
+	if path.startswith('http'):
+		r = requests.get(path)
+		return r.json()
+	else:
+		with open(path) as f:
+			return json.load(f)
diff --git a/bench/cli.py b/bench/cli.py
index 75bd1912..d59e084c 100644
--- a/bench/cli.py
+++ b/bench/cli.py
@@ -38,9 +38,10 @@ def bench(bench='.'):
 
 @click.command()
 @click.argument('path')
-def init(path):
+@click.option('--apps_path', default=None, help="path to json files with apps to install after init")
+def init(path, apps_path):
 	"Create a new bench"
-	_init(path)
+	_init(path, apps_path=apps_path)
 	click.echo('Bench {} initialized'.format(path))
 
 @click.command('get-app')
diff --git a/bench/utils.py b/bench/utils.py
index 61b15406..db8db125 100644
--- a/bench/utils.py
+++ b/bench/utils.py
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@ def get_frappe(bench='.'):
 		print 'bench get-app frappe https://github.com/frappe/frappe.git'
 	return frappe
 
-def init(path):
-	from .app import get_app
+def init(path, apps_path=None):
+	from .app import get_app, install_apps_from_path
 	if os.path.exists(path):
 		print 'Directory {} already exists!'.format(path)
 		sys.exit(1)
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ def init(path):
 	setup_backups(bench=path)
 	setup_auto_update(bench=path)
 	exec_cmd("{frappe} --build".format(frappe=get_frappe(bench=path)), cwd=os.path.join(path, 'sites'))
+	if apps_path:
+		install_apps_from_path(apps_path, bench=path)
 
 def exec_cmd(cmd, cwd='.'):
 	try: