diff --git a/src/commands/init.ts b/src/commands/init.ts
index 5ef3a179d..a69b2b266 100644
--- a/src/commands/init.ts
+++ b/src/commands/init.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import type { SentryContext } from "../context.js";
 import { looksLikePath, parseOrgProjectArg } from "../lib/arg-parsing.js";
 import { buildCommand } from "../lib/command.js";
 import { ContextError } from "../lib/errors.js";
+import { warmOrgDetection } from "../lib/init/prefetch.js";
 import { runWizard } from "../lib/init/wizard-runner.js";
 import { validateResourceId } from "../lib/input-validation.js";
 import { logger } from "../lib/logger.js";
@@ -229,7 +230,15 @@ export const initCommand = buildCommand<
     const { org: explicitOrg, project: explicitProject } =
       await resolveTarget(targetArg);
 
-    // 5. Run the wizard
+    // 5. Start background org detection when org is not yet known.
+    //    The prefetch runs concurrently with the preamble, the wizard startup,
+    //    and all early suspend/resume rounds — by the time the wizard needs the
+    //    org (inside createSentryProject), the result is already cached.
+    if (!explicitOrg) {
+      warmOrgDetection(targetDir);
+    }
+
+    // 6. Run the wizard
     await runWizard({
       directory: targetDir,
       yes: flags.yes,
diff --git a/src/lib/init/local-ops.ts b/src/lib/init/local-ops.ts
index a68fe815d..1f29d9778 100644
--- a/src/lib/init/local-ops.ts
+++ b/src/lib/init/local-ops.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ import {
   tryGetPrimaryDsn,
 } from "../api-client.js";
 import { ApiError } from "../errors.js";
-import { resolveOrg } from "../resolve-target.js";
 import { resolveOrCreateTeam } from "../resolve-team.js";
 import { buildProjectUrl } from "../sentry-urls.js";
 import { slugify } from "../utils.js";
@@ -25,6 +24,7 @@ import {
   MAX_FILE_BYTES,
   MAX_OUTPUT_BYTES,
 } from "./constants.js";
+import { resolveOrgPrefetched } from "./prefetch.js";
 import type {
   ApplyPatchsetPayload,
   CreateSentryProjectPayload,
@@ -658,18 +658,27 @@ function applyPatchset(
 /**
  * Resolve the org slug from local config, env vars, or by listing the user's
  * organizations from the API as a fallback.
- * Returns the slug on success, or a LocalOpResult error to return early.
+ *
+ * DSN scanning uses the prefetch-aware helper from `./prefetch.ts` — if
+ * {@link warmOrgDetection} was called earlier (by `init.ts`), the result is
+ * already cached and returns near-instantly.
+ *
+ * `listOrganizations()` uses SQLite caching for near-instant warm lookups
+ * (populated after `sentry login` or the first API call), so it does not
+ * need background prefetching.
+ *
+ * @returns The org slug on success, or a {@link LocalOpResult} error to return early.
  */
 async function resolveOrgSlug(
   cwd: string,
   yes: boolean
 ): Promise<string | LocalOpResult> {
-  const resolved = await resolveOrg({ cwd });
+  const resolved = await resolveOrgPrefetched(cwd);
   if (resolved) {
     return resolved.org;
   }
 
-  // Fallback: list user's organizations from API
+  // Fallback: list user's organizations (SQLite-cached after login/first call)
   const orgs = await listOrganizations();
   if (orgs.length === 0) {
     return {
diff --git a/src/lib/init/prefetch.ts b/src/lib/init/prefetch.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c2ca8f75c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/init/prefetch.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+/**
+ * Background Org Detection Prefetch
+ *
+ * Provides a warm/consume pattern for org resolution during `sentry init`.
+ * Call {@link warmOrgDetection} early (before the preamble) to start DSN
+ * scanning in the background.  Later, call {@link resolveOrgPrefetched} —
+ * it returns the cached result instantly if the background work has
+ * finished, or falls back to a live call if it hasn't been warmed.
+ *
+ * `listOrganizations()` does NOT need prefetching because it has its own
+ * SQLite cache layer (PR #446).  After `sentry login`, the org cache is
+ * pre-populated (PR #490), so subsequent calls return from cache instantly
+ * without any HTTP requests.  Only `resolveOrg()` (DSN scanning) benefits
+ * from background prefetching since it performs filesystem I/O.
+ *
+ * This keeps the hot path (inside the wizard's `createSentryProject`)
+ * free of explicit promise-threading — callers just swap in the
+ * prefetch-aware functions.
+ */
+
+import type { ResolvedOrg } from "../resolve-target.js";
+import { resolveOrg } from "../resolve-target.js";
+
+type OrgResult = ResolvedOrg | null;
+
+let orgPromise: Promise<OrgResult> | undefined;
+let warmedCwd: string | undefined;
+
+/**
+ * Kick off background DSN scanning + env var / config checks.
+ *
+ * Safe to call multiple times — subsequent calls are no-ops.
+ * Errors are silently swallowed so the foreground path can retry.
+ */
+export function warmOrgDetection(cwd: string): void {
+  if (!orgPromise) {
+    warmedCwd = cwd;
+    orgPromise = resolveOrg({ cwd }).catch(() => null);
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Resolve the org, using the prefetched result if available.
+ *
+ * Returns the cached background result only when `cwd` matches the
+ * directory that was passed to {@link warmOrgDetection}.  If `cwd`
+ * differs (or warming was never called), falls back to a live
+ * `resolveOrg()` call so callers always get results for the correct
+ * working directory.
+ */
+export function resolveOrgPrefetched(cwd: string): Promise<OrgResult> {
+  if (orgPromise && cwd === warmedCwd) {
+    return orgPromise;
+  }
+  return resolveOrg({ cwd }).catch(() => null);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Reset prefetch state.  Used by tests to prevent cross-test leakage.
+ */
+export function resetPrefetch(): void {
+  orgPromise = undefined;
+  warmedCwd = undefined;
+}
diff --git a/test/commands/init.test.ts b/test/commands/init.test.ts
index 6b16fbb2b..06205e9b9 100644
--- a/test/commands/init.test.ts
+++ b/test/commands/init.test.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ import path from "node:path";
 import { initCommand } from "../../src/commands/init.js";
 import { ContextError } from "../../src/lib/errors.js";
 // biome-ignore lint/performance/noNamespaceImport: spyOn requires object reference
+import * as prefetchNs from "../../src/lib/init/prefetch.js";
+import { resetPrefetch } from "../../src/lib/init/prefetch.js";
+// biome-ignore lint/performance/noNamespaceImport: spyOn requires object reference
 import * as wizardRunner from "../../src/lib/init/wizard-runner.js";
 // biome-ignore lint/performance/noNamespaceImport: spyOn requires object reference
 import * as resolveTarget from "../../src/lib/resolve-target.js";
@@ -19,6 +22,7 @@ import * as resolveTarget from "../../src/lib/resolve-target.js";
 let capturedArgs: Record<string, unknown> | undefined;
 let runWizardSpy: ReturnType<typeof spyOn>;
 let resolveProjectSpy: ReturnType<typeof spyOn>;
+let warmSpy: ReturnType<typeof spyOn>;
 
 const func = (await initCommand.loader()) as unknown as (
   this: {
@@ -45,6 +49,7 @@ const DEFAULT_FLAGS = { yes: true, "dry-run": false } as const;
 
 beforeEach(() => {
   capturedArgs = undefined;
+  resetPrefetch();
   runWizardSpy = spyOn(wizardRunner, "runWizard").mockImplementation(
     (args: Record<string, unknown>) => {
       capturedArgs = args;
@@ -59,11 +64,19 @@ beforeEach(() => {
     org: "resolved-org",
     project: slug,
   }));
+  // Spy on warmOrgDetection to verify it's called/skipped appropriately.
+  // The mock prevents real DSN scans and API calls from the background.
+  warmSpy = spyOn(prefetchNs, "warmOrgDetection").mockImplementation(
+    // biome-ignore lint/suspicious/noEmptyBlockStatements: intentional no-op mock
+    () => {}
+  );
 });
 
 afterEach(() => {
   runWizardSpy.mockRestore();
   resolveProjectSpy.mockRestore();
+  warmSpy.mockRestore();
+  resetPrefetch();
 });
 
 describe("init command func", () => {
@@ -324,4 +337,48 @@ describe("init command func", () => {
       expect(capturedArgs?.team).toBe("backend");
     });
   });
+
+  // ── Background org detection ──────────────────────────────────────────
+
+  describe("background org detection", () => {
+    test("warms prefetch when org is not explicit", async () => {
+      const ctx = makeContext();
+      await func.call(ctx, DEFAULT_FLAGS);
+      expect(warmSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      expect(warmSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith("/projects/app");
+    });
+
+    test("skips prefetch when org is explicit", async () => {
+      const ctx = makeContext();
+      await func.call(ctx, DEFAULT_FLAGS, "acme/my-app");
+      expect(warmSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    test("skips prefetch when org-only is explicit", async () => {
+      const ctx = makeContext();
+      await func.call(ctx, DEFAULT_FLAGS, "acme/");
+      expect(warmSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    test("skips prefetch for bare slug (project-search resolves org)", async () => {
+      const ctx = makeContext();
+      await func.call(ctx, DEFAULT_FLAGS, "my-app");
+      // resolveProjectBySlug returns { org: "resolved-org" } → org is known
+      expect(warmSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    test("warms prefetch for path-only arg", async () => {
+      const ctx = makeContext();
+      await func.call(ctx, DEFAULT_FLAGS, "./subdir");
+      expect(warmSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    });
+
+    test("warms prefetch with resolved directory path", async () => {
+      const ctx = makeContext("/projects/app");
+      await func.call(ctx, DEFAULT_FLAGS, "./subdir");
+      expect(warmSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        path.resolve("/projects/app", "./subdir")
+      );
+    });
+  });
 });