diff --git a/src/specify_cli/commands/init.py b/src/specify_cli/commands/init.py
index dd815b8c5d..cb63abcdfb 100644
--- a/src/specify_cli/commands/init.py
+++ b/src/specify_cli/commands/init.py
@@ -220,16 +220,34 @@ def init(
                 console.print(
                     f"[yellow]Warning:[/yellow] Current directory is not empty ({len(existing_items)} items)"
                 )
-                console.print(
-                    "[yellow]Template files will be merged with existing content and may overwrite existing files[/yellow]"
-                )
                 if force:
+                    # Proceeding: the merge/overwrite warning is accurate here.
+                    console.print(
+                        "[yellow]Template files will be merged with existing content and may overwrite existing files[/yellow]"
+                    )
                     console.print(
                         "[cyan]--force supplied: skipping confirmation and proceeding with merge[/cyan]"
                     )
                 else:
-                    response = typer.confirm("Do you want to continue?")
-                    if not response:
+                    console.print(
+                        "[yellow]Template files will be merged with existing content and may overwrite existing files[/yellow]"
+                    )
+                    # Call typer.confirm normally so piped y/n is honored — e.g.
+                    # `echo y | specify init --here` keeps reaching the
+                    # non-destructive preserve-merge path. Only when no
+                    # confirmation input is available at all (closed/empty stdin
+                    # → EOF/Abort) do we convert it into an actionable error that
+                    # points at --force, rather than blocking or failing opaquely.
+                    try:
+                        proceed = typer.confirm("Do you want to continue?")
+                    except (typer.Abort, EOFError):
+                        console.print(
+                            "[red]Error:[/red] Current directory is not empty and no "
+                            "confirmation input is available. Re-run with "
+                            "[bold]--force[/bold] to merge into it."
+                        )
+                        raise typer.Exit(1) from None
+                    if not proceed:
                         console.print("[yellow]Operation cancelled[/yellow]")
                         raise typer.Exit(0)
         else:
diff --git a/tests/integrations/test_cli.py b/tests/integrations/test_cli.py
index 25d4a7c16a..d23957206f 100644
--- a/tests/integrations/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/integrations/test_cli.py
@@ -115,6 +115,32 @@ def fail_select(*_args, **_kwargs):
         data = json.loads((project / ".specify" / "integration.json").read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
         assert data["integration"] == specify_cli.DEFAULT_INIT_INTEGRATION
 
+    def test_init_here_nonempty_noninteractive_errors_with_force_guidance(self, tmp_path):
+        """`init --here` on a non-empty directory with no confirmation input (empty
+        stdin) must fail fast with guidance to use --force, instead of the bare
+        'Aborted.' from an EOF on typer.confirm. CliRunner with no `input=` provides
+        empty stdin, so typer.confirm raises Abort, which the command converts to the
+        actionable error."""
+        from typer.testing import CliRunner
+        from specify_cli import app
+
+        project = tmp_path / "nonempty-here"
+        project.mkdir()
+        (project / "existing.txt").write_text("keep me", encoding="utf-8")
+        old_cwd = os.getcwd()
+        try:
+            os.chdir(project)
+            result = CliRunner().invoke(app, [
+                "init", "--here", "--integration", "copilot", "--script", "sh", "--ignore-agent-tools",
+            ], catch_exceptions=False)
+        finally:
+            os.chdir(old_cwd)
+
+        assert result.exit_code == 1, result.output
+        assert "--force" in result.output
+        # Aborted before scaffolding: the pre-existing file is untouched.
+        assert (project / "existing.txt").read_text(encoding="utf-8") == "keep me"
+
     def test_integration_copilot_auto_promotes(self, tmp_path):
         from typer.testing import CliRunner
         from specify_cli import app
@@ -835,7 +861,8 @@ def test_init_here_force_overwrites_shared_infra(self, tmp_path):
         assert (scripts_dir / "common.sh").read_text(encoding="utf-8") != custom_content
 
     def test_init_here_without_force_preserves_shared_infra(self, tmp_path):
-        """E2E: specify init --here (no --force) preserves existing shared infra files."""
+        """E2E: confirming the merge with piped "y" (no --force) preserves
+        existing shared infra files (unlike --force, which overwrites them)."""
         from typer.testing import CliRunner
         from specify_cli import app