diff --git a/bin/init b/bin/init
index c8879d1..4c527e1 100755
--- a/bin/init
+++ b/bin/init
@@ -16,19 +16,25 @@ if [[ ! -d "$TOOLKIT_ROOT/bin" ]] || [[ ! -d "$TOOLKIT_ROOT/config" ]]; then
 fi
 
 function usage() {
-  echo "Usage: bin/init"
+  echo "Usage: bin/init [OPTION]"
   echo ""
   echo "Initialises local configuration files in the 'config/' directory"
   echo ""
+  echo "--help          display this help and exit"
+  echo "--tls           Initialises local configuration with NGINX config, or"
+  echo "                adds NGINX config to an existing local configuration"
 }
 
-function check_existing_config() {
-  if [[ -f "$TOOLKIT_ROOT/config/overleaf.rc" ]] \
-    || [[ -f "$TOOLKIT_ROOT/config/variables.env" ]] \
-    || [[ -f "$TOOLKIT_ROOT/config/version" ]]; then
-    echo "ERROR: Config files already exist, exiting "
-    exit 1
-  fi
+function config_exists() {
+  [ -f "$TOOLKIT_ROOT/config/overleaf.rc" ] \
+    || [ -f "$TOOLKIT_ROOT/config/variables.env" ] \
+    || [ -f "$TOOLKIT_ROOT/config/version" ]
+}
+
+function tls_config_exists() {
+  [ -f "$TOOLKIT_ROOT/config/nginx/nginx.conf" ] \
+    || [ -f "$TOOLKIT_ROOT/config/nginx/certs/overleaf_certificate.pem" ] \
+    || [ -f "$TOOLKIT_ROOT/config/nginx/certs/overleaf_key.pem" ]
 }
 
 function set_up_config_files() {
@@ -50,14 +56,49 @@ function set_up_tls_proxy() {
   openssl x509 -req -days 365 -in $CERT_SIGN_REQ  -signkey $PRIVATE_KEY -out $CERT
 }
 
+HELP=false
+TLS=false
+
 function __main__() {
-  if [[ "${1:-null}" == "help" ]] || [[ "${1:-null}" == "--help" ]]; then
+  while [[ $# -gt 0 ]] ; do
+    case "$1" in
+      help | --help )
+        HELP=true
+        shift
+        ;;
+      --tls )
+        TLS=true
+        shift
+        ;;
+      *)
+        echo "Unrecognised option $1"
+        exit
+        ;;
+    esac
+  done
+  if [[ "$HELP" == "true" ]]; then
     usage
     exit
   fi
-  check_existing_config
-  set_up_config_files
-  set_up_tls_proxy
+  if [[ "$TLS" == "true" ]]; then
+    if tls_config_exists; then
+      echo "ERROR: TLS config files already exist, exiting"
+      exit 1
+    else
+      set_up_tls_proxy
+    fi
+  fi
+  if config_exists; then
+    if [[ "$TLS" == "true" ]]; then
+      echo "Config files already exist, exiting"
+      exit 0
+    else
+      echo "ERROR: Config files already exist, exiting"
+      exit 1
+    fi
+  else
+    set_up_config_files
+  fi
 }
 
 __main__ "$@"
diff --git a/doc/tls-proxy.md b/doc/tls-proxy.md
index 40c5863..7034e03 100644
--- a/doc/tls-proxy.md
+++ b/doc/tls-proxy.md
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 An optional TLS proxy for terminating https connections, based on NGINX.
 
-The toolkit is initialised with a sample private key in `config/nginx/certs/overleaf_key.pem` and a dummy certificate in `config/nginx/certs/overleaf_certificate.pem`. Either replace these with your actual private key and certificate, or set the values of the `TLS_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH` and `TLS_CERTIFICATE_PATH` variables to the paths of your actual private key and certificate respectively.
+Run `bin/init --tls` to initialise local configuration with NGINX proxy configuration, or to add NGINX proxy configuration to an existing local configuration. A sample private key is created in `config/nginx/certs/overleaf_key.pem` and a dummy certificate in `config/nginx/certs/overleaf_certificate.pem`. Either replace these with your actual private key and certificate, or set the values of the `TLS_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH` and `TLS_CERTIFICATE_PATH` variables to the paths of your actual private key and certificate respectively.
 
 A default config for NGINX is provided in `config/nginx/nginx.conf` which may be customised to your requirements. The path to the config file can be changed with the `NGINX_CONFIG_PATH` variable.