diff --git a/packages/api/cli/src/electron-forge-init.ts b/packages/api/cli/src/electron-forge-init.ts
index 29c3ee86cd..85b73aa841 100644
--- a/packages/api/cli/src/electron-forge-init.ts
+++ b/packages/api/cli/src/electron-forge-init.ts
@@ -45,12 +45,28 @@ program
         },
         {
           task: async (initOpts, task): Promise<void> => {
-            // only run interactive prompts if no args passed and not in CI environment
+            // If any CLI flags are provided, run only the minimal prompt (package manager).
+            // Otherwise run full interactive initialization.
+            const getPackageManager = async () => {
+              const prompt = task.prompt(ListrInquirerPromptAdapter);
+
+              const pm: string = await prompt.run<Prompt<string, any>>(select, {
+                message: 'Select a package manager',
+                choices: [
+                  { name: 'npm', value: 'npm' },
+                  { name: 'Yarn', value: 'yarn' },
+                  { name: 'pnpm', value: 'pnpm' },
+                ],
+              });
+              return pm;
+            };
+
             if (
               Object.keys(options).length > 0 ||
               process.env.CI ||
               !process.stdout.isTTY
             ) {
+              initOpts.packageManager = await getPackageManager();
               return;
             }
 
@@ -73,6 +89,8 @@ program
               }
             }
 
+            const packageManager: string = await getPackageManager();
+
             const bundler: string = await prompt.run<Prompt<string, any>>(
               select,
               {
@@ -115,6 +133,7 @@ program
               );
             }
 
+            initOpts.packageManager = packageManager;
             initOpts.template = `${bundler}${language ? `-${language}` : ''}`;
             initOpts.skipGit = !(await prompt.run(confirm, {
               message: `Would you like to initialize Git in your new project?`,
diff --git a/packages/api/core/src/api/init.ts b/packages/api/core/src/api/init.ts
index eb532f4c57..49ca3d32d3 100644
--- a/packages/api/core/src/api/init.ts
+++ b/packages/api/core/src/api/init.ts
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ export interface InitOptions {
    * By default, Forge initializes a git repository in the project directory. Set this option to `true` to skip this step.
    */
   skipGit?: boolean;
+  /**
+   * Force a package manager to use (npm|yarn|pnpm). Internally sets NODE_INSTALLER (deprecated upstream) to ensure template PM-specific logic runs.
+   */
+  packageManager?: string;
 }
 
 async function validateTemplate(
@@ -75,6 +79,7 @@ export default async ({
   force = false,
   template = 'base',
   skipGit = false,
+  packageManager,
 }: InitOptions): Promise<void> => {
   d(`Initializing in: ${dir}`);
 
@@ -86,7 +91,7 @@ export default async ({
       {
         title: `Resolving package manager`,
         task: async (ctx, task) => {
-          ctx.pm = await resolvePackageManager();
+          ctx.pm = await resolvePackageManager(packageManager);
           task.title = `Resolving package manager: ${chalk.cyan(ctx.pm.executable)}`;
         },
       },
diff --git a/packages/utils/core-utils/spec/package-manager.spec.ts b/packages/utils/core-utils/spec/package-manager.spec.ts
index 408ee7ae6d..bb89a76b4a 100644
--- a/packages/utils/core-utils/spec/package-manager.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/utils/core-utils/spec/package-manager.spec.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import findUp from 'find-up';
 import { beforeAll, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
 
 import {
+  __resetExplicitPMCacheForTests,
   resolvePackageManager,
   spawnPackageManager,
 } from '../src/package-manager';
@@ -174,4 +175,36 @@ describe('package-manager', () => {
       expect(result).toBe('foo');
     });
   });
+
+  describe('explicit argument caching', () => {
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      __resetExplicitPMCacheForTests();
+      delete process.env.NODE_INSTALLER;
+      delete process.env.npm_config_user_agent;
+    });
+
+    it('should cache explicit argument and ignore later env / lockfile', async () => {
+      vi.mocked(spawn).mockResolvedValueOnce('10.0.0');
+      const first = await resolvePackageManager('pnpm');
+      expect(first.executable).toBe('pnpm');
+      expect(first.version).toBe('10.0.0');
+
+      process.env.NODE_INSTALLER = 'yarn';
+      vi.mocked(spawn).mockResolvedValue('9.9.9');
+      const second = await resolvePackageManager();
+      expect(second.executable).toBe('pnpm');
+      expect(second.version).toBe('10.0.0');
+    });
+
+    it('should fallback to npm and cache when explicit argument unsupported', async () => {
+      vi.mocked(spawn).mockResolvedValue('9.99.99');
+      const result = await resolvePackageManager('good coffee');
+      expect(result.executable).toBe('npm');
+      expect(result.version).toBe('9.99.99');
+
+      const again = await resolvePackageManager();
+      expect(again.executable).toBe('npm');
+      expect(again.version).toBe('9.99.99');
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/utils/core-utils/src/package-manager.ts b/packages/utils/core-utils/src/package-manager.ts
index 660ccbf916..8ac5287c20 100644
--- a/packages/utils/core-utils/src/package-manager.ts
+++ b/packages/utils/core-utils/src/package-manager.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ export type PMDetails = {
 };
 
 let hasWarned = false;
+let explicitPMCache: PMDetails | undefined;
 
 /**
  * Supported package managers and the commands and flags they need to install dependencies.
@@ -85,7 +86,9 @@ function pmFromUserAgent() {
  * Supported package managers are `yarn`, `pnpm`, and `npm`.
  *
  */
-export const resolvePackageManager: () => Promise<PMDetails> = async () => {
+export const resolvePackageManager: (
+  packageManager?: string,
+) => Promise<PMDetails> = async (packageManager) => {
   const executingPM = pmFromUserAgent();
   let lockfilePM;
   const lockfile = await findUp(
@@ -97,10 +100,30 @@ export const resolvePackageManager: () => Promise<PMDetails> = async () => {
     lockfilePM = PM_FROM_LOCKFILE[lockfileName];
   }
 
-  let installer;
-  let installerVersion;
+  let installer: string | undefined;
+  let installerVersion: string | undefined;
 
-  if (typeof process.env.NODE_INSTALLER === 'string') {
+  if (packageManager) {
+    if (explicitPMCache && explicitPMCache.executable === packageManager) {
+      d(`Using cached explicit package manager: ${explicitPMCache.executable}`);
+      return explicitPMCache;
+    }
+
+    if (Object.keys(PACKAGE_MANAGERS).includes(packageManager)) {
+      const pm = PACKAGE_MANAGERS[packageManager as SupportedPackageManager];
+      installerVersion = await spawnPackageManager(pm, ['--version']);
+      explicitPMCache = { ...pm, version: installerVersion };
+      d(`Resolved and cached explicit package manager: ${pm.executable}`);
+      return explicitPMCache;
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (!packageManager && explicitPMCache) {
+    d(
+      `Returning previously cached explicit package manager: ${explicitPMCache.executable}`,
+    );
+    return explicitPMCache;
+  } else if (typeof process.env.NODE_INSTALLER === 'string') {
     if (Object.keys(PACKAGE_MANAGERS).includes(process.env.NODE_INSTALLER)) {
       installer = process.env.NODE_INSTALLER;
       installerVersion = await spawnPackageManager(
@@ -164,3 +187,8 @@ export const spawnPackageManager = async (
 ): Promise<string> => {
   return (await spawn(pm.executable, args, opts)).trim();
 };
+
+// Test-only helper to clear the explicit package manager cache between specs.
+export function __resetExplicitPMCacheForTests() {
+  explicitPMCache = undefined;
+}