diff --git a/packer_test/init_test.go b/packer_test/init_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6a9196a94
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packer_test/init_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+package packer_test
+
+func (ts *PackerTestSuite) TestPackerInitForce() {
+	pluginPath, cleanup := ts.MakePluginDir()
+	defer cleanup()
+
+	ts.Run("installs any missing plugins", func() {
+		ts.PackerCommand().UsePluginDir(pluginPath).
+			SetArgs("init", "--force", "./templates/init/hashicups.pkr.hcl").
+			Assert(MustSucceed(), Grep("Installed plugin github.com/hashicorp/hashicups v1.0.2", grepStdout))
+	})
+
+	ts.Run("reinstalls plugins matching version constraints", func() {
+		ts.PackerCommand().UsePluginDir(pluginPath).
+			SetArgs("init", "--force", "./templates/init/hashicups.pkr.hcl").
+			Assert(MustSucceed(), Grep("Installed plugin github.com/hashicorp/hashicups v1.0.2", grepStdout))
+	})
+}
+
+func (ts *PackerTestSuite) TestPackerInitUpgrade() {
+	pluginPath, cleanup := ts.MakePluginDir()
+	defer cleanup()
+
+	cmd := ts.PackerCommand().UsePluginDir(pluginPath)
+	cmd.SetArgs("plugins", "install", "github.com/hashicorp/hashicups", "1.0.1")
+	cmd.Assert(MustSucceed(), Grep("Installed plugin github.com/hashicorp/hashicups v1.0.1", grepStdout))
+
+	_, _, err := cmd.Run()
+	if err != nil {
+		ts.T().Fatalf("packer plugins install failed to install previous version of hashicups: %q", err)
+	}
+
+	ts.Run("upgrades a plugin to the latest matching version constraints", func() {
+		ts.PackerCommand().UsePluginDir(pluginPath).
+			SetArgs("init", "--upgrade", "./templates/init/hashicups.pkr.hcl").
+			Assert(MustSucceed(), Grep("Installed plugin github.com/hashicorp/hashicups v1.0.2", grepStdout))
+	})
+}
+
+func (ts *PackerTestSuite) TestPackerInitWithNonGithubSource() {
+	pluginPath, cleanup := ts.MakePluginDir()
+	defer cleanup()
+
+	ts.Run("try installing from a non-github source, should fail", func() {
+		ts.PackerCommand().UsePluginDir(pluginPath).
+			SetArgs("init", "./templates/init/non_gh.pkr.hcl").
+			Assert(MustFail(), Grep(`doesn't appear to be a valid "github.com" source address`, grepStdout))
+	})
+
+	ts.Run("manually install plugin to the expected source", func() {
+		ts.PackerCommand().UsePluginDir(pluginPath).
+			SetArgs("plugins", "install", "--path", BuildSimplePlugin("1.0.10", ts.T()), "hubgit.com/hashicorp/tester").
+			Assert(MustSucceed(), Grep("packer-plugin-tester_v1.0.10", grepStdout))
+	})
+
+	ts.Run("re-run packer init on same template, should succeed silently", func() {
+		ts.PackerCommand().UsePluginDir(pluginPath).
+			SetArgs("init", "./templates/init/non_gh.pkr.hcl").
+			Assert(MustSucceed(),
+				MkPipeCheck("no output in stdout").SetTester(ExpectEmptyInput()).SetStream(OnlyStdout))
+	})
+}
+
+func (ts *PackerTestSuite) TestPackerInitWithMixedVersions() {
+	pluginPath, cleanup := ts.MakePluginDir()
+	defer cleanup()
+
+	ts.Run("skips the plugin installation with mixed versions before exiting with an error", func() {
+		ts.PackerCommand().UsePluginDir(pluginPath).
+			SetArgs("init", "./templates/init/mixed_versions.pkr.hcl").
+			Assert(MustFail(),
+				Grep("binary reported a pre-release version of 10.7.3-dev", grepStdout))
+	})
+}
diff --git a/packer_test/install_test.go b/packer_test/install_test.go
index a16c3e575..abc017dd3 100644
--- a/packer_test/install_test.go
+++ b/packer_test/install_test.go
@@ -84,27 +84,3 @@ func (ts *PackerTestSuite) TestRemoteInstallWithPluginsInstall() {
 			Assert(MustFail(), Grep("Remote installation of pre-release plugin versions is unsupported.", grepStdout))
 	})
 }
-
-func (ts *PackerTestSuite) TestInitWithNonGithubSource() {
-	pluginPath, cleanup := ts.MakePluginDir()
-	defer cleanup()
-
-	ts.Run("try installing from a non-github source, should fail", func() {
-		ts.PackerCommand().UsePluginDir(pluginPath).
-			SetArgs("init", "./templates/non_gh.pkr.hcl").
-			Assert(MustFail(), Grep(`doesn't appear to be a valid "github.com" source address`, grepStdout))
-	})
-
-	ts.Run("manually install plugin to the expected source", func() {
-		ts.PackerCommand().UsePluginDir(pluginPath).
-			SetArgs("plugins", "install", "--path", BuildSimplePlugin("1.0.10", ts.T()), "hubgit.com/hashicorp/tester").
-			Assert(MustSucceed(), Grep("packer-plugin-tester_v1.0.10", grepStdout))
-	})
-
-	ts.Run("re-run packer init on same template, should succeed silently", func() {
-		ts.PackerCommand().UsePluginDir(pluginPath).
-			SetArgs("init", "./templates/non_gh.pkr.hcl").
-			Assert(MustSucceed(),
-				MkPipeCheck("no output in stdout").SetTester(ExpectEmptyInput()).SetStream(OnlyStdout))
-	})
-}
diff --git a/packer_test/templates/init/hashicups.pkr.hcl b/packer_test/templates/init/hashicups.pkr.hcl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d6d735bf9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packer_test/templates/init/hashicups.pkr.hcl
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+packer {
+	required_plugins {
+		tester = {
+			source = "github.com/hashicorp/hashicups"
+			version = ">= 1.0.2"
+		}
+	}
+}
+
diff --git a/packer_test/templates/init/mixed_versions.pkr.hcl b/packer_test/templates/init/mixed_versions.pkr.hcl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d228643ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packer_test/templates/init/mixed_versions.pkr.hcl
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+packer {
+	required_plugins {
+		tester = {
+			source = "github.com/mondoohq/cnspec"
+			version = "= 10.7.3" # plugin describe reports 10.7.x-dev so init must fail
+		}
+	}
+}
+
diff --git a/packer_test/templates/non_gh.pkr.hcl b/packer_test/templates/init/non_gh.pkr.hcl
similarity index 100%
rename from packer_test/templates/non_gh.pkr.hcl
rename to packer_test/templates/init/non_gh.pkr.hcl