diff --git a/packages/angular-cli/blueprints/ng2/files/angular-cli.json b/packages/angular-cli/blueprints/ng2/files/angular-cli.json
index 4fd88b98c1cf..239ffb31f171 100644
--- a/packages/angular-cli/blueprints/ng2/files/angular-cli.json
+++ b/packages/angular-cli/blueprints/ng2/files/angular-cli.json
@@ -49,11 +49,11 @@
     },
     "spec": {
       "class": false,
-      "component": true,
-      "directive": true,
+      "component": <%= tests %>,
+      "directive": <%= tests %>,
       "module": false,
-      "pipe": true,
-      "service": true
+      "pipe": <%= tests %>,
+      "service": <%= tests %>
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/angular-cli/blueprints/ng2/index.js b/packages/angular-cli/blueprints/ng2/index.js
index 2829f591eec0..49fca45ad622 100644
--- a/packages/angular-cli/blueprints/ng2/index.js
+++ b/packages/angular-cli/blueprints/ng2/index.js
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ module.exports = {
   locals: function(options) {
     this.styleExt = options.style;
     this.version = require(path.resolve(__dirname, '../../package.json')).version;
+    // set this.tests to opposite of skipTest options, meaning if tests are being skipped then the default.spec.BLUEPRINT will be false
+    this.tests = options.skipTests ? false : true;
 
     // Split/join with / not path.sep as reference to typings require forward slashes.
     const relativeRootPath = options.sourceDir.split('/').map(() => '..').join('/');
@@ -57,7 +59,8 @@ module.exports = {
       isMobile: options.mobile,
       routing: options.routing,
       inlineStyle: options.inlineStyle,
-      inlineTemplate: options.inlineTemplate
+      inlineTemplate: options.inlineTemplate,
+      tests: this.tests
     };
   },
 
@@ -77,6 +80,10 @@ module.exports = {
       fileList = fileList.filter(p => p.indexOf('gitignore') < 0);
     }
 
+    if (this.options && this.options.skipTests) {
+      fileList = fileList.filter(p => p.indexOf('app.component.spec.ts') < 0);
+    }
+
     return fileList;
   },
 
diff --git a/packages/angular-cli/commands/init.run.ts b/packages/angular-cli/commands/init.run.ts
index 0707ccb4135c..0ef9f64bf2b1 100644
--- a/packages/angular-cli/commands/init.run.ts
+++ b/packages/angular-cli/commands/init.run.ts
@@ -70,7 +70,8 @@ export default function initRun(commandOptions: any, rawArgs: string[]) {
     inlineStyle: commandOptions.inlineStyle,
     inlineTemplate: commandOptions.inlineTemplate,
     ignoredUpdateFiles: ['favicon.ico'],
-    skipGit: commandOptions.skipGit
+    skipGit: commandOptions.skipGit,
+    skipTests: commandOptions.skipTests
   };
 
   if (!validProjectName(packageName)) {
diff --git a/packages/angular-cli/commands/init.ts b/packages/angular-cli/commands/init.ts
index 7eae7c70b485..de47429b9d88 100644
--- a/packages/angular-cli/commands/init.ts
+++ b/packages/angular-cli/commands/init.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ const InitCommand: any = Command.extend({
     { name: 'link-cli', type: Boolean, default: false, aliases: ['lc'] },
     { name: 'skip-npm', type: Boolean, default: false, aliases: ['sn'] },
     { name: 'skip-git', type: Boolean, default: false, aliases: ['sg'] },
+    { name: 'skip-tests', type: Boolean, default: false, aliases: ['st'] },
     { name: 'skip-commit', type: Boolean, default: false, aliases: ['sc'] },
     { name: 'name', type: String, default: '', aliases: ['n'] },
     { name: 'source-dir', type: String, default: 'src', aliases: ['sd'] },
diff --git a/packages/angular-cli/commands/new.ts b/packages/angular-cli/commands/new.ts
index c30de3ff3186..9b58b21f2c96 100644
--- a/packages/angular-cli/commands/new.ts
+++ b/packages/angular-cli/commands/new.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ const NewCommand = Command.extend({
     { name: 'link-cli', type: Boolean, default: false, aliases: ['lc'] },
     { name: 'skip-npm', type: Boolean, default: false, aliases: ['sn'] },
     { name: 'skip-git', type: Boolean, default: false, aliases: ['sg'] },
+    { name: 'skip-tests', type: Boolean, default: false, aliases: ['st'] },
     { name: 'skip-commit', type: Boolean, default: false, aliases: ['sc'] },
     { name: 'directory', type: String, aliases: ['dir'] },
     { name: 'source-dir', type: String, default: 'src', aliases: ['sd'] },
diff --git a/tests/acceptance/init.spec.js b/tests/acceptance/init.spec.js
index bb9ddd6265c5..9d70aad87168 100644
--- a/tests/acceptance/init.spec.js
+++ b/tests/acceptance/init.spec.js
@@ -201,4 +201,13 @@ describe('Acceptance: ng init', function () {
         expect(existsSync(styleFile)).to.equal(false);
       });
   });
+
+  it('should skip spec files when passed --skip-tests', () => {
+    return ng(['init', '--skip-npm', '--skip-git', '--skip-tests'])
+      .then(() => {
+        const specFile = path.join('src', 'app', 'app.component.spec.ts');
+        expect(existsSync(specFile)).to.equal(false);
+      });
+  });
+
 });
diff --git a/tests/acceptance/new.spec.ts b/tests/acceptance/new.spec.ts
index 546d584154dc..89e6a2cbc582 100644
--- a/tests/acceptance/new.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/acceptance/new.spec.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ const util = require('util');
 const EOL = require('os').EOL;
 const SilentError = require('silent-error');
 
-
 describe('Acceptance: ng new', function () {
   beforeEach(function () {
     return tmp.setup('./tmp').then(function () {
@@ -169,4 +168,13 @@ describe('Acceptance: ng new', function () {
         expect(existsSync(styleFile)).to.equal(false);
       });
   });
+
+  it('should skip spec files when passed --skip-tests', () => {
+    return ng(['new', 'foo', '--skip-npm', '--skip-git', '--skip-tests'])
+      .then(() => {
+        const specFile = path.join('src', 'app', 'app.component.spec.ts');
+        expect(existsSync(specFile)).to.equal(false);
+      });
+  });
+
 });