diff --git a/bin/index.js b/bin/index.js
index 0c15239..3b9c0b2 100755
--- a/bin/index.js
+++ b/bin/index.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ const { hideBin } = require('yargs/helpers')
 
 const { install, installFromDesc } = require('../src/install')
 const { init } = require('../src/init')
+const { installFromPackageJson } = require('../src/installFromPackagejson')
 
 yargs(hideBin(process.argv))
   .command(
@@ -56,5 +57,23 @@ yargs(hideBin(process.argv))
     (argv) => {
       installFromDesc(argv.description_file, argv.destination_folder)
     }
-  )
+).
+  command(
+    'installFromPackageJson [packageJson] [destination_folder]',
+    'Install dependencies from package.json file containing an "rdependencies" entry.',
+    (yargs) => {
+      yargs.
+        positional('packageJson', {
+          type: 'string',
+          describe: 'Path to the package.json file.',
+          default: "package.json",
+        })
+        .positional('destination_folder', {
+          type: 'string',
+          default: "./webr_packages",
+          describe: 'Where to install the packages',
+        });
+    }, (argv) => {
+      installFromPackageJson(argv.packageJson, argv.destination_folder)
+    })
   .parse();
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 4fc638d..4d31c35 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "webrcli",
-  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "version": "0.0.5",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "webrcli",
-      "version": "1.0.0",
+      "version": "0.0.5",
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
         "axios": "^1.6.2",
@@ -2425,9 +2425,9 @@
       }
     },
     "node_modules/follow-redirects": {
-      "version": "1.15.5",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/follow-redirects/-/follow-redirects-1.15.5.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-vSFWUON1B+yAw1VN4xMfxgn5fTUiaOzAJCKBwIIgT/+7CuGy9+r+5gITvP62j3RmaD5Ph65UaERdOSRGUzZtgw==",
+      "version": "1.15.6",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/follow-redirects/-/follow-redirects-1.15.6.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-wWN62YITEaOpSK584EZXJafH1AGpO8RVgElfkuXbTOrPX4fIfOyEpW/CsiNd8JdYrAoOvafRTOEnvsO++qCqFA==",
       "funding": [
         {
           "type": "individual",
@@ -4704,9 +4704,9 @@
       }
     },
     "node_modules/tar": {
-      "version": "6.2.0",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/tar/-/tar-6.2.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-/Wo7DcT0u5HUV486xg675HtjNd3BXZ6xDbzsCUZPt5iw8bTQ63bP0Raut3mvro9u+CUyq7YQd8Cx55fsZXxqLQ==",
+      "version": "6.2.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/tar/-/tar-6.2.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-DZ4yORTwrbTj/7MZYq2w+/ZFdI6OZ/f9SFHR+71gIVUZhOQPHzVCLpvRnPgyaMpfWxxk/4ONva3GQSyNIKRv6A==",
       "dependencies": {
         "chownr": "^2.0.0",
         "fs-minipass": "^2.0.0",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 47bb58f..5ebef8a 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "webrcli",
-  "version": "0.0.4",
+  "version": "0.0.5",
   "description": "cli tools for building node project with webr inside",
   "main": "index.js",
   "bin": {
diff --git a/src/init.js b/src/init.js
index c7e5075..4f876e6 100644
--- a/src/init.js
+++ b/src/init.js
@@ -24,13 +24,19 @@ const init = async (destination_folder) => {
   process.chdir(destination_folder);
 
   // installing npm dependencies
+  log("⏳ launching npm init, installing webr & spidyr----");
   execSync(`npm init -y`);
   execSync(`npm install webr spidyr`);
 
+  // append to package.json
+  let packageJson = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync("package.json"));
+  packageJson.scripts["postinstall"] = "webrcli installFromPackageJson";
+  fs.writeFileSync("package.json", JSON.stringify(packageJson, null, 2));
+
   process.chdir(previousDirectory);
 
   // copying template
-  log("👉 Copying template ----");
+  log("💀 Copying project skeleton ----");
   fs.cpSync(
     path.join(__dirname, "..", "template"),
     path.join(destination_folder),
@@ -44,9 +50,13 @@ const init = async (destination_folder) => {
     webr_packages
   )
 
+  process.chdir(destination_folder);
+
   log("👉 Installing {pkgload} ----");
   await installIt("pkgload", webr_packages)
 
+  process.chdir(previousDirectory);
+
   return;
 
 }
diff --git a/src/install.js b/src/install.js
index d5d618b..9a7a1e1 100644
--- a/src/install.js
+++ b/src/install.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ const fs = require("fs");
 
 const { installOnePackage } = require('./install-utils');
 const { create_mount_folder_init_webr } = require('./config-utils.js');
+const { append_package_json } = require('./packagejsonmanip');
 
 const installIt = async function (
   package_to_install,
@@ -44,6 +45,8 @@ const installIt = async function (
     )
   }
 
+  append_package_json(package_to_install)
+
   await webR.close();
 
   return true
diff --git a/src/installFromPackagejson.js b/src/installFromPackagejson.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4a9acdb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/installFromPackagejson.js
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+const { installIt } = require('./install');
+const { parsePackageJson } = require('./packagejsonmanip');
+
+function installFromPackageJson(
+  package_json = "package.json",
+  destination_folder = "webr_packages"
+) {
+  // Read the package.json file
+  const package_json_read = parsePackageJson(package_json);
+  const dependencies = package_json_read.rdependencies;
+
+  if (dependencies) {
+    // Install the dependencies
+    for (let dependency of dependencies) {
+      installIt(
+        dependency,
+        destination_folder
+      );
+    }
+  } else {
+    console.log("❗️ No rdependencies found in the package.json file");
+  }
+
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+  installFromPackageJson: installFromPackageJson
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/packagejsonmanip.js b/src/packagejsonmanip.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a6c9ecb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/packagejsonmanip.js
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+const fs = require('fs');
+
+function parsePackageJson(filePath) {
+  try {
+    const fileContent = fs.readFileSync(filePath, 'utf8');
+    const packageJson = JSON.parse(fileContent);
+    return packageJson;
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error('Error parsing' + filePath, error);
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
+function writePackageJson(filePath, packageJson) {
+  try {
+    const fileContent = JSON.stringify(packageJson, null, 2);
+    fs.writeFileSync(filePath, fileContent, 'utf8');
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error('Error writing package.json:', error);
+  }
+}
+
+function addDependencies(
+  dependencies,
+  packageJson = "package.json"
+) {
+  const pk = parsePackageJson(packageJson)
+  if (!pk.rdependencies) {
+    pk.rdependencies = []
+  }
+  pk.rdependencies.push(dependencies)
+
+  writePackageJson(packageJson, pk)
+}
+
+const append_package_json = function (package_to_add) {
+  const package_json_path = process.cwd() + "/package.json";
+  if (fs.existsSync(package_json_path)) {
+    const package_json = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(package_json_path));
+
+    if (!package_json.rdependencies) {
+      package_json.rdependencies = [];
+    }
+
+    package_json.rdependencies.push(package_to_add);
+    package_json.rdependencies = [...new Set(package_json.rdependencies)]
+    fs.writeFileSync(package_json_path, JSON.stringify(package_json, null, 2));
+  } else {
+    console.log("❗️ No package.json file found");
+  }
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+  parsePackageJson,
+  writePackageJson,
+  addDependencies,
+  append_package_json
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/init.test.js b/tests/init.test.js
index c946dfc..1e04669 100644
--- a/tests/init.test.js
+++ b/tests/init.test.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ const fs = require('fs');
 test('init works', async () => {
   // set a temp dir
   let temp_dir = path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'coucou')
+  process.cwd = jest.fn().mockReturnValue(temp_dir);
 
   if (
     fs.existsSync(temp_dir)
diff --git a/tests/install-utils.test.js b/tests/install-utils.test.js
index d4ba211..7aa6a58 100644
--- a/tests/install-utils.test.js
+++ b/tests/install-utils.test.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ test('installOnePackage works', async () => {
   let pkgname = 'sudoku';
   let url = 'https://cran.r-project.org/src/contrib/sudoku_2.8.tar.gz';
   let destination_folder = path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'sudoku');
-
+  process.cwd = jest.fn().mockReturnValue(destination_folder);
   if (
     fs.existsSync(destination_folder)
   ) {
diff --git a/tests/install.test.js b/tests/install.test.js
index 093d31c..e6bb59e 100644
--- a/tests/install.test.js
+++ b/tests/install.test.js
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ const { timeLog } = require('console');
 
 test('installIt works', async () => {
   let temp_dir = path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'install');
-
+  process.cwd = jest.fn().mockReturnValue(temp_dir);
   if (
     fs.existsSync(temp_dir)
   ) {
diff --git a/tests/packagejsonmanip.test.js b/tests/packagejsonmanip.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3e748c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/packagejsonmanip.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+const fs = require('fs');
+const packageJsonManip = require('../src/packagejsonmanip');
+const path = require('path');
+const os = require('os');
+
+describe('packagejsonmanip', () => {
+  describe('parsePackageJson', () => {
+    it('should parse the package.json file and return an object', () => {
+      let filePath = path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'parsePackageJson.json');
+      let packageJson = {
+        "name": 'my-package',
+        "version": '1.0.0',
+        "dependencies": {
+          "lodash": '^4.17.21',
+          "axios": '^0.21.1'
+        }
+      };
+      fs.writeFileSync(filePath, JSON.stringify(packageJson), 'utf8');
+
+      let result = packageJsonManip.parsePackageJson(filePath);
+
+      expect(result).toEqual(packageJson);
+
+      fs.unlinkSync(filePath);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('writePackageJson', () => {
+    it('should write the package.json file with the provided content', () => {
+      const packageJson = {
+        "name": 'my-package',
+        "version": '1.0.0',
+        "dependencies": {
+          "lodash": '^4.17.21',
+          "axios": '^0.21.1'
+        }
+      };
+      // create a temp json file
+      let temp_file = path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'writePackageJson.json');
+      packageJsonManip.writePackageJson(temp_file, packageJson);
+
+      // expect the file to exist
+      const result = packageJsonManip.parsePackageJson(temp_file);
+      expect(result).toEqual(packageJson);
+
+      fs.unlinkSync(temp_file);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('addDependencies', () => {
+    it('should add the provided dependencies to the package.json file', () => {
+      const packageJson = {
+        "name": 'my-package',
+        "version": '1.0.0',
+        "dependencies": {
+          "lodash": '^4.17.21',
+          "axios": '^0.21.1'
+        }
+      };
+      // create a temp json file
+      let temp_file = path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'package.json');
+      packageJsonManip.writePackageJson(temp_file, packageJson);
+
+      // add a new dependency
+      packageJsonManip.addDependencies('golem', temp_file);
+
+      // expect the new dependency to be added
+      const result = packageJsonManip.parsePackageJson(temp_file);
+
+      expect(result.rdependencies).toContain('golem');
+
+      fs.unlinkSync(temp_file);
+    });
+  });
+});
\ No newline at end of file