diff --git a/src/ops.mjs b/src/ops.mjs
index 27fdf4f..f8d2921 100644
--- a/src/ops.mjs
+++ b/src/ops.mjs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import fs from 'node:fs';
 import path from 'node:path';
 import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
+import crypto from 'node:crypto';
 
 const PKG_ROOT = path.resolve(path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url)), '..');
 
@@ -112,6 +113,36 @@ export function cmdInit(force = false, cwd = process.cwd()) {
     }
   }
 
+  // 5. Create torch-config.json with random namespace if missing
+  const configPath = path.join(cwd, 'torch-config.json');
+  if (!fs.existsSync(configPath)) {
+    try {
+      const exampleConfigPath = path.join(PKG_ROOT, 'torch-config.example.json');
+      if (fs.existsSync(exampleConfigPath)) {
+        const exampleConfig = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(exampleConfigPath, 'utf8'));
+
+        // Generate random namespace
+        const randomSuffix = crypto.randomBytes(4).toString('hex');
+        const newNamespace = `torch-${randomSuffix}`;
+
+        if (exampleConfig.nostrLock) {
+            exampleConfig.nostrLock.namespace = newNamespace;
+        } else {
+            exampleConfig.nostrLock = { namespace: newNamespace };
+        }
+
+        fs.writeFileSync(configPath, JSON.stringify(exampleConfig, null, 2), 'utf8');
+        console.log(`Created ${path.relative(cwd, configPath)} with namespace "${newNamespace}"`);
+      } else {
+         console.warn(`Warning: Could not find ${exampleConfigPath} to generate torch-config.json`);
+      }
+    } catch (err) {
+      console.error(`Failed to create torch-config.json: ${err.message}`);
+    }
+  } else {
+      console.log(`Skipped ${path.relative(cwd, configPath)} (exists)`);
+  }
+
   console.log('\nInitialization complete.');
   console.log('You can now customize the files in torch/ and torch/prompts/.');
 }
diff --git a/test/ops.test.mjs b/test/ops.test.mjs
index c1ceecc..69312d4 100644
--- a/test/ops.test.mjs
+++ b/test/ops.test.mjs
@@ -121,3 +121,17 @@ test('torch-lock check respects local roster', async () => {
   const result = JSON.parse(output);
   assert.ok(result.available.includes('custom-agent-007'), 'Custom agent found in roster');
 });
+
+test('cmdInit creates torch-config.json with random namespace', async () => {
+  const projectRoot = path.join(tempBase, 'project_config_init');
+  fs.mkdirSync(projectRoot, { recursive: true });
+
+  await cmdInit(false, projectRoot);
+
+  const configPath = path.join(projectRoot, 'torch-config.json');
+  assert.ok(fs.existsSync(configPath), 'torch-config.json created');
+
+  const config = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(configPath, 'utf8'));
+  assert.match(config.nostrLock.namespace, /^torch-[a-f0-9]{8}$/, 'Namespace should match torch-<hex>');
+  assert.notStrictEqual(config.nostrLock.namespace, 'torch-example', 'Namespace should not be default');
+});