diff --git a/crates/uv-configuration/src/project_build_backend.rs b/crates/uv-configuration/src/project_build_backend.rs
index b852d23e9637..fb1a171e9d83 100644
--- a/crates/uv-configuration/src/project_build_backend.rs
+++ b/crates/uv-configuration/src/project_build_backend.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@
 #[cfg_attr(feature = "clap", derive(clap::ValueEnum))]
 #[cfg_attr(feature = "schemars", derive(schemars::JsonSchema))]
 pub enum ProjectBuildBackend {
+    #[cfg_attr(feature = "clap", value(hide = true))]
+    #[cfg_attr(feature = "schemars", value(hide = true))]
+    /// Use uv as the project build backend.
+    Uv,
     #[default]
     #[serde(alias = "hatchling")]
     #[cfg_attr(feature = "clap", value(alias = "hatchling"))]
diff --git a/crates/uv-dev/src/generate_cli_reference.rs b/crates/uv-dev/src/generate_cli_reference.rs
index 997b2d720923..1c621c320921 100644
--- a/crates/uv-dev/src/generate_cli_reference.rs
+++ b/crates/uv-dev/src/generate_cli_reference.rs
@@ -315,6 +315,7 @@ fn emit_possible_options(opt: &clap::Arg, output: &mut String) {
             "\nPossible values:\n{}",
             values
                 .into_iter()
+                .filter(|value| !value.is_hide_set())
                 .map(|value| {
                     let name = value.get_name();
                     value.get_help().map_or_else(
diff --git a/crates/uv/src/commands/project/init.rs b/crates/uv/src/commands/project/init.rs
index 57fe0832faa0..8974dcc5214e 100644
--- a/crates/uv/src/commands/project/init.rs
+++ b/crates/uv/src/commands/project/init.rs
@@ -1,16 +1,16 @@
+use anyhow::{anyhow, Context, Result};
+use owo_colors::OwoColorize;
 use std::fmt::Write;
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use std::process::{Command, Stdio};
-
-use anyhow::{anyhow, Context, Result};
-use owo_colors::OwoColorize;
+use std::str::FromStr;
 
 use tracing::{debug, warn};
 use uv_cache::Cache;
 use uv_cli::AuthorFrom;
 use uv_client::{BaseClientBuilder, Connectivity};
 use uv_configuration::{
-    ProjectBuildBackend, TrustedHost, VersionControlError, VersionControlSystem,
+    PreviewMode, ProjectBuildBackend, TrustedHost, VersionControlError, VersionControlSystem,
 };
 use uv_fs::{Simplified, CWD};
 use uv_git::GIT;
@@ -57,7 +57,11 @@ pub(crate) async fn init(
     no_config: bool,
     cache: &Cache,
     printer: Printer,
+    preview: PreviewMode,
 ) -> Result<ExitStatus> {
+    if build_backend == Some(ProjectBuildBackend::Uv) && preview.is_disabled() {
+        warn_user_once!("The uv build backend is experimental and may change without warning");
+    }
     match init_kind {
         InitKind::Script => {
             let Some(path) = explicit_path.as_deref() else {
@@ -864,6 +868,21 @@ fn pyproject_project(
 fn pyproject_build_system(package: &PackageName, build_backend: ProjectBuildBackend) -> String {
     let module_name = package.as_dist_info_name();
     match build_backend {
+        ProjectBuildBackend::Uv => {
+            // Limit to the stable version range.
+            let min_version = Version::from_str(uv_version::version()).unwrap();
+            debug_assert!(
+                min_version.release()[0] == 0,
+                "migrate to major version bumps"
+            );
+            let max_version = Version::new([0, min_version.release()[1] + 1]);
+            indoc::formatdoc! {r#"
+                [build-system]
+                requires = ["uv>={min_version},<{max_version}"]
+                build-backend = "uv"
+            "#}
+        }
+        .to_string(),
         // Pure-python backends
         ProjectBuildBackend::Hatch => indoc::indoc! {r#"
                 [build-system]
diff --git a/crates/uv/src/lib.rs b/crates/uv/src/lib.rs
index ff7f60465f41..03fa5b823d86 100644
--- a/crates/uv/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/uv/src/lib.rs
@@ -1320,6 +1320,7 @@ async fn run_project(
                 no_config,
                 &cache,
                 printer,
+                globals.preview,
             )
             .await
         }
diff --git a/crates/uv/tests/it/init.rs b/crates/uv/tests/it/init.rs
index cf4f40970428..1daef7afc3cd 100644
--- a/crates/uv/tests/it/init.rs
+++ b/crates/uv/tests/it/init.rs
@@ -3193,3 +3193,81 @@ fn init_lib_build_backend_scikit() -> Result<()> {
 
     Ok(())
 }
+
+/// Run `uv init --app --package --build-backend uv` to create a packaged application project
+#[test]
+fn init_application_package_uv() -> Result<()> {
+    let context = TestContext::new("3.12");
+
+    let child = context.temp_dir.child("foo");
+    child.create_dir_all()?;
+
+    let pyproject_toml = child.join("pyproject.toml");
+    let init_py = child.join("src").join("foo").join("__init__.py");
+
+    uv_snapshot!(context.filters(), context.init().current_dir(&child).arg("--app").arg("--package").arg("--build-backend").arg("uv"), @r###"
+    success: true
+    exit_code: 0
+    ----- stdout -----
+
+    ----- stderr -----
+    warning: The uv build backend is experimental and may change without warning
+    Initialized project `foo`
+    "###);
+
+    let pyproject = fs_err::read_to_string(&pyproject_toml)?;
+    let mut filters = context.filters();
+    filters.push((r#"\["uv>=.*,<.*"\]"#, r#"["uv[SPECIFIERS]"]"#));
+    insta::with_settings!({
+        filters => filters,
+    }, {
+        assert_snapshot!(
+            pyproject, @r###"
+        [project]
+        name = "foo"
+        version = "0.1.0"
+        description = "Add your description here"
+        readme = "README.md"
+        requires-python = ">=3.12"
+        dependencies = []
+
+        [project.scripts]
+        foo = "foo:main"
+
+        [build-system]
+        requires = ["uv[SPECIFIERS]"]
+        build-backend = "uv"
+        "###
+        );
+    });
+
+    let init = fs_err::read_to_string(init_py)?;
+    insta::with_settings!({
+        filters => context.filters(),
+    }, {
+        assert_snapshot!(
+            init, @r###"
+        def main() -> None:
+            print("Hello from foo!")
+        "###
+        );
+    });
+
+    // Use preview to go through the fast path.
+    uv_snapshot!(context.filters(), context.run().arg("--preview").arg("foo").current_dir(&child).env_remove(EnvVars::VIRTUAL_ENV), @r###"
+    success: true
+    exit_code: 0
+    ----- stdout -----
+    Hello from foo!
+
+    ----- stderr -----
+    Using CPython 3.12.[X] interpreter at: [PYTHON-3.12]
+    Creating virtual environment at: .venv
+    Resolved 1 package in [TIME]
+    Prepared 1 package in [TIME]
+    Installed 1 package in [TIME]
+     + foo==0.1.0 (from file://[TEMP_DIR]/foo)
+    "###);
+
+    Ok(())
+}