diff --git a/lib/init.js b/lib/init.js
index fbdf4e0845301..4dd091601e191 100644
--- a/lib/init.js
+++ b/lib/init.js
@@ -114,6 +114,11 @@ class Init extends BaseCommand {
       log,
       globalBin,
     } = this.npm
+    // this function is definitely called.  But because of coverage map stuff
+    // it ends up both uncovered, and the coverage report doesn't even mention.
+    // the tests do assert that some output happens, so we know this line is
+    // being hit.
+    /* istanbul ignore next */
     const output = (...outputArgs) => this.npm.output(...outputArgs)
     const locationMsg = await getLocationMsg({ color, path })
     const runPath = path
diff --git a/tap-snapshots/test/lib/init.js.test.cjs b/tap-snapshots/test/lib/init.js.test.cjs
index 0e599ab887f73..95abbe6c1d830 100644
--- a/tap-snapshots/test/lib/init.js.test.cjs
+++ b/tap-snapshots/test/lib/init.js.test.cjs
@@ -6,7 +6,22 @@
  */
 'use strict'
 exports[`test/lib/init.js TAP workspaces no args > should print helper info 1`] = `
-Array []
+Array [
+  Array [
+    String(
+      This utility will walk you through creating a package.json file.
+      It only covers the most common items, and tries to guess sensible defaults.
+      
+      See \`npm help init\` for definitive documentation on these fields
+      and exactly what they do.
+      
+      Use \`npm install <pkg>\` afterwards to install a package and
+      save it as a dependency in the package.json file.
+      
+      Press ^C at any time to quit.
+    ),
+  ],
+]
 `
 
 exports[`test/lib/init.js TAP workspaces no args, existing folder > should print helper info 1`] = `
diff --git a/test/lib/init.js b/test/lib/init.js
index 72a6d96dae86d..268b170cb4839 100644
--- a/test/lib/init.js
+++ b/test/lib/init.js
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ t.afterEach(() => {
   config.package = undefined
   npm.log = npmLog
   process.chdir(_cwd)
-  npm._mockOutputs.length = 0
   console.log = _consolelog
 })
 
@@ -318,6 +317,9 @@ t.test('npm init error', t => {
 
 t.test('workspaces', t => {
   t.test('no args', t => {
+    t.teardown(() => {
+      npm._mockOutputs.length = 0
+    })
     npm.localPrefix = t.testdir({
       'package.json': JSON.stringify({
         name: 'top-level',
@@ -342,6 +344,9 @@ t.test('workspaces', t => {
   })
 
   t.test('no args, existing folder', t => {
+    t.teardown(() => {
+      npm._mockOutputs.length = 0
+    })
     // init-package-json prints directly to console.log
     // this avoids poluting test output with those logs
     console.log = noop
@@ -371,6 +376,9 @@ t.test('workspaces', t => {
   })
 
   t.test('with arg but missing workspace folder', t => {
+    t.teardown(() => {
+      npm._mockOutputs.length = 0
+    })
     // init-package-json prints directly to console.log
     // this avoids poluting test output with those logs
     console.log = noop