diff --git a/docs/authentication/using-middleware.mdx b/docs/authentication/using-middleware.mdx
index 607d493fa..e26b924e0 100644
--- a/docs/authentication/using-middleware.mdx
+++ b/docs/authentication/using-middleware.mdx
@@ -25,25 +25,24 @@ payload.init({
   secret: 'PAYLOAD_SECRET_KEY',
   mongoURL: 'mongodb://localhost/payload',
   express: app,
-  onInit: async () => {
-    const router = express.Router();
+});
 
-    router.use(payload.authenticate); // highlight-line
+const router = express.Router();
 
-    router.get('/', (req, res) => {
-      if (req.user) {
-        return res.send(`Authenticated successfully as ${req.user.email}.`);
-      }
+router.use(payload.authenticate); // highlight-line
 
-      return res.send('Not authenticated');
-    });
+router.get('/', (req, res) => {
+  if (req.user) {
+    return res.send(`Authenticated successfully as ${req.user.email}.`);
+  }
 
-    app.use('/some-route-here', router);
+  return res.send('Not authenticated');
+});
 
-    app.listen(3000, async () => {
-      payload.logger.info(`listening on ${3000}...`);
-    });
-  },
+app.use('/some-route-here', router);
+
+app.listen(3000, async () => {
+  payload.logger.info(`listening on ${3000}...`);
 });
 
 ```
diff --git a/docs/getting-started/installation.mdx b/docs/getting-started/installation.mdx
index a0a8499fc..cc2dcecac 100644
--- a/docs/getting-started/installation.mdx
+++ b/docs/getting-started/installation.mdx
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ app.listen(3000, async () => {
 });
 ```
 
-This server doesn't do anything just yet. But, after you have this in place, we can initialize Payload via its `init()` method, which accepts a small set of arguments to tell it how to operate. For a full list of `init` arguments, please consult the [main configuration](/docs/configuration/overview) docs.
+This server doesn't do anything just yet. But, after you have this in place, we can initialize Payload via its `init()` method, which accepts a small set of arguments to tell it how to operate. For a full list of `init` arguments, please consult the [main configuration](/docs/configuration/overview#init) docs.
 
 To initialize Payload, update your `server.js` file to reflect the following code:
 
@@ -80,13 +80,12 @@ payload.init({
   secret: 'SECRET_KEY',
   mongoURL: 'mongodb://localhost/payload',
   express: app,
-  onInit: () => {
-    app.listen(3000, async () => {
-      console.log('Express is now listening for incoming connections on port 3000.')
-    });
-  }
 })
 
+app.listen(3000, async () => {
+	console.log('Express is now listening for incoming connections on port 3000.')
+});
+
 ```
 
 Here is a list of all properties available to pass through `payload.init`:
diff --git a/src/bin/generateGraphQLSchema.ts b/src/bin/generateGraphQLSchema.ts
index 5c4ae8a5f..1f58ed3ef 100644
--- a/src/bin/generateGraphQLSchema.ts
+++ b/src/bin/generateGraphQLSchema.ts
@@ -5,11 +5,11 @@ import Logger from '../utilities/logger';
 import loadConfig from '../config/load';
 import payload from '..';
 
-export async function generateGraphQLSchema(): Promise<void> {
+export function generateGraphQLSchema(): void {
   const logger = Logger();
   const config = loadConfig();
 
-  await payload.init({
+  payload.init({
     secret: '--unused--',
     mongoURL: false,
     local: true,
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 1d31742b0..319a5e9fc 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ import { Result as ResetPasswordResult } from './auth/operations/resetPassword';
 import { Result as LoginResult } from './auth/operations/login';
 import { Options as FindGlobalOptions } from './globals/operations/local/findOne';
 import { Options as UpdateGlobalOptions } from './globals/operations/local/update';
-import { initPayload } from './init';
+import { initSync, initAsync } from './init';
 
 require('isomorphic-fetch');
 
@@ -121,8 +121,12 @@ export class Payload {
    * @description Initializes Payload
    * @param options
    */
-  async init(options: InitOptions): Promise<void> {
-    await initPayload(this, options);
+  init(options: InitOptions): void {
+    initSync(this, options);
+  }
+
+  async initAsync(options: InitOptions): Promise<void> {
+    await initAsync(this, options);
   }
 
   getAdminURL = (): string => `${this.config.serverURL}${this.config.routes.admin}`;
diff --git a/src/init.ts b/src/init.ts
index 5f87c76d2..fb1f2e61e 100644
--- a/src/init.ts
+++ b/src/init.ts
@@ -33,15 +33,7 @@ import mountEndpoints from './express/mountEndpoints';
 import PreferencesModel from './preferences/model';
 import findConfig from './config/find';
 
-export const initPayload = async (payload: Payload, options: InitOptions): Promise<void> => {
-  payload.logger = Logger('payload', options.loggerOptions);
-  payload.mongoURL = options.mongoURL;
-
-  if (payload.mongoURL) {
-    mongoose.set('strictQuery', false);
-    payload.mongoMemoryServer = await connectMongoose(payload.mongoURL, options.mongoOptions, payload.logger);
-  }
-
+export const init = (payload: Payload, options: InitOptions): void => {
   payload.logger.info('Starting Payload...');
   if (!options.secret) {
     throw new Error(
@@ -153,7 +145,34 @@ export const initPayload = async (payload: Payload, options: InitOptions): Promi
   }
 
   serverInitTelemetry(payload);
+};
+
+export const initAsync = async (payload: Payload, options: InitOptions): Promise<void> => {
+  payload.logger = Logger('payload', options.loggerOptions);
+  payload.mongoURL = options.mongoURL;
+
+  if (payload.mongoURL) {
+    mongoose.set('strictQuery', false);
+    payload.mongoMemoryServer = await connectMongoose(payload.mongoURL, options.mongoOptions, payload.logger);
+  }
+
+  init(payload, options);
 
   if (typeof options.onInit === 'function') await options.onInit(payload);
   if (typeof payload.config.onInit === 'function') await payload.config.onInit(payload);
 };
+
+export const initSync = (payload: Payload, options: InitOptions): void => {
+  payload.logger = Logger('payload', options.loggerOptions);
+  payload.mongoURL = options.mongoURL;
+
+  if (payload.mongoURL) {
+    mongoose.set('strictQuery', false);
+    connectMongoose(payload.mongoURL, options.mongoOptions, payload.logger);
+  }
+
+  init(payload, options);
+
+  if (typeof options.onInit === 'function') options.onInit(payload);
+  if (typeof payload.config.onInit === 'function') payload.config.onInit(payload);
+};
diff --git a/test/devServer.ts b/test/devServer.ts
index 49138309b..02c9b8778 100644
--- a/test/devServer.ts
+++ b/test/devServer.ts
@@ -4,8 +4,9 @@ import { v4 as uuid } from 'uuid';
 import payload from '../src';
 
 const expressApp = express();
+
 const init = async () => {
-  await payload.init({
+  await payload.initAsync({
     secret: uuid(),
     mongoURL: process.env.MONGO_URL || 'mongodb://localhost/payload',
     express: expressApp,
diff --git a/test/helpers/configHelpers.ts b/test/helpers/configHelpers.ts
index bd1d30e5c..3144a8921 100644
--- a/test/helpers/configHelpers.ts
+++ b/test/helpers/configHelpers.ts
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ export async function initPayloadTest(options: Options): Promise<{ serverURL: st
     initOptions.express = express();
   }
 
-  await payload.init(initOptions);
+  await payload.initAsync(initOptions);
 
   if (initOptions.express) {
     initOptions.express.listen(port);