diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index c6ba5dbb9b..8bbd1207fb 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@
     "@types/react": "17.0.3",
     "@types/react-dom": "17.0.3",
     "@types/react-router-dom": "5.1.7",
+    "@types/semver": "^7.3.8",
     "@types/tmp": "^0.2.0",
     "@types/yargs": "^15.0.5",
     "@typescript-eslint/eslint-plugin": "~4.31.1",
diff --git a/packages/workspace/src/generators/init/init.ts b/packages/workspace/src/generators/init/init.ts
index 6afc73450c..c79b789fde 100755
--- a/packages/workspace/src/generators/init/init.ts
+++ b/packages/workspace/src/generators/init/init.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import { readFileSync } from 'fs';
 import { basename } from 'path';
 import { serializeJson } from '../../utilities/fileutils';
 import { resolveUserExistingPrettierConfig } from '../../utilities/prettier';
+import { deduceDefaultBase } from '../../utilities/default-base';
 import {
   angularCliVersion,
   nxVersion,
@@ -426,7 +427,7 @@ async function createAdditionalFiles(host: Tree, options: Schema) {
     serializeJson({
       npmScope: options.npmScope,
       affected: {
-        defaultBase: `${options.defaultBase}` || 'master',
+        defaultBase: `${options.defaultBase}` || deduceDefaultBase(),
       },
       implicitDependencies: {
         'angular.json': '*',
diff --git a/packages/workspace/src/generators/init/schema.json b/packages/workspace/src/generators/init/schema.json
index 1a92b1e724..cc8c62fcd0 100644
--- a/packages/workspace/src/generators/init/schema.json
+++ b/packages/workspace/src/generators/init/schema.json
@@ -12,8 +12,7 @@
     },
     "defaultBase": {
       "type": "string",
-      "description": "Default base branch for affected.",
-      "default": "master"
+      "description": "Default base branch for affected."
     },
     "skipInstall": {
       "type": "boolean",
diff --git a/packages/workspace/src/generators/new/new.ts b/packages/workspace/src/generators/new/new.ts
index 30f207a5bb..855ba26067 100644
--- a/packages/workspace/src/generators/new/new.ts
+++ b/packages/workspace/src/generators/new/new.ts
@@ -16,9 +16,15 @@ import { join } from 'path';
 import * as yargsParser from 'yargs-parser';
 import { spawn, SpawnOptions } from 'child_process';
 
+import { gte } from 'semver';
+
 import { workspaceGenerator } from '../workspace/workspace';
 import { nxVersion } from '../../utils/versions';
 import { Preset } from '../utils/presets';
+import {
+  checkGitVersion,
+  deduceDefaultBase,
+} from '../../utilities/default-base';
 
 export interface Schema {
   cli: 'nx' | 'angular';
@@ -110,11 +116,8 @@ async function initializeGitRepo(
       });
     });
   };
-  const hasCommand = await execute(['--version']).then(
-    () => true,
-    () => false
-  );
-  if (!hasCommand) {
+  const gitVersion = checkGitVersion();
+  if (!gitVersion) {
     return;
   }
   const insideRepo = await execute(
@@ -130,7 +133,13 @@ async function initializeGitRepo(
     );
     return;
   }
-  await execute(['init']);
+  const defaultBase = options.defaultBase || deduceDefaultBase();
+  if (gte(gitVersion, '2.28.0')) {
+    await execute(['init', '-b', defaultBase]);
+  } else {
+    await execute(['init']);
+    await execute(['checkout', '-b', defaultBase]);
+  }
   await execute(['add', '.']);
   if (options.commit) {
     const message = options.commit.message || 'initial commit';
diff --git a/packages/workspace/src/generators/new/schema.json b/packages/workspace/src/generators/new/schema.json
index b7c4b59255..57be2c518f 100644
--- a/packages/workspace/src/generators/new/schema.json
+++ b/packages/workspace/src/generators/new/schema.json
@@ -31,8 +31,7 @@
     },
     "defaultBase": {
       "type": "string",
-      "description": "Default base branch for affected.",
-      "default": "master"
+      "description": "Default base branch for affected."
     },
     "skipInstall": {
       "description": "Skip installing dependency packages.",
diff --git a/packages/workspace/src/generators/workspace/schema.json b/packages/workspace/src/generators/workspace/schema.json
index abd850a19f..f31c96f435 100644
--- a/packages/workspace/src/generators/workspace/schema.json
+++ b/packages/workspace/src/generators/workspace/schema.json
@@ -54,8 +54,7 @@
     },
     "defaultBase": {
       "type": "string",
-      "description": "Default base branch for affected.",
-      "default": "master"
+      "description": "Default base branch for affected."
     },
     "skipInstall": {
       "description": "Skip installing dependency packages.",
diff --git a/packages/workspace/src/generators/workspace/workspace.ts b/packages/workspace/src/generators/workspace/workspace.ts
index 68478080c6..7c567d74b7 100644
--- a/packages/workspace/src/generators/workspace/workspace.ts
+++ b/packages/workspace/src/generators/workspace/workspace.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import { readFileSync } from 'fs';
 import { join, join as pathJoin } from 'path';
 import { reformattedWorkspaceJsonOrNull } from '@nrwl/tao/src/shared/workspace';
 import { Preset } from '../utils/presets';
+import { deduceDefaultBase } from '../../utilities/default-base';
 
 export const DEFAULT_NRWL_PRETTIER_CONFIG = {
   singleQuote: true,
@@ -130,6 +131,7 @@ export async function workspaceGenerator(host: Tree, options: Schema) {
   if (!options.name) {
     throw new Error(`Invalid options, "name" is required.`);
   }
+  options = normalizeOptions(options);
   createFiles(host, options);
   createPrettierrc(host, options);
   if (options.cli === 'angular') {
@@ -155,3 +157,11 @@ function addPropertyWithStableKeys(obj: any, key: string, value: string) {
     obj[k] = copy[k];
   });
 }
+
+function normalizeOptions(options: Schema) {
+  let defaultBase = options.defaultBase || deduceDefaultBase();
+  return {
+    ...options,
+    defaultBase,
+  };
+}
diff --git a/packages/workspace/src/utilities/default-base.spec.ts b/packages/workspace/src/utilities/default-base.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4f069a176f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/workspace/src/utilities/default-base.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+import * as cp from 'child_process';
+import { checkGitVersion, deduceDefaultBase } from './default-base';
+
+describe('deduceDefaultBase', () => {
+  const execSyncSpy = jest.spyOn(cp, 'execSync');
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    jest.resetAllMocks();
+  });
+
+  it('should work when not set', () => {
+    execSyncSpy.mockReturnValue(Buffer.from(''));
+    const result = deduceDefaultBase();
+    expect(result).toEqual('master');
+  });
+
+  it('should work when set', () => {
+    execSyncSpy.mockReturnValue(Buffer.from('main'));
+    const result = deduceDefaultBase();
+    expect(result).toEqual('main');
+  });
+
+  it('should work with extra line terminators', () => {
+    execSyncSpy.mockReturnValue(
+      Buffer.from(`main
+    `)
+    );
+    const result = deduceDefaultBase();
+    expect(result).toEqual('main');
+  });
+});
+
+describe('checkGitVersion', () => {
+  const execSyncSpy = jest.spyOn(cp, 'execSync');
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    jest.resetAllMocks();
+  });
+
+  it('should work with text before semver', () => {
+    execSyncSpy.mockReturnValue(Buffer.from(`git version 2.33.0`));
+    const result = checkGitVersion();
+    expect(result).toEqual('2.33.0');
+  });
+
+  it('should work with 4 digit versions', () => {
+    execSyncSpy.mockReturnValue(Buffer.from(`git version 2.33.0.5`));
+    const result = checkGitVersion();
+    expect(result).toEqual('2.33.0');
+  });
+
+  it('should work with msysgit versions', () => {
+    execSyncSpy.mockReturnValue(Buffer.from(`git version 1.8.3.msysgit.0`));
+    const result = checkGitVersion();
+    expect(result).toEqual('1.8.3');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/workspace/src/utilities/default-base.ts b/packages/workspace/src/utilities/default-base.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..edc9d9ba5b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/workspace/src/utilities/default-base.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+import { execSync } from 'child_process';
+
+// TODO (v13): Update to main
+export function deduceDefaultBase(): string {
+  const nxDefaultBase = 'master';
+  try {
+    return (
+      execSync('git config --get init.defaultBranch').toString().trim() ||
+      nxDefaultBase
+    );
+  } catch {
+    return nxDefaultBase;
+  }
+}
+
+export function checkGitVersion(): string | null {
+  try {
+    let gitVersionOutput = execSync('git --version').toString().trim();
+    return gitVersionOutput.match(/([0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.+[0-9]+)/)[0];
+  } catch {
+    return null;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 08c104a896..52fffcb1f3 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -6291,6 +6291,11 @@
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@types/selenium-webdriver/-/selenium-webdriver-3.0.17.tgz#50bea0c3c2acc31c959c5b1e747798b3b3d06d4b"
   integrity sha512-tGomyEuzSC1H28y2zlW6XPCaDaXFaD6soTdb4GNdmte2qfHtrKqhy0ZFs4r/1hpazCfEZqeTSRLvSasmEx89uw==
 
+"@types/semver@^7.3.8":
+  version "7.3.8"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@types/semver/-/semver-7.3.8.tgz#508a27995498d7586dcecd77c25e289bfaf90c59"
+  integrity sha512-D/2EJvAlCEtYFEYmmlGwbGXuK886HzyCc3nZX/tkFTQdEU8jZDAgiv08P162yB17y4ZXZoq7yFAnW4GDBb9Now==
+
 "@types/serve-static@*":
   version "1.13.9"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@types/serve-static/-/serve-static-1.13.9.tgz#aacf28a85a05ee29a11fb7c3ead935ac56f33e4e"