diff --git a/cmd/ninja/cmd/plugin.go b/cmd/ninja/cmd/plugin.go
index a82a482..6cac8a6 100644
--- a/cmd/ninja/cmd/plugin.go
+++ b/cmd/ninja/cmd/plugin.go
@@ -54,24 +54,48 @@ func newPluginInitCmd() *cobra.Command {
 			ctx := context.Background()
 			scanner := bufio.NewScanner(os.Stdin)
 
-			if scope != "" {
+			// Read existing plugin.mod (if any) so prompts can default to its
+			// values. Missing or unparseable file is fine — we just start from
+			// empty defaults.
+			existing := &core.ModFile{}
+			if data, err := os.ReadFile("plugin.mod"); err == nil {
+				if m, err := core.ParseModFull(data); err == nil && m != nil {
+					existing = m
+				}
+			}
+
+			// Scope precedence: --scope flag > plugin.mod scope > interactive prompt.
+			switch {
+			case scope != "":
 				scope, err = parseScope(scope)
 				if err != nil {
 					return err
 				}
-			} else {
+			case existing.Plugin.Scope != "":
+				scope = "@" + strings.TrimPrefix(existing.Plugin.Scope, "@")
+			default:
 				scope, err = promptScope(ctx, cli, cr, resolvedHost, hc, scanner)
 				if err != nil {
 					return err
 				}
 			}
 
+			// Name precedence: --name flag > plugin.mod name > prompt.
 			if name == "" {
-				fmt.Print("Plugin name: ")
+				if existing.Plugin.Name != "" {
+					fmt.Printf("Plugin name [%s]: ", existing.Plugin.Name)
+				} else {
+					fmt.Print("Plugin name: ")
+				}
 				if !scanner.Scan() {
 					return fmt.Errorf("cancelled")
 				}
-				name = strings.TrimSpace(scanner.Text())
+				input := strings.TrimSpace(scanner.Text())
+				if input != "" {
+					name = input
+				} else {
+					name = existing.Plugin.Name
+				}
 				if name == "" {
 					return fmt.Errorf("plugin name is required")
 				}
@@ -79,28 +103,37 @@ func newPluginInitCmd() *cobra.Command {
 			rawName := name
 			name = strings.ToLower(name)
 
-			fmt.Printf("Display name [%s]: ", rawName)
-			displayName := ""
-			if scanner.Scan() {
-				displayName = strings.TrimSpace(scanner.Text())
+			displayDefault := existing.Plugin.DisplayName
+			if displayDefault == "" {
+				displayDefault = rawName
 			}
-			if displayName == "" {
-				displayName = rawName
+			fmt.Printf("Display name [%s]: ", displayDefault)
+			displayName := displayDefault
+			if scanner.Scan() {
+				if v := strings.TrimSpace(scanner.Text()); v != "" {
+					displayName = v
+				}
 			}
 
-			fmt.Print("Description (one-line summary, optional): ")
-			description := ""
+			descLabel := "Description (one-line summary, optional)"
+			if existing.Plugin.Description != "" {
+				descLabel = fmt.Sprintf("Description [%s]", truncate(existing.Plugin.Description, 60))
+			}
+			fmt.Printf("%s: ", descLabel)
+			description := existing.Plugin.Description
 			if scanner.Scan() {
-				description = strings.TrimSpace(scanner.Text())
+				if v := strings.TrimSpace(scanner.Text()); v != "" {
+					description = v
+				}
 			}
 
-			kind, err := promptKind(scanner)
+			kind, err := promptKindWithDefault(scanner, existing.Plugin.Kind)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 			var cats []string
 			if kind == "plugin" {
-				cats, err = promptCategories(ctx, cli, scanner)
+				cats, err = promptCategoriesWithDefault(ctx, cli, scanner, existing.Plugin.Categories)
 				if err != nil {
 					return err
 				}
@@ -233,15 +266,27 @@ func createScopeInline(ctx context.Context, cli *orchclient.Client, scanner *buf
 	return slug, nil
 }
 
-func promptKind(scanner *bufio.Scanner) (string, error) {
+// promptKindWithDefault prompts for plugin kind. When current is "plugin" or
+// "theme", that becomes the empty-input default (and the [n] hint reflects it).
+func promptKindWithDefault(scanner *bufio.Scanner, current string) (string, error) {
+	defaultIdx := "1"
+	switch current {
+	case "theme":
+		defaultIdx = "2"
+	case "plugin", "":
+		defaultIdx = "1"
+	}
 	fmt.Println("Kind: 1) plugin   2) theme")
-	fmt.Print("Select [1]: ")
+	fmt.Printf("Select [%s]: ", defaultIdx)
 	if !scanner.Scan() {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("cancelled")
 	}
 	v := strings.TrimSpace(scanner.Text())
+	if v == "" {
+		v = defaultIdx
+	}
 	switch v {
-	case "", "1", "plugin":
+	case "1", "plugin":
 		return "plugin", nil
 	case "2", "theme":
 		return "theme", nil
@@ -250,7 +295,20 @@ func promptKind(scanner *bufio.Scanner) (string, error) {
 	}
 }
 
-func promptCategories(ctx context.Context, cli *orchclient.Client, scanner *bufio.Scanner) ([]string, error) {
+// truncate clips a string to at most max runes, appending "…" if it was cut.
+// Used to keep prompt labels readable when the existing description is long.
+func truncate(s string, max int) string {
+	if len([]rune(s)) <= max {
+		return s
+	}
+	r := []rune(s)
+	return string(r[:max-1]) + "…"
+}
+
+// promptCategoriesWithDefault lists the canonical categories and lets the user
+// pick by number. When current is non-empty, those slugs are pre-selected:
+// the prompt shows their numbers as the default, and empty input keeps them.
+func promptCategoriesWithDefault(ctx context.Context, cli *orchclient.Client, scanner *bufio.Scanner, current []string) ([]string, error) {
 	resp, err := cli.Reg.ListCategories(ctx, connect.NewRequest(&v1.ListCategoriesRequest{}))
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("list categories: %w", err)
@@ -259,17 +317,41 @@ func promptCategories(ctx context.Context, cli *orchclient.Client, scanner *bufi
 	if len(cats) == 0 {
 		return nil, nil
 	}
-	fmt.Println("Categories (comma-separated numbers, or blank to skip):")
+	// Build the default indices string from `current` so the prompt shows e.g.
+	// "Select [9]: " when current is ["templates"] and templates is the 9th
+	// entry.
+	slugToIdx := make(map[string]int, len(cats))
 	for i, c := range cats {
-		fmt.Printf("  %d. %s — %s\n", i+1, c.Slug, c.DisplayName)
+		slugToIdx[c.Slug] = i + 1
+	}
+	var defaultNums []string
+	for _, slug := range current {
+		if i, ok := slugToIdx[slug]; ok {
+			defaultNums = append(defaultNums, strconv.Itoa(i))
+		}
+	}
+	defaultLabel := strings.Join(defaultNums, ",")
+
+	fmt.Println("Categories (comma-separated numbers, or blank to keep current):")
+	for i, c := range cats {
+		marker := " "
+		if _, picked := pickedSet(current)[c.Slug]; picked {
+			marker = "*"
+		}
+		fmt.Printf("  %d.%s%s — %s\n", i+1, marker, c.Slug, c.DisplayName)
+	}
+	if defaultLabel != "" {
+		fmt.Printf("Select [%s]: ", defaultLabel)
+	} else {
+		fmt.Print("Select: ")
 	}
-	fmt.Print("Select: ")
 	if !scanner.Scan() {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("cancelled")
 	}
 	raw := strings.TrimSpace(scanner.Text())
 	if raw == "" {
-		return nil, nil
+		// Empty input → keep current (or none, if there's no current).
+		return current, nil
 	}
 	parts := strings.Split(raw, ",")
 	out := make([]string, 0, len(parts))
@@ -283,6 +365,15 @@ func promptCategories(ctx context.Context, cli *orchclient.Client, scanner *bufi
 	return out, nil
 }
 
+// pickedSet returns a set of the given slugs for O(1) membership checks.
+func pickedSet(slugs []string) map[string]struct{} {
+	s := make(map[string]struct{}, len(slugs))
+	for _, x := range slugs {
+		s[x] = struct{}{}
+	}
+	return s
+}
+
 func newPluginPublishCmd() *cobra.Command {
 	var channel string
 	var allowDirty bool