diff --git a/api/api.go b/api/api.go
index 8bf5e155d..bf16260ae 100644
--- a/api/api.go
+++ b/api/api.go
@@ -341,8 +341,8 @@ type createCodespaceRequest struct {
 	SkuName      string `json:"sku_name"`
 }
 
-func (a *API) CreateCodespace(ctx context.Context, user *User, repository *Repository, sku *Sku, branch, location string) (*Codespace, error) {
-	requestBody, err := json.Marshal(createCodespaceRequest{repository.ID, branch, location, sku.Name})
+func (a *API) CreateCodespace(ctx context.Context, user *User, repository *Repository, sku, branch, location string) (*Codespace, error) {
+	requestBody, err := json.Marshal(createCodespaceRequest{repository.ID, branch, location, sku})
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error marshaling request: %v", err)
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/ghcs/create.go b/cmd/ghcs/create.go
index b179b5dba..385e5d957 100644
--- a/cmd/ghcs/create.go
+++ b/cmd/ghcs/create.go
@@ -12,29 +12,26 @@ import (
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
-var createCmd = &cobra.Command{
-	Use:   "create",
-	Short: "Create a GitHub Codespace.",
-	RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-		return Create()
-	},
+var repo, branch, machine string
+
+func newCreateCmd() *cobra.Command {
+	createCmd := &cobra.Command{
+		Use:   "create",
+    Short: "Create a GitHub Codespace.",
+		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+			return Create()
+		},
+	}
+
+	createCmd.Flags().StringVarP(&repo, "repo", "r", "", "repository name with owner: user/repo")
+	createCmd.Flags().StringVarP(&branch, "branch", "b", "", "repository branch")
+	createCmd.Flags().StringVarP(&machine, "machine", "m", "", "hardware specifications for the VM")
+
+	return createCmd
 }
 
 func init() {
-	rootCmd.AddCommand(createCmd)
-}
-
-var createSurvey = []*survey.Question{
-	{
-		Name:     "repository",
-		Prompt:   &survey.Input{Message: "Repository"},
-		Validate: survey.Required,
-	},
-	{
-		Name:     "branch",
-		Prompt:   &survey.Input{Message: "Branch"},
-		Validate: survey.Required,
-	},
+	rootCmd.AddCommand(newCreateCmd())
 }
 
 func Create() error {
@@ -43,16 +40,16 @@ func Create() error {
 	locationCh := getLocation(ctx, apiClient)
 	userCh := getUser(ctx, apiClient)
 
-	answers := struct {
-		Repository string
-		Branch     string
-	}{}
-
-	if err := survey.Ask(createSurvey, &answers); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error getting answers: %v", err)
+	repo, err := getRepoName()
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("error getting repository name: %v", err)
+	}
+	branch, err := getBranchName()
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("error getting branch name: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	repository, err := apiClient.GetRepository(ctx, answers.Repository)
+	repository, err := apiClient.GetRepository(ctx, repo)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error getting repository: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -67,47 +64,18 @@ func Create() error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error getting codespace user: %v", userResult.Err)
 	}
 
-	skus, err := apiClient.GetCodespacesSkus(ctx, userResult.User, repository, locationResult.Location)
+	machine, err := getMachineName(ctx, userResult.User, repository, locationResult.Location, apiClient)
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error getting codespace skus: %v", err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("error getting machine type: %v", err)
 	}
-
-	if len(skus) == 0 {
+	if machine == "" {
 		fmt.Println("There are no available machine types for this repository")
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	skuNames := make([]string, 0, len(skus))
-	skuByName := make(map[string]*api.Sku)
-	for _, sku := range skus {
-		nameParts := camelcase.Split(sku.Name)
-		machineName := strings.Title(strings.ToLower(nameParts[0]))
-		skuName := fmt.Sprintf("%s - %s", machineName, sku.DisplayName)
-		skuNames = append(skuNames, skuName)
-		skuByName[skuName] = sku
-	}
-
-	skuSurvey := []*survey.Question{
-		{
-			Name: "sku",
-			Prompt: &survey.Select{
-				Message: "Choose Machine Type:",
-				Options: skuNames,
-				Default: skuNames[0],
-			},
-			Validate: survey.Required,
-		},
-	}
-
-	skuAnswers := struct{ SKU string }{}
-	if err := survey.Ask(skuSurvey, &skuAnswers); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error getting SKU: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	sku := skuByName[skuAnswers.SKU]
 	fmt.Println("Creating your codespace...")
 
-	codespace, err := apiClient.CreateCodespace(ctx, userResult.User, repository, sku, answers.Branch, locationResult.Location)
+	codespace, err := apiClient.CreateCodespace(ctx, userResult.User, repository, machine, branch, locationResult.Location)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error creating codespace: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -144,3 +112,93 @@ func getLocation(ctx context.Context, apiClient *api.API) <-chan locationResult
 	}()
 	return ch
 }
+
+func getRepoName() (string, error) {
+	if repo != "" {
+		return repo, nil
+	}
+
+	repoSurvey := []*survey.Question{
+		{
+			Name:     "repository",
+			Prompt:   &survey.Input{Message: "Repository"},
+			Validate: survey.Required,
+		},
+	}
+	err := survey.Ask(repoSurvey, &repo)
+	return repo, err
+}
+
+func getBranchName() (string, error) {
+	if branch != "" {
+		return branch, nil
+	}
+
+	branchSurvey := []*survey.Question{
+		{
+			Name:     "branch",
+			Prompt:   &survey.Input{Message: "Branch"},
+			Validate: survey.Required,
+		},
+	}
+	err := survey.Ask(branchSurvey, &branch)
+	return branch, err
+}
+
+func getMachineName(ctx context.Context, user *api.User, repo *api.Repository, location string, apiClient *api.API) (string, error) {
+	skus, err := apiClient.GetCodespacesSkus(ctx, user, repo, location)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("error getting codespace skus: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// if user supplied a machine type, it must be valid
+	// if no machine type was supplied, we don't error if there are no machine types for the current repo
+	if machine != "" {
+		for _, sku := range skus {
+			if machine == sku.Name {
+				return machine, nil
+			}
+		}
+
+		availableSkus := make([]string, len(skus))
+		for i := 0; i < len(skus); i++ {
+			availableSkus[i] = skus[i].Name
+		}
+
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("there are is no such machine for the repository: %s\nAvailable machines: %v", machine, availableSkus)
+	} else if len(skus) == 0 {
+		return "", nil
+	}
+
+	skuNames := make([]string, 0, len(skus))
+	skuByName := make(map[string]*api.Sku)
+	for _, sku := range skus {
+		nameParts := camelcase.Split(sku.Name)
+		machineName := strings.Title(strings.ToLower(nameParts[0]))
+		skuName := fmt.Sprintf("%s - %s", machineName, sku.DisplayName)
+		skuNames = append(skuNames, skuName)
+		skuByName[skuName] = sku
+	}
+
+	skuSurvey := []*survey.Question{
+		{
+			Name: "sku",
+			Prompt: &survey.Select{
+				Message: "Choose Machine Type:",
+				Options: skuNames,
+				Default: skuNames[0],
+			},
+			Validate: survey.Required,
+		},
+	}
+
+	skuAnswers := struct{ SKU string }{}
+	if err := survey.Ask(skuSurvey, &skuAnswers); err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("error getting SKU: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	sku := skuByName[skuAnswers.SKU]
+	machine = sku.Name
+
+	return machine, nil
+}
diff --git a/cmd/ghcs/main.go b/cmd/ghcs/main.go
index a89a544b4..0b5c001b2 100644
--- a/cmd/ghcs/main.go
+++ b/cmd/ghcs/main.go
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ var rootCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Use:     "ghcs",
 	Short:   "Unofficial GitHub Codespaces CLI.",
 	Long:    "Unofficial CLI tool to manage and interact with GitHub Codespaces.",
-	Version: "0.6.0",
+	Version: "0.7.0",
 }
 
 func Execute() {