diff --git a/internal/src/init.rs b/internal/src/init.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b5c04d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/src/init.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,331 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0 OR MIT
+
+use std::iter::Peekable;
+
+#[cfg(not(kernel))]
+use proc_macro2 as proc_macro;
+
+use proc_macro::Punct;
+use proc_macro::{Delimiter, Ident, Spacing, TokenStream, TokenTree};
+
+pub fn expand(input: TokenStream) -> TokenStream {
+    let mut tokens = input.into_iter().peekable();
+    let attrs = parse_attrs(&mut tokens);
+    let default_error = attrs
+        .iter()
+        .filter_map(|attr| match attr {
+            Attr::Pin => None,
+            Attr::DefaultError(err) => Some(err),
+        })
+        .next_back();
+    let closure = parse_closure(&mut tokens, default_error);
+    let mut statements = vec![];
+    let tail = match tokens.peek() {
+        Some(TokenTree::Group(g)) if g.delimiter() == Delimiter::Brace => {
+            tokens.next();
+            match tokens.next() {
+                None => {}
+                Some(rest) => panic!("unexpected token after initializer body: {rest:?}"),
+            }
+            loop {
+                let mut statement: TokenStream = (&mut tokens)
+                    .take_while(|t| !matches!(t, TokenTree::Punct(p) if p.as_char() == ';'))
+                    .collect();
+                match tokens.peek() {
+                    None => break parse_initializer_tail(statement),
+                    Some(TokenTree::Punct(p)) if p.as_char() == ';' => {
+                        statement.extend([tokens.next().unwrap()])
+                    }
+                    Some(_) => unreachable!(),
+                }
+                statements.push(statement);
+            }
+        }
+        Some(_) => {
+            if closure.is_some() {
+                panic!("expected initializer body when using closure")
+            }
+            parse_initializer_tail(&mut tokens)
+        }
+        None => panic!("missing initializer body"),
+    };
+    let Tail { path, fields } = tail;
+    let ty = closure
+        .as_ref()
+        .and_then(|c| c.ty.as_ref().cloned())
+        .unwrap_or_else(|| quote!(_));
+    let err = closure
+        .as_ref()
+        .and_then(|c| c.err.as_ref().cloned())
+        .or(default_error.cloned())
+        .unwrap_or_else(|| quote!(::core::convert::Infallible));
+    quote! {
+        ::pin_init::__init_internal!(
+            statements(#(#statements)*),
+            ty_hint(#ty),
+            err(#err),
+            struct_path(#(#path)*),
+            fields(#fields),
+        )
+    }
+}
+
+struct Tail {
+    path: Vec<TokenTree>,
+    fields: TokenStream,
+}
+
+fn parse_initializer_tail(tokens: impl IntoIterator<Item = TokenTree>) -> Tail {
+    let mut tokens: Vec<TokenTree> = tokens.into_iter().collect();
+    if tokens.is_empty() {
+        panic!("incomplete initializer body")
+    }
+    let last = tokens.remove(tokens.len() - 1);
+    match last {
+        TokenTree::Group(g) if g.delimiter() == Delimiter::Brace => Tail {
+            path: tokens,
+            fields: g.stream(),
+        },
+        _ => panic!("expected `{{}}` as the last token in the initializer body, found {last:?}"),
+    }
+}
+
+enum Attr {
+    Pin,
+    DefaultError(TokenStream),
+}
+
+fn parse_attr(meta: TokenStream) -> Attr {
+    let mut tokens = meta.into_iter();
+    match tokens.next() {
+        Some(TokenTree::Ident(name)) => {
+            if name == "pin" {
+                match tokens.next() {
+                    None => {}
+                    Some(next) => panic!("unexpected token in `#[pin]` attribute: {next:?}"),
+                }
+                Attr::Pin
+            } else if name == "default_error" {
+                Attr::DefaultError(tokens.collect())
+            } else {
+                panic!("unexpected attribute name: `{name}`")
+            }
+        }
+        Some(rest) => panic!("unexpected token in attribute: {rest:?}"),
+        None => panic!("expected name inside of attribute"),
+    }
+}
+
+fn parse_attrs(tokens: &mut Peekable<impl Iterator<Item = TokenTree>>) -> Vec<Attr> {
+    let mut attrs = vec![];
+    loop {
+        match tokens.peek() {
+            Some(TokenTree::Punct(p)) if p.as_char() == '#' => {
+                tokens.next();
+                match tokens.next() {
+                    Some(TokenTree::Group(g)) if g.delimiter() == Delimiter::Bracket => {
+                        attrs.push(parse_attr(g.stream()));
+                    }
+                    next => {
+                        panic!("expected `[...]` after `#`, but found {next:?}")
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+            Some(_) => break attrs,
+            None => panic!("missing initializer body"),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+enum Arg {
+    Untyped(Ident),
+    Typed { name: Ident, ty: TokenStream },
+}
+
+struct ClosureSig {
+    /// arguments in the `|arg0, arg1|`
+    args: Vec<Arg>,
+    /// returned type `-> MyType` or `-> Result<MyType, _>`
+    ty: Option<TokenStream>,
+    /// returned error type `-> Result<, Err>`
+    err: Option<TokenStream>,
+}
+
+fn parse_closure(
+    tokens: &mut Peekable<impl Iterator<Item = TokenTree>>,
+    default_error: Option<&TokenStream>,
+) -> Option<ClosureSig> {
+    match tokens.peek() {
+        Some(TokenTree::Punct(p)) if p.as_char() == '|' => {
+            tokens.next();
+        }
+        Some(_) => return None,
+        None => panic!("missing initializer body"),
+    }
+    let mut args = vec![];
+    loop {
+        match tokens.next() {
+            Some(TokenTree::Ident(name)) => {
+                match tokens.peek() {
+                    Some(TokenTree::Punct(p)) if p.as_char() == ':' => {
+                        tokens.next();
+                        args.push(Arg::Typed {
+                            name: name.clone(),
+                            ty: parse_ty_until_punct(tokens, |p| matches!(p.as_char(), ',' | '|')),
+                        });
+                    }
+                    _ => args.push(Arg::Untyped(name.clone())),
+                }
+                match tokens.peek() {
+                    Some(TokenTree::Punct(p)) if p.as_char() == ',' => {
+                        tokens.next();
+                    }
+                    Some(TokenTree::Punct(p)) if p.as_char() == '|' => break,
+                    Some(rest) => {
+                        panic!("expected comma after argument in initializer closure signature: {rest:?}")
+                    }
+                    _ => {}
+                }
+            }
+            Some(TokenTree::Punct(p)) if p.as_char() == '|' => break,
+            Some(rest) => panic!("unexpected token in initializer closure signature: {rest:?}"),
+            None => panic!("incomplete initializer body"),
+        }
+    }
+    // check for an `->` indicating a return type
+    match tokens.peek() {
+        Some(TokenTree::Punct(p)) if p.as_char() == '-' && p.spacing() == Spacing::Joint => {
+            tokens.next();
+            match tokens.next() {
+                Some(TokenTree::Punct(p)) if p.as_char() == '>' => {}
+                Some(rest) => panic!("expected arrow `->` in initializer closure signature, found `-` and then {rest:?}"),
+                None => panic!("incomplete initializer body"),
+            }
+        }
+        _ => {
+            return Some(ClosureSig {
+                args,
+                ty: None,
+                err: None,
+            })
+        }
+    }
+    // we support several different constructs here before the opening `{`:
+    // * just having your own type here (then the error will be assumed to be `Infallible`),
+    // * you can have `Result<InitializedType, Error>`,
+    // * `Result<InitializedType, _>` combined with a `#[default_error(Err)]` attribute,
+    match tokens.peek() {
+        Some(TokenTree::Ident(res)) if res == "Result" => {
+            tokens.next();
+            match tokens.next() {
+                Some(TokenTree::Punct(p)) if p.as_char() == '<' => {}
+                _ => panic!("expected `<` after `Result` in initializer return type"),
+            }
+            let ty = parse_ty_until_punct(tokens, |p| p.as_char() == ',');
+            match tokens.next() {
+                Some(TokenTree::Punct(p)) if p.as_char() == ',' => {}
+                _ => {
+                    panic!("expected `,` after first type in `Result<` in initializer return type")
+                }
+            }
+            let mut err = parse_ty_until_punct(tokens, |p| matches!(p.as_char(), ',' | '>'));
+            match tokens.next() {
+                Some(TokenTree::Punct(p)) if p.as_char() == ',' => match tokens.next() {
+                    Some(TokenTree::Punct(p)) if p.as_char() == '>' => {}
+                    _ => {
+                        panic!("expected `>` after second type in `Result<` in initializer return type")
+                    }
+                },
+                Some(TokenTree::Punct(p)) if p.as_char() == '>' => {}
+                _ => {
+                    panic!("expected `,` or `>` after second type in `Result<` in initializer return type")
+                }
+            }
+            let mut err_inspect = err.into_iter().peekable();
+            if matches!(&err_inspect.peek(), Some(TokenTree::Punct(p)) if p.as_char() == '_') {
+                assert_eq!(
+                    err_inspect.count(),
+                    1,
+                    "expected type to only be `_` if it starts with `_`"
+                );
+                err = default_error
+                    .expect(
+                        "need a `#[default_error()]` attribute to be able to use `_` in errors.",
+                    )
+                    .clone();
+            } else {
+                err = err_inspect.collect();
+            }
+            Some(ClosureSig {
+                args,
+                ty: Some(ty),
+                err: Some(err),
+            })
+        }
+        None => panic!("incomplete initializer body"),
+        _ => Some(ClosureSig {
+            args,
+            ty: Some(parse_ty_until_brace(tokens)),
+            err: None,
+        }),
+    }
+}
+
+fn parse_ty_until_punct(
+    tokens: &mut Peekable<impl Iterator<Item = TokenTree>>,
+    mut punct: impl FnMut(&Punct) -> bool,
+) -> TokenStream {
+    let mut nesting = 0u64;
+    let mut res = TokenStream::new();
+    loop {
+        match tokens.peek() {
+            Some(TokenTree::Punct(p)) => {
+                if nesting == 0 && punct(p) {
+                    return res;
+                }
+                match p.as_char() {
+                    '<' => nesting += 1,
+                    '>' => {
+                        nesting = nesting
+                            .checked_sub(1)
+                            .expect("nestings of `<`/`>` became negative");
+                    }
+                    _ => {}
+                }
+            }
+            Some(_) => {}
+            None => panic!("incomplete initializer body"),
+        }
+        let Some(tok) = tokens.next() else {
+            unreachable!()
+        };
+        res.extend([tok]);
+    }
+}
+
+fn parse_ty_until_brace(tokens: &mut Peekable<impl Iterator<Item = TokenTree>>) -> TokenStream {
+    let mut nesting = 0u64;
+    let mut res = TokenStream::new();
+    loop {
+        match tokens.peek() {
+            Some(TokenTree::Punct(p)) => match p.as_char() {
+                '<' => nesting += 1,
+                '>' => {
+                    nesting = nesting
+                        .checked_sub(1)
+                        .expect("nestings of `<`/`>` became negative");
+                }
+                _ => {}
+            },
+            Some(TokenTree::Group(g)) if nesting == 0 && g.delimiter() == Delimiter::Brace => {
+                return res;
+            }
+            Some(_) => {}
+            None => panic!("incomplete initializer body"),
+        }
+        let Some(tok) = tokens.next() else {
+            unreachable!()
+        };
+        res.extend([tok]);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/internal/src/lib.rs b/internal/src/lib.rs
index 297b012..10d3b8a 100644
--- a/internal/src/lib.rs
+++ b/internal/src/lib.rs
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ mod quote;
 extern crate quote;
 
 mod helpers;
+mod init;
 mod pin_data;
 mod pinned_drop;
 mod zeroable;
@@ -52,3 +53,8 @@ pub fn derive_zeroable(input: TokenStream) -> TokenStream {
 pub fn maybe_derive_zeroable(input: TokenStream) -> TokenStream {
     zeroable::maybe_derive(input.into()).into()
 }
+
+#[proc_macro]
+pub fn init(input: TokenStream) -> TokenStream {
+    init::expand(input.into()).into()
+}
diff --git a/src/macros.rs b/src/macros.rs
index 9ced630..752e77d 100644
--- a/src/macros.rs
+++ b/src/macros.rs
@@ -1202,6 +1202,21 @@ macro_rules! __init_internal {
         // have been initialized. Therefore we can now dismiss the guards by forgetting them.
         $(::core::mem::forget($guards);)*
     };
+    (init_slot($($use_data:ident)?):
+        @data($data:ident),
+        @slot($slot:ident),
+        @guards($($guards:ident,)*),
+        // arbitrary code block
+        @munch_fields(_: { $($code:tt)* }, $($rest:tt)*),
+    ) => {
+        { $($code)* }
+        $crate::__init_internal!(init_slot($($use_data)?):
+            @data($data),
+            @slot($slot),
+            @guards($($guards,)*),
+            @munch_fields($($rest)*),
+        );
+    };
     (init_slot($use_data:ident): // `use_data` is present, so we use the `data` to init fields.
         @data($data:ident),
         @slot($slot:ident),
@@ -1351,6 +1366,20 @@ macro_rules! __init_internal {
             );
         }
     };
+    (make_initializer:
+        @slot($slot:ident),
+        @type_name($t:path),
+        @munch_fields(_: { $($code:tt)* }, $($rest:tt)*),
+        @acc($($acc:tt)*),
+    ) => {
+        // code blocks are ignored for the initializer check
+        $crate::__init_internal!(make_initializer:
+            @slot($slot),
+            @type_name($t),
+            @munch_fields($($rest)*),
+            @acc($($acc)*),
+        );
+    };
     (make_initializer:
         @slot($slot:ident),
         @type_name($t:path),
diff --git a/tests/ui/compile-fail/init/wrong_generics2.stderr b/tests/ui/compile-fail/init/wrong_generics2.stderr
index d1b1e7a..cc41892 100644
--- a/tests/ui/compile-fail/init/wrong_generics2.stderr
+++ b/tests/ui/compile-fail/init/wrong_generics2.stderr
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ help: you might have forgotten to add the struct literal inside the block
  --> src/macros.rs
   |
   ~                 ::core::ptr::write($slot, $t { SomeStruct {
-  |9                    $($acc)*
+  |4                    $($acc)*
   ~                 } });
   |
 
diff --git a/tests/underscore.rs b/tests/underscore.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..583b3b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/underscore.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+use pin_init::{try_init, Init};
+
+pub struct Foo {
+    x: u64,
+}
+
+fn foo() -> bool {
+    false
+}
+
+fn bar() -> bool {
+    true
+}
+
+impl Foo {
+    pub fn new() -> impl Init<Self, ()> {
+        try_init!(Self {
+            _: {
+                if foo() {
+                    return Err(());
+                }
+            },
+            x: 0,
+            _: {
+                if bar() {
+                    return Err(());
+                }
+            }
+        }? ())
+    }
+}