diff --git a/src/__phutil_library_map__.php b/src/__phutil_library_map__.php
--- a/src/__phutil_library_map__.php
+++ b/src/__phutil_library_map__.php
@@ -1926,6 +1926,7 @@
     'PhabricatorProjectBoardController' => 'applications/project/controller/PhabricatorProjectBoardController.php',
     'PhabricatorProjectBoardDeleteController' => 'applications/project/controller/PhabricatorProjectBoardDeleteController.php',
     'PhabricatorProjectBoardEditController' => 'applications/project/controller/PhabricatorProjectBoardEditController.php',
+    'PhabricatorProjectBoardImportController' => 'applications/project/controller/PhabricatorProjectBoardImportController.php',
     'PhabricatorProjectBoardReorderController' => 'applications/project/controller/PhabricatorProjectBoardReorderController.php',
     'PhabricatorProjectBoardViewController' => 'applications/project/controller/PhabricatorProjectBoardViewController.php',
     'PhabricatorProjectColumn' => 'applications/project/storage/PhabricatorProjectColumn.php',
@@ -2620,6 +2621,7 @@
     'PonderVoteSaveController' => 'applications/ponder/controller/PonderVoteSaveController.php',
     'ProjectBoardTaskCard' => 'applications/project/view/ProjectBoardTaskCard.php',
     'ProjectConduitAPIMethod' => 'applications/project/conduit/ProjectConduitAPIMethod.php',
+    'ProjectCreateConduitAPIMethod' => 'applications/project/conduit/ProjectCreateConduitAPIMethod.php',
     'ProjectCreateProjectsCapability' => 'applications/project/capability/ProjectCreateProjectsCapability.php',
     'ProjectQueryConduitAPIMethod' => 'applications/project/conduit/ProjectQueryConduitAPIMethod.php',
     'ProjectRemarkupRule' => 'applications/project/remarkup/ProjectRemarkupRule.php',
@@ -4752,6 +4754,7 @@
     'PhabricatorProjectBoardController' => 'PhabricatorProjectController',
     'PhabricatorProjectBoardDeleteController' => 'PhabricatorProjectBoardController',
     'PhabricatorProjectBoardEditController' => 'PhabricatorProjectBoardController',
+    'PhabricatorProjectBoardImportController' => 'PhabricatorProjectBoardController',
     'PhabricatorProjectBoardReorderController' => 'PhabricatorProjectBoardController',
     'PhabricatorProjectBoardViewController' => 'PhabricatorProjectBoardController',
     'PhabricatorProjectColumn' => array(
@@ -5561,6 +5564,7 @@
     'PonderVoteEditor' => 'PhabricatorEditor',
     'PonderVoteSaveController' => 'PonderController',
     'ProjectConduitAPIMethod' => 'ConduitAPIMethod',
+    'ProjectCreateConduitAPIMethod' => 'ProjectConduitAPIMethod',
     'ProjectCreateProjectsCapability' => 'PhabricatorPolicyCapability',
     'ProjectQueryConduitAPIMethod' => 'ProjectConduitAPIMethod',
     'ProjectRemarkupRule' => 'PhabricatorObjectRemarkupRule',
diff --git a/src/applications/project/application/PhabricatorProjectApplication.php b/src/applications/project/application/PhabricatorProjectApplication.php
--- a/src/applications/project/application/PhabricatorProjectApplication.php
+++ b/src/applications/project/application/PhabricatorProjectApplication.php
@@ -71,6 +71,8 @@
             => 'PhabricatorProjectBoardDeleteController',
           'column/(?:(?P<id>\d+)/)?'
             => 'PhabricatorProjectColumnDetailController',
+          'import/'
+            => 'PhabricatorProjectBoardImportController',
           'reorder/'
             => 'PhabricatorProjectBoardReorderController',
         ),
diff --git a/src/applications/project/controller/PhabricatorProjectBoardImportController.php b/src/applications/project/controller/PhabricatorProjectBoardImportController.php
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/applications/project/controller/PhabricatorProjectBoardImportController.php
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+<?php
+
+final class PhabricatorProjectBoardImportController
+  extends PhabricatorProjectBoardController {
+
+  private $projectID;
+
+  public function willProcessRequest(array $data) {
+    $this->projectID = $data['projectID'];
+  }
+
+  public function processRequest() {
+    $request = $this->getRequest();
+    $viewer = $request->getUser();
+
+    $project = id(new PhabricatorProjectQuery())
+      ->setViewer($viewer)
+      ->requireCapabilities(
+        array(
+          PhabricatorPolicyCapability::CAN_VIEW,
+          PhabricatorPolicyCapability::CAN_EDIT,
+        ))
+      ->withIDs(array($this->projectID))
+      ->executeOne();
+    if (!$project) {
+      return new Aphront404Response();
+    }
+
+    $this->setProject($project);
+
+    $columns = id(new PhabricatorProjectColumnQuery())
+      ->setViewer($viewer)
+      ->withProjectPHIDs(array($project->getPHID()))
+      ->execute();
+    if ($columns) {
+      return new Aphront404Response();
+    }
+
+    $project_id = $project->getID();
+    $board_uri = $this->getApplicationURI("board/{$project_id}/");
+
+    if ($request->isFormPost()) {
+      $import_phid = $request->getStr('importProjectPHID');
+
+      $import_columns = id(new PhabricatorProjectColumnQuery())
+        ->setViewer($viewer)
+        ->withProjectPHIDs(array($import_phid))
+        ->execute();
+      // not sure how this can happen exactly, but it is bad so 404
+      if (!$import_columns) {
+        return new Aphront404Response();
+      }
+
+      $table = id(new PhabricatorProjectColumn())
+        ->openTransaction();
+      foreach ($import_columns as $import_column) {
+        if ($import_column->isHidden()) {
+          continue;
+        }
+        $new_column = PhabricatorProjectColumn::initializeNewColumn($viewer)
+          ->setSequence($import_column->getSequence())
+          ->setProjectPHID($project->getPHID())
+          ->setName($import_column->getName())
+          ->save();
+      }
+      $table->saveTransaction();
+
+      return id(new AphrontRedirectResponse())->setURI($board_uri);
+    }
+
+    $viewer_projects = id(new PhabricatorProjectQuery())
+      ->setViewer($viewer)
+      ->requireCapabilities(
+        array(
+          PhabricatorPolicyCapability::CAN_VIEW,
+          PhabricatorPolicyCapability::CAN_EDIT,
+        ))
+      ->withMemberPHIDs(array($viewer->getPHID()))
+      ->execute();
+
+    if (empty($viewer_projects)) {
+      $body = pht(
+        'You are not a member of any projects that have initialized '.
+        'workboards. Join such a project and try again.');
+      return $this->newDialog()
+        ->setTitle(pht('Can Not Import Project Columns'))
+        ->appendChild($body)
+        ->setWidth(AphrontDialogView::WIDTH_FORM)
+        ->addCancelButton($board_uri);
+    }
+    $viewer_projects = mpull($viewer_projects, null, 'getPHID');
+
+    $columns = id(new PhabricatorProjectColumnQuery())
+      ->setViewer($viewer)
+      ->withProjectPHIDs(array_keys($viewer_projects))
+      ->execute();
+    $columns = mgroup($columns, 'getProjectPHID');
+    $importable_projects = array_intersect_key($viewer_projects, $columns);
+    $project_selector = id(new AphrontFormRadioButtonControl())
+      ->setLabel(pht('Import from one of the following projects:'))
+      ->setName('importProjectPHID')
+      ->setValue(reset($importable_projects)->getPHID());
+    foreach ($importable_projects as $importable_project) {
+      $project_selector->addButton(
+        $importable_project->getPHID(),
+        $importable_project->getName(),
+        null);
+    }
+
+    return $this->newDialog()
+      ->setTitle(pht('Import Project Columns'))
+      ->setWidth(AphrontDialogView::WIDTH_FORM)
+      ->appendChild($project_selector)
+      ->addCancelButton($board_uri)
+      ->addSubmitButton(pht('Import'));
+  }
+
+}
diff --git a/src/applications/project/controller/PhabricatorProjectBoardViewController.php b/src/applications/project/controller/PhabricatorProjectBoardViewController.php
--- a/src/applications/project/controller/PhabricatorProjectBoardViewController.php
+++ b/src/applications/project/controller/PhabricatorProjectBoardViewController.php
@@ -54,16 +54,20 @@
     $columns = $column_query->execute();
     $columns = mpull($columns, null, 'getSequence');
 
-    // If there's no default column, create one now.
     if (empty($columns[0])) {
-      $unguarded = AphrontWriteGuard::beginScopedUnguardedWrites();
-        $column = PhabricatorProjectColumn::initializeNewColumn($viewer)
-          ->setSequence(0)
-          ->setProjectPHID($project->getPHID())
-          ->save();
-        $column->attachProject($project);
-        $columns[0] = $column;
-      unset($unguarded);
+      // If there's no default column and the user wants us to, create one now.
+      if ($request->getExists('initialize')) {
+        $unguarded = AphrontWriteGuard::beginScopedUnguardedWrites();
+          $column = PhabricatorProjectColumn::initializeNewColumn($viewer)
+            ->setSequence(0)
+            ->setProjectPHID($project->getPHID())
+            ->save();
+          $column->attachProject($project);
+          $columns[0] = $column;
+        unset($unguarded);
+      } else {
+        return $this->initializeWorkboardDialog();
+      }
     }
 
     ksort($columns);
@@ -406,5 +410,37 @@
     return $manage_button;
   }
 
+  private function initializeWorkboardDialog() {
+    $default_column_link = phutil_tag(
+      'a',
+      array(
+        'href'  =>
+          $this->getApplicationURI('/board/'.$this->id.'/?initialize=true')
+      ),
+      pht('add a default backlog column'));
+    $import_panels_link = phutil_tag(
+      'a',
+      array(
+        'href'  => $this->getApplicationURI('/board/'.$this->id.'/import/')
+      ),
+      pht('import columns from another project'));
+
+    $instructions = phutil_tag(
+      'p',
+      array(),
+      pht(
+        'You can %s or %s to get started.',
+        $default_column_link,
+      $import_panels_link));
+    $dialog = id(new AphrontDialogView())
+      ->setUser($this->getRequest()->getUser())
+      ->setTitle(pht('This workboard needs initial setup.'))
+      ->addHiddenInput('initialize', true)
+      ->addSubmitButton('Add Default Backlog Column')
+      ->appendChild($instructions);
+
+    return id(new AphrontDialogResponse())
+      ->setDialog($dialog);
+  }
 
 }