diff --git a/CHANGELOG.adoc b/CHANGELOG.adoc
index ea5125b3..3105681e 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.adoc
+++ b/CHANGELOG.adoc
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ order.
 
 === Release 1.0.0 (In progress)
 
+* https://github.com/spring-io/initializr/issues/65[#64]: project archives generated by the web UI now contain
+a base directory equals to the `artifactId`. By default, no base directory gets created if the project is
+generated by another means; use the new `baseDir` to control that behaviour.
 * https://github.com/spring-io/initializr/issues/46[#46]: projects generated against Spring 1.2+ are using the
 new `@SpringBootApplication`
 * https://github.com/spring-io/initializr/issues/64[#64]: Groovy-based projects are now working properly with
diff --git a/initializr/src/main/groovy/io/spring/initializr/ProjectGenerator.groovy b/initializr/src/main/groovy/io/spring/initializr/ProjectGenerator.groovy
index ee6d3771..89dcd3f3 100644
--- a/initializr/src/main/groovy/io/spring/initializr/ProjectGenerator.groovy
+++ b/initializr/src/main/groovy/io/spring/initializr/ProjectGenerator.groovy
@@ -74,10 +74,12 @@ class ProjectGenerator {
 	File generateProjectStructure(ProjectRequest request) {
 		def model = initializeModel(request)
 
-		def dir = File.createTempFile('tmp', '', new File(tmpdir))
-		addTempFile(dir.name, dir)
-		dir.delete()
-		dir.mkdirs()
+		def rootDir = File.createTempFile('tmp', '', new File(tmpdir))
+		addTempFile(rootDir.name, rootDir)
+		rootDir.delete()
+		rootDir.mkdirs()
+
+		def dir = initializerProjectDir(rootDir, request)
 
 		if ('gradle'.equals(request.build)) {
 			def gradle = new String(doGenerateGradleBuild(model))
@@ -119,7 +121,7 @@ class ProjectGenerator {
 			new File(dir, 'src/main/resources/static').mkdirs()
 		}
 		invokeListeners(request)
-		dir
+		rootDir
 
 	}
 
@@ -183,6 +185,16 @@ class ProjectGenerator {
 		template 'starter-build.gradle', model
 	}
 
+	private File initializerProjectDir(File rootDir, ProjectRequest request) {
+		if (request.baseDir) {
+			File dir = new File(rootDir, request.baseDir)
+			dir.mkdir()
+			return dir
+		} else {
+			return rootDir
+		}
+	}
+
 	def write(File target, String templateName, def model) {
 		def tmpl = templateName.endsWith('.groovy') ? templateName + '.tmpl' : templateName
 		def body = template tmpl, model
diff --git a/initializr/src/main/groovy/io/spring/initializr/ProjectRequest.groovy b/initializr/src/main/groovy/io/spring/initializr/ProjectRequest.groovy
index e9fc3465..19b80bda 100644
--- a/initializr/src/main/groovy/io/spring/initializr/ProjectRequest.groovy
+++ b/initializr/src/main/groovy/io/spring/initializr/ProjectRequest.groovy
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@ class ProjectRequest {
 	String packageName
 	String javaVersion
 
+	// The base directory to create in the archive - no baseDir by default
+	String baseDir
+
 	// Resolved dependencies based on the ids provided by either "style" or "dependencies"
 	List<InitializrMetadata.Dependency> resolvedDependencies
 
diff --git a/initializr/src/main/resources/templates/home.html b/initializr/src/main/resources/templates/home.html
index 8a991148..45af8a98 100644
--- a/initializr/src/main/resources/templates/home.html
+++ b/initializr/src/main/resources/templates/home.html
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
         </div>
     </div>
     <form id="form" class="form-horizontal" action="/starter.zip" method="get" role="form">
+        <input id="baseDir" name="baseDir" type="hidden" value="${defaults.artifactId}">
         <div class="row">
             <div class="col-sm-6">
                 <h3>Project metadata</h3>
@@ -38,7 +39,7 @@
                 <div class="form-group">
                     <label for="artifactId" class="col-md-3 control-label">Artifact</label>
                     <div class="col-md-8">
-                        <input id="artifactId" class="form-control" type="text" value="${defaults.artifactId}" name="artifactId">
+                        <input id="artifactId" class="form-control" type="text" value="${defaults.artifactId}" name="artifactId" onchange="javascript:updateBaseDir()">
                     </div>
                 </div>
                 <div class="form-group">
@@ -62,7 +63,7 @@
                 <div class="form-group">
                     <label for="type" class="col-md-3 control-label">Type</label>
                     <div class="col-md-8">
-                        <select class="form-control" id="type" name="type" onchange="javascript:updateForm(this)">
+                        <select class="form-control" id="type" name="type" onchange="javascript:updateAction(this)">
                             <% types.each { %>
                             <option data-action="${it.action}" value="${it.id}" ${it.default==true ? ' selected' : ''}>${it.name}</option>
                             <% } %>
@@ -162,9 +163,14 @@
     </form>
 </div>
 <script>
-    var updateForm = function(sel) {
+    var updateAction = function(sel) {
         var selected = sel.options[sel.selectedIndex];
         sel.form.action = selected.getAttribute("data-action");
+    };
+    var updateBaseDir = function() {
+        var artifactId = document.getElementById("artifactId");
+        var baseDir = document.getElementById("baseDir");
+        baseDir.value = artifactId.value
     }
 </script>
 </body>
diff --git a/initializr/src/test/groovy/io/spring/initializr/ProjectGeneratorTests.groovy b/initializr/src/test/groovy/io/spring/initializr/ProjectGeneratorTests.groovy
index d141c406..d9b5cb18 100644
--- a/initializr/src/test/groovy/io/spring/initializr/ProjectGeneratorTests.groovy
+++ b/initializr/src/test/groovy/io/spring/initializr/ProjectGeneratorTests.groovy
@@ -205,6 +205,15 @@ class ProjectGeneratorTests {
 				.doesNotContain('@EnableAutoConfiguration', '@Configuration', '@ComponentScan')
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	void customBaseDirectory() {
+		def request = createProjectRequest()
+		request.baseDir = 'my-project'
+		generateProject(request).hasBaseDir('my-project')
+				.isJavaProject()
+				.isMavenProject()
+	}
+
 	PomAssert generateMavenPom(ProjectRequest request) {
 		def content = new String(projectGenerator.generateMavenPom(request))
 		new PomAssert(content).validateProjectRequest(request)
diff --git a/initializr/src/test/groovy/io/spring/initializr/test/ProjectAssert.groovy b/initializr/src/test/groovy/io/spring/initializr/test/ProjectAssert.groovy
index 47ad9de1..0774a9f6 100644
--- a/initializr/src/test/groovy/io/spring/initializr/test/ProjectAssert.groovy
+++ b/initializr/src/test/groovy/io/spring/initializr/test/ProjectAssert.groovy
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ package io.spring.initializr.test
 import io.spring.initializr.InitializrMetadata
 
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue
 
 /**
  * Various project based assertions.
@@ -40,6 +41,21 @@ class ProjectAssert {
 		this.dir = dir
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Validate that the project contains a base directory with the specified name.
+	 * <p>When extracting such archive, a directory with the specified {@code name}
+	 * will be created with the content of the project instead of extracting it in
+	 * the directory itself.
+	 * @param name the expected name of the base directory
+	 * @return an updated project assert on that base directory
+	 */
+	ProjectAssert hasBaseDir(String name) {
+		File projectDir = file(name)
+		assertTrue "No directory $name found in $dir.absolutePath", projectDir.exists()
+		assertTrue "$name is not a directory", projectDir.isDirectory()
+		new ProjectAssert(projectDir) // Replacing the root dir so that other assertions match the root
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Return a {@link PomAssert} for this project.
 	 */
diff --git a/initializr/src/test/groovy/io/spring/initializr/web/AbstractInitializerControllerFormIntegrationTests.groovy b/initializr/src/test/groovy/io/spring/initializr/web/AbstractInitializerControllerFormIntegrationTests.groovy
index 8ab10e8a..4b4c76aa 100644
--- a/initializr/src/test/groovy/io/spring/initializr/web/AbstractInitializerControllerFormIntegrationTests.groovy
+++ b/initializr/src/test/groovy/io/spring/initializr/web/AbstractInitializerControllerFormIntegrationTests.groovy
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ abstract class AbstractInitializerControllerFormIntegrationTests extends Abstrac
 	@Test
 	void createDefaultJavaProject() {
 		def page = home()
-		def projectAssert = zipProjectAssert(page.generateProject().contentAsStream.bytes)
+		def projectAssert = zipProjectAssert(page, page.generateProject())
 		projectAssert.isMavenProject().isJavaProject().hasStaticAndTemplatesResources(false)
 				.pomAssert().hasDependenciesCount(2)
 				.hasSpringBootStarterRootDependency().hasSpringBootStarterDependency('test')
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ abstract class AbstractInitializerControllerFormIntegrationTests extends Abstrac
 	void createDefaultGroovyProject() {
 		def page = home()
 		page.language = 'groovy'
-		def projectAssert = zipProjectAssert(page.generateProject().contentAsStream.bytes)
+		def projectAssert = zipProjectAssert(page, page.generateProject())
 		projectAssert.isMavenProject().isGroovyProject().hasStaticAndTemplatesResources(false)
 				.pomAssert().hasDependenciesCount(3)
 				.hasSpringBootStarterRootDependency().hasSpringBootStarterDependency('test')
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ abstract class AbstractInitializerControllerFormIntegrationTests extends Abstrac
 		String value = webResponse.getResponseHeaderValue('Content-Disposition')
 		assertEquals  'attachment; filename="foo-bar.zip"', value
 
-		def projectAssert = zipProjectAssert(webResponse)
+		def projectAssert = zipProjectAssert(page, webResponse)
 		projectAssert.isMavenProject().isJavaProject('MyProjectApplication')
 				.hasStaticAndTemplatesResources(true)
 
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ abstract class AbstractInitializerControllerFormIntegrationTests extends Abstrac
 		String value = webResponse.getResponseHeaderValue('Content-Disposition')
 		assertEquals  'attachment; filename="foo-bar.zip"', value
 
-		def projectAssert = zipProjectAssert(webResponse)
+		def projectAssert = zipProjectAssert(page, webResponse)
 		projectAssert.isMavenProject().isGroovyProject('MyProjectApplication')
 				.hasStaticAndTemplatesResources(true)
 
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ abstract class AbstractInitializerControllerFormIntegrationTests extends Abstrac
 	void createWarProject() {
 		def page = home()
 		page.packaging = 'war'
-		def projectAssert = zipProjectAssert(page.generateProject())
+		def projectAssert = zipProjectAssert(page, page.generateProject())
 		projectAssert.isMavenProject().isJavaWarProject()
 				.pomAssert().hasPackaging('war').hasDependenciesCount(3)
 				.hasSpringBootStarterDependency('web') // Added with war packaging
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ abstract class AbstractInitializerControllerFormIntegrationTests extends Abstrac
 		def page = home()
 		page.type =  projectType
 		page.dependencies << 'data-jpa'
-		def projectAssert = zipProjectAssert(page.generateProject())
+		def projectAssert = zipProjectAssert(page, page.generateProject())
 		projectAssert.isGradleProject().isJavaProject().hasStaticAndTemplatesResources(false)
 	}
 
@@ -163,7 +163,10 @@ abstract class AbstractInitializerControllerFormIntegrationTests extends Abstrac
 		createHomePage(home)
 	}
 
-	ProjectAssert zipProjectAssert(WebResponse webResponse) {
+	/**
+	 * Initialize a {@link ProjectAssert} for the  specified {@link HomePage} and {@link WebResponse}.
+	 */
+	protected ProjectAssert zipProjectAssert(HomePage page, WebResponse webResponse) {
 		zipProjectAssert(webResponse.contentAsStream.bytes)
 	}
 
diff --git a/initializr/src/test/groovy/io/spring/initializr/web/MainControllerFormIntegrationTests.groovy b/initializr/src/test/groovy/io/spring/initializr/web/MainControllerFormIntegrationTests.groovy
index a41c8759..fc3d927f 100644
--- a/initializr/src/test/groovy/io/spring/initializr/web/MainControllerFormIntegrationTests.groovy
+++ b/initializr/src/test/groovy/io/spring/initializr/web/MainControllerFormIntegrationTests.groovy
@@ -16,7 +16,10 @@
 
 package io.spring.initializr.web
 
+import com.gargoylesoftware.htmlunit.WebResponse
 import com.gargoylesoftware.htmlunit.html.HtmlPage
+import io.spring.initializr.InitializrMetadata
+import io.spring.initializr.test.ProjectAssert
 import io.spring.initializr.web.support.DefaultHomePage
 import io.spring.initializr.web.support.HomePage
 
@@ -27,7 +30,6 @@ import io.spring.initializr.web.support.HomePage
  */
 class MainControllerFormIntegrationTests extends AbstractInitializerControllerFormIntegrationTests {
 
-
 	@Override
 	void createSimpleGradleProject() {
 		createSimpleGradleProject('gradle-project')
@@ -43,4 +45,12 @@ class MainControllerFormIntegrationTests extends AbstractInitializerControllerFo
 		new DefaultHomePage(home)
 	}
 
+	@Override
+	protected ProjectAssert zipProjectAssert(HomePage page, WebResponse webResponse) {
+		ProjectAssert projectAssert = super.zipProjectAssert(page, webResponse)
+		// we require self contained archive by default
+		String dirName = page.artifactId ?: InitializrMetadata.Defaults.DEFAULT_NAME
+		projectAssert.hasBaseDir(dirName)
+	}
+
 }