diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d057f14..2d026f0 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -44,13 +44,15 @@
 
 The single configuration values are listed here:
 
-| key                | description                                                                           | default value           |
-|--------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------|
-| `gerrit.url`       | URL of the Gerrit test server                                                         | `http://localhost:8080` |
-| `gerrit.user`      | Gerrit user used for tests                                                            | `admin`                 |
-| `gerrit.password`  | Password of Gerrit user                                                               | `secret`                |
-| `testrun.duration` | Duration for which to run the tests                                                   | `null` (indefinitely)   |
-| `actions.*`        | Probability with which an action is performed in each cycle (`0`: never, `1`: always) | `1`                     |
+| key                                             | description                                                                           | default value           |
+|-------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------|
+| `gerrit.url`                                    | URL of the Gerrit test server                                                         | `http://localhost:8080` |
+| `gerrit.user`                                   | Gerrit user used for tests                                                            | `admin`                 |
+| `gerrit.password`                               | Password of Gerrit user                                                               | `secret`                |
+| `testrun.duration`                              | Duration for which to run the tests                                                   | `null` (indefinitely)   |
+| `testrun.initialization.createProjects.enabled` | Whether to create new projects during initialization                                  | `true`                  |
+| `testrun.initialization.createProjects.number`  | How many new projects to create during initialization                                 | `1`                     |
+| `actions.*`                                     | Probability with which an action is performed in each cycle (`0`: never, `1`: always) | `1`                     |
 
 ### Available actions
 
diff --git a/config.sample.yaml b/config.sample.yaml
index 0e6f34b..bdec749 100644
--- a/config.sample.yaml
+++ b/config.sample.yaml
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@
 
 testrun:
   duration: null
+  initialization:
+    createProjects:
+      enabled: true
+      number: 1
 
 actions:
   clone_project:
diff --git a/container/tools/config/parser.py b/container/tools/config/parser.py
index b55bf08..c7e45fc 100644
--- a/container/tools/config/parser.py
+++ b/container/tools/config/parser.py
@@ -20,7 +20,10 @@
 
 DEFAULTS = {
     "gerrit": {"url": None, "user": "admin", "password": "secret"},
-    "testrun": {"duration": None},
+    "testrun": {
+        "duration": None,
+        "initialization": {"createProjects": {"enabled": True, "number": 1}},
+    },
     "actions": {
         "clone_project": {"probability": 1},
         "create_project": {"probability": 1},
diff --git a/container/tools/start_test.py b/container/tools/start_test.py
index 39ac5f6..d1fe684 100755
--- a/container/tools/start_test.py
+++ b/container/tools/start_test.py
@@ -45,7 +45,10 @@
         self.owned_projects = set()
         self.cloned_projects = set()
 
-        self._create_initial_projects(1)
+        if test_config["testrun"]["initialization"]["createProjects"]["enabled"]:
+            self._create_initial_projects(
+                test_config["testrun"]["initialization"]["createProjects"]["number"]
+            )
 
         self.log = logging.getLogger("ActionLogger")