diff --git a/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/BasicContextProvider.java b/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/BasicContextProvider.java
index e0cccecdfe..507e63d299 100644
--- a/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/BasicContextProvider.java
+++ b/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/BasicContextProvider.java
@@ -86,6 +86,8 @@ public class BasicContextProvider implements SCMContextProvider
    */
   public static final String STAGE_PROPERTY = "scm.stage";
 
+  public static final String DEVELOPMENT_INSTANCE_ID = "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000";
+
   //~--- constructors ---------------------------------------------------------
 
   /**
@@ -286,6 +288,9 @@ public class BasicContextProvider implements SCMContextProvider
   }
 
   private String readOrCreateInstanceId() throws IOException {
+    if (stage == Stage.DEVELOPMENT) {
+      return DEVELOPMENT_INSTANCE_ID;
+    }
     File configDirectory = new File(baseDirectory, "config");
     IOUtil.mkdirs(configDirectory);
     File instanceIdFile = new File(configDirectory, ".instance-id");
diff --git a/scm-core/src/test/java/sonia/scm/BasicContextProviderTest.java b/scm-core/src/test/java/sonia/scm/BasicContextProviderTest.java
index 4810ddb1d9..c32dd3beab 100644
--- a/scm-core/src/test/java/sonia/scm/BasicContextProviderTest.java
+++ b/scm-core/src/test/java/sonia/scm/BasicContextProviderTest.java
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ import java.nio.file.Path;
 import java.nio.file.Paths;
 
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+import static sonia.scm.BasicContextProvider.DEVELOPMENT_INSTANCE_ID;
+import static sonia.scm.BasicContextProvider.STAGE_PROPERTY;
 
 class BasicContextProviderTest {
 
@@ -129,6 +131,29 @@ class BasicContextProviderTest {
       assertThat(provider.getInstanceId()).isEqualTo(firstInstanceId);
     }
 
-  }
+    @Nested
+    class WithStageDevelopment {
 
+      private String stage;
+
+      @BeforeEach
+      void setStage() {
+        stage = new BasicContextProvider().getStage().name();
+        System.setProperty(STAGE_PROPERTY, Stage.DEVELOPMENT.name());
+      }
+
+      @Test
+      void shouldReturnHardCodeInstanceIfIfStageDevelopment() {
+        BasicContextProvider basicContextProvider = new BasicContextProvider();
+        String instanceId = basicContextProvider.getInstanceId();
+
+        assertThat(instanceId).isEqualTo(DEVELOPMENT_INSTANCE_ID);
+      }
+
+      @AfterEach
+      void resetStage() {
+        System.setProperty(STAGE_PROPERTY, stage);
+      }
+    }
+  }
 }