diff --git a/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/boot/SetupContextListener.java b/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/boot/SetupContextListener.java
index 427e9f5dd7..59002c2d08 100644
--- a/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/boot/SetupContextListener.java
+++ b/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/boot/SetupContextListener.java
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ package sonia.scm.boot;
 
 import com.google.common.annotations.VisibleForTesting;
 import org.apache.shiro.authc.credential.PasswordService;
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 import sonia.scm.plugin.Extension;
 import sonia.scm.security.PermissionAssigner;
 import sonia.scm.security.PermissionDescriptor;
@@ -18,6 +20,8 @@ import java.util.Collections;
 @Extension
 public class SetupContextListener implements ServletContextListener {
 
+  private static final Logger LOG = LoggerFactory.getLogger(SetupContextListener.class);
+
   private final AdministrationContext administrationContext;
 
   @Inject
@@ -27,7 +31,11 @@ public class SetupContextListener implements ServletContextListener {
 
   @Override
   public void contextInitialized(ServletContextEvent sce) {
-    administrationContext.runAsAdmin(SetupAction.class);
+    if (Boolean.getBoolean("sonia.scm.skipAdminCreation")) {
+      LOG.info("found skipAdminCreation flag; skipping creation of scmadmin");
+    } else {
+      administrationContext.runAsAdmin(SetupAction.class);
+    }
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/scm-webapp/src/test/java/sonia/scm/boot/SetupContextListenerTest.java b/scm-webapp/src/test/java/sonia/scm/boot/SetupContextListenerTest.java
index 421dca5cb7..8912589480 100644
--- a/scm-webapp/src/test/java/sonia/scm/boot/SetupContextListenerTest.java
+++ b/scm-webapp/src/test/java/sonia/scm/boot/SetupContextListenerTest.java
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import org.mockito.ArgumentCaptor;
 import org.mockito.InjectMocks;
 import org.mockito.Mock;
 import org.mockito.junit.jupiter.MockitoExtension;
+import org.mockito.junit.jupiter.MockitoSettings;
+import org.mockito.quality.Strictness;
 import sonia.scm.security.PermissionAssigner;
 import sonia.scm.security.PermissionDescriptor;
 import sonia.scm.user.User;
@@ -62,6 +64,21 @@ class SetupContextListenerTest {
     verifyAdminPermissionsAssigned();
   }
 
+  @Test
+  @MockitoSettings(strictness = Strictness.LENIENT)
+  void shouldSkipAdminAccountCreationIfPropertyIsSet() {
+    System.setProperty("sonia.scm.skipAdminCreation", "true");
+
+    try {
+      setupContextListener.contextInitialized(null);
+
+      verify(userManager, never()).create(any());
+      verify(permissionAssigner, never()).setPermissionsForUser(anyString(), any(Collection.class));
+    } finally {
+      System.setProperty("sonia.scm.skipAdminCreation", "");
+    }
+  }
+
   @Test
   void shouldDoNothingOnSecondStart() {
     List<User> users = Lists.newArrayList(UserTestData.createTrillian());