diff --git a/examples/example.borg b/examples/example.borg
index 244dbc8b44557dcc80f3b2115c80fe06730df6ec..8644cbcc6a0ce653df39e8e066194866cfd434a1 100644
--- a/examples/example.borg
+++ b/examples/example.borg
@@ -35,6 +35,12 @@
 
 [source]
 
+## default is to initialize the backup repository if absent
+## set to no to skip this step
+##
+## Default:
+# init = yes
+
 ## how many hours, days, weeks and months of data to keep
 ##
 ## for more info see : borg help prune
diff --git a/handlers/borg.in b/handlers/borg.in
index 0e88390a795085c21feb496cd6ec6365a2bce9fb..698ba6d12c932c3e16d0529e1bad6093e962c033 100644
--- a/handlers/borg.in
+++ b/handlers/borg.in
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ getconf nicelevel 0
 getconf bwlimit
 
 setsection source
+getconf init yes
 getconf prune yes
 getconf keephourly 1
 getconf keepdaily 7
@@ -82,18 +83,18 @@ fi
 
 ### INIT IF NEEDED ###
 
-initstr="borg init --encryption=$encryption $execstr_repository"
-
-debug "$initstr"
-
-if [ $test = 0 ]; then
-   output="`su -c "$initstr" 2>&1`"
-   if [ $? = 2 ]; then
-      debug $output
-      info "Repository was already initialized"
-   else
-      warning $output
-      warning "Repository has been initialized"
+if [ "$init" == "yes" ]; then
+   initstr="borg init --encryption=$encryption $execstr_repository"
+   debug "$initstr"
+   if [ $test = 0 ]; then
+      output="`su -c "$initstr" 2>&1`"
+      if [ $? = 2 ]; then
+         debug $output
+         info "Repository was already initialized"
+      else
+         warning $output
+         warning "Repository has been initialized"
+      fi
    fi
 fi