diff --git a/db/config.cc b/db/config.cc
index e7aa777a14..7c6ee2c1a2 100644
--- a/db/config.cc
+++ b/db/config.cc
@@ -1125,6 +1125,7 @@ db::config::config(std::shared_ptr<db::extensions> exts)
     , minimum_replication_factor_warn_threshold(this, "minimum_replication_factor_warn_threshold", liveness::LiveUpdate, value_status::Used,  3, "")
     , maximum_replication_factor_warn_threshold(this, "maximum_replication_factor_warn_threshold", liveness::LiveUpdate, value_status::Used, -1, "")
     , maximum_replication_factor_fail_threshold(this, "maximum_replication_factor_fail_threshold", liveness::LiveUpdate, value_status::Used, -1, "")
+    , tablets_initial_scale_factor(this, "tablets_initial_scale_factor", value_status::Used, 1, "Calculated initial tablets are multiplied by this number")
     , replication_strategy_warn_list(this, "replication_strategy_warn_list", liveness::LiveUpdate, value_status::Used, {locator::replication_strategy_type::simple}, "Controls which replication strategies to warn about when creating/altering a keyspace. Doesn't affect the pre-existing keyspaces.")
     , replication_strategy_fail_list(this, "replication_strategy_fail_list", liveness::LiveUpdate, value_status::Used, {}, "Controls which replication strategies are disallowed to be used when creating/altering a keyspace. Doesn't affect the pre-existing keyspaces.")
     , service_levels_interval(this, "service_levels_interval_ms", liveness::LiveUpdate, value_status::Used, 10000, "Controls how often service levels module polls configuration table")
diff --git a/db/config.hh b/db/config.hh
index 7a6ab6486f..b15009a285 100644
--- a/db/config.hh
+++ b/db/config.hh
@@ -465,6 +465,7 @@ public:
     named_value<int> minimum_replication_factor_warn_threshold;
     named_value<int> maximum_replication_factor_warn_threshold;
     named_value<int> maximum_replication_factor_fail_threshold;
+    named_value<int> tablets_initial_scale_factor;
     named_value<std::vector<enum_option<replication_strategy_restriction_t>>> replication_strategy_warn_list;
     named_value<std::vector<enum_option<replication_strategy_restriction_t>>> replication_strategy_fail_list;
 
diff --git a/main.cc b/main.cc
index e12e4a35dc..01d9dfde6c 100644
--- a/main.cc
+++ b/main.cc
@@ -1364,6 +1364,7 @@ To start the scylla server proper, simply invoke as: scylla server (or just scyl
                     gossiper.local(), feature_service.local(), sys_ks.local(), group0_client};
 
             service::tablet_allocator::config tacfg;
+            tacfg.initial_tablets_scale = cfg->tablets_initial_scale_factor();
             distributed<service::tablet_allocator> tablet_allocator;
             if (cfg->check_experimental(db::experimental_features_t::feature::TABLETS) &&
                 !cfg->check_experimental(db::experimental_features_t::feature::CONSISTENT_TOPOLOGY_CHANGES)) {