diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/elasticsearch/repository/support/SimpleElasticsearchRepository.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/elasticsearch/repository/support/SimpleElasticsearchRepository.java
index 2ed128d2b..64325d33d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/elasticsearch/repository/support/SimpleElasticsearchRepository.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/elasticsearch/repository/support/SimpleElasticsearchRepository.java
@@ -82,10 +82,12 @@ public SimpleElasticsearchRepository(ElasticsearchEntityInformation<T, ID> metad
 		this.entityClass = this.entityInformation.getJavaType();
 		this.indexOperations = operations.indexOps(this.entityClass);
 
-		if (shouldCreateIndexAndMapping() && !indexOperations.exists()) {
-			indexOperations.createWithMapping();
-		} else if (shouldAlwaysWriteMapping()) {
-			indexOperations.putMapping();
+		if (!"true".equals(System.getenv("SPRING_DATA_ELASTICSEARCH_SKIP_REPOSITORY_INIT"))) {
+			if (shouldCreateIndexAndMapping() && !indexOperations.exists()) {
+				indexOperations.createWithMapping();
+			} else if (shouldAlwaysWriteMapping()) {
+				indexOperations.putMapping();
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/elasticsearch/repository/support/SimpleReactiveElasticsearchRepository.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/elasticsearch/repository/support/SimpleReactiveElasticsearchRepository.java
index 4f3d61ec0..e780c2d27 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/elasticsearch/repository/support/SimpleReactiveElasticsearchRepository.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/elasticsearch/repository/support/SimpleReactiveElasticsearchRepository.java
@@ -61,7 +61,9 @@ public SimpleReactiveElasticsearchRepository(ElasticsearchEntityInformation<T, I
 		this.operations = operations;
 		this.indexOperations = operations.indexOps(entityInformation.getJavaType());
 
-		createIndexAndMappingIfNeeded();
+		if (!"true".equals(System.getenv("SPRING_DATA_ELASTICSEARCH_SKIP_REPOSITORY_INIT"))) {
+			createIndexAndMappingIfNeeded();
+		}
 	}
 
 	private void createIndexAndMappingIfNeeded() {