diff --git a/cconv.c b/cconv.c
index 4a40ed0d647b..913313b68d47 100644
--- a/cconv.c
+++ b/cconv.c
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ void convert_thread_options_to_cpu(struct thread_options *o,
 	string_to_cpu(&o->profile, top->profile);
 	string_to_cpu(&o->cgroup, top->cgroup);
 
+	o->allow_create = le32_to_cpu(top->allow_create);
 	o->td_ddir = le32_to_cpu(top->td_ddir);
 	o->rw_seq = le32_to_cpu(top->rw_seq);
 	o->kb_base = le32_to_cpu(top->kb_base);
@@ -278,6 +279,7 @@ void convert_thread_options_to_net(struct thread_options_pack *top,
 	string_to_net(top->profile, o->profile);
 	string_to_net(top->cgroup, o->cgroup);
 
+	top->allow_create = cpu_to_le32(o->allow_create);
 	top->td_ddir = cpu_to_le32(o->td_ddir);
 	top->rw_seq = cpu_to_le32(o->rw_seq);
 	top->kb_base = cpu_to_le32(o->kb_base);
diff --git a/filesetup.c b/filesetup.c
index 43146ba7671f..5b0c82208199 100644
--- a/filesetup.c
+++ b/filesetup.c
@@ -65,7 +65,9 @@ static int extend_file(struct thread_data *td, struct fio_file *f)
 		}
 	}
 
-	flags = O_WRONLY | O_CREAT;
+	flags = O_WRONLY;
+	if (td->o.allow_create)
+		flags |= O_CREAT;
 	if (new_layout)
 		flags |= O_TRUNC;
 
@@ -557,7 +559,7 @@ int generic_open_file(struct thread_data *td, struct fio_file *f)
 	}
 	if (td->o.sync_io)
 		flags |= O_SYNC;
-	if (td->o.create_on_open)
+	if (td->o.create_on_open && td->o.allow_create)
 		flags |= O_CREAT;
 skip_flags:
 	if (f->filetype != FIO_TYPE_FILE)
@@ -568,7 +570,7 @@ open_again:
 		if (!read_only)
 			flags |= O_RDWR;
 
-		if (f->filetype == FIO_TYPE_FILE)
+		if (f->filetype == FIO_TYPE_FILE && td->o.allow_create)
 			flags |= O_CREAT;
 
 		if (is_std)
diff --git a/options.c b/options.c
index 918de8e8e34b..b6bf47264880 100644
--- a/options.c
+++ b/options.c
@@ -1359,6 +1359,15 @@ struct fio_option fio_options[FIO_MAX_OPTS] = {
 		.group	= FIO_OPT_G_FILENAME,
 	},
 	{
+		.name	= "allow_file_create",
+		.type	= FIO_OPT_BOOL,
+		.off1	= td_var_offset(allow_create),
+		.help	= "Permit fio to create files, if they don't exist",
+		.def	= "1",
+		.category = FIO_OPT_C_FILE,
+		.group	= FIO_OPT_G_FILENAME,
+	},
+	{
 		.name	= "lockfile",
 		.lname	= "Lockfile",
 		.type	= FIO_OPT_STR,
diff --git a/thread_options.h b/thread_options.h
index a45d7b79b7ef..dd576643b31c 100644
--- a/thread_options.h
+++ b/thread_options.h
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ struct thread_options {
 	char *ioengine;
 	char *mmapfile;
 	enum td_ddir td_ddir;
+	unsigned int allow_create;
 	unsigned int rw_seq;
 	unsigned int kb_base;
 	unsigned int unit_base;
@@ -271,6 +272,7 @@ struct thread_options_pack {
 	uint8_t opendir[FIO_TOP_STR_MAX];
 	uint8_t ioengine[FIO_TOP_STR_MAX];
 	uint8_t mmapfile[FIO_TOP_STR_MAX];
+	uint32_t allow_create;
 	uint32_t td_ddir;
 	uint32_t rw_seq;
 	uint32_t kb_base;