diff --git a/spring-cloud-release-tools-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/release/internal/ReleaserProperties.java b/spring-cloud-release-tools-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/release/internal/ReleaserProperties.java
index 4c8e9220..0e667133 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-release-tools-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/release/internal/ReleaserProperties.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-release-tools-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/release/internal/ReleaserProperties.java
@@ -218,6 +218,11 @@ public class ReleaserProperties implements Serializable {
 		 */
 		private boolean updateSpringProject = true;
 
+		/**
+		 * If set to {@code false}, will not update the test samples
+		 */
+		private boolean runUpdatedSamples = true;
+
 		public String getReleaseTrainBomUrl() {
 			return this.releaseTrainBomUrl;
 		}
@@ -282,6 +287,14 @@ public class ReleaserProperties implements Serializable {
 			this.updateDocumentationRepo = updateDocumentationRepo;
 		}
 
+		public boolean isRunUpdatedSamples() {
+			return this.runUpdatedSamples;
+		}
+
+		public void setRunUpdatedSamples(boolean runUpdatedSamples) {
+			this.runUpdatedSamples = runUpdatedSamples;
+		}
+
 		public String getCloneDestinationDir() {
 			return this.cloneDestinationDir;
 		}
diff --git a/spring-cloud-release-tools-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/release/internal/post/PostReleaseActions.java b/spring-cloud-release-tools-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/release/internal/post/PostReleaseActions.java
index 3b7f65f3..ed075654 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-release-tools-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/release/internal/post/PostReleaseActions.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-release-tools-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/release/internal/post/PostReleaseActions.java
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@ package org.springframework.cloud.release.internal.post;
 
 import java.io.File;
 
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
+
 import org.springframework.cloud.release.internal.ReleaserProperties;
 import org.springframework.cloud.release.internal.git.ProjectGitHandler;
 import org.springframework.cloud.release.internal.pom.ProjectPomUpdater;
@@ -14,6 +17,8 @@ import org.springframework.cloud.release.internal.project.ProjectBuilder;
  */
 public class PostReleaseActions {
 
+	private static final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(PostReleaseActions.class);
+
 	private final ProjectGitHandler projectGitHandler;
 	private final ProjectPomUpdater projectPomUpdater;
 	private final ProjectBuilder projectBuilder;
@@ -34,6 +39,11 @@ public class PostReleaseActions {
 	 * @param projects - set of project with versions to assert agains
 	 */
 	public void runUpdatedTests(Projects projects) {
+		if (!this.properties.getGit().isRunUpdatedSamples()) {
+			log.info("Will not update and run test samples, since the switch to do so "
+					+ "is off. Set [releaser.git.run-updated-samples] to [true] to change that");
+			return;
+		}
 		File file = this.projectGitHandler.cloneTestSamplesProject();
 		ProjectVersion projectVersion = new ProjectVersion(file);
 		Projects newProjects = addVersionForTestsProject(projects, projectVersion);