diff --git a/src/command/start.ts b/src/command/start.ts
index d42fac2..de12513 100644
--- a/src/command/start.ts
+++ b/src/command/start.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ export const ENV_ENV_PREFIX_KEY = 'FACTORY_ENV_PREFIX'
 const ENV_IMAGE_PREFIX_KEY = 'FACTORY_IMAGE_PREFIX'
 const ENV_REPO_KEY = 'FACTORY_DOCKER_REPO'
 const ENV_DETACH_KEY = 'FACTORY_DETACH'
+const ENV_WORKERS_KEY = 'FACTORY_WORKERS'
 const ENV_FRESH_KEY = 'FACTORY_FRESH'
 
 export class Start extends RootCommand implements LeafCommand {
@@ -46,6 +47,16 @@ export class Start extends RootCommand implements LeafCommand {
   })
   public detach!: boolean
 
+  @Option({
+    key: 'workers',
+    alias: 'w',
+    type: 'number',
+    description: `Number of workers to spin. Value between 0 and ${WORKER_COUNT} including.`,
+    envKey: ENV_WORKERS_KEY,
+    default: WORKER_COUNT,
+  })
+  public workers!: number
+
   @Option({
     key: 'repo',
     type: 'string',
@@ -79,6 +90,10 @@ export class Start extends RootCommand implements LeafCommand {
   public async run(): Promise<void> {
     await super.init()
 
+    if (this.workers < 0 || this.workers > WORKER_COUNT) {
+      throw new Error(`Worker count has to be between 0 and ${WORKER_COUNT} including.`)
+    }
+
     if (!this.beeVersion) {
       this.beeVersion = await findBeeVersion()
       this.console.log('Bee version not specified. Found it configured externally.')
@@ -169,25 +184,27 @@ export class Start extends RootCommand implements LeafCommand {
       throw e
     }
 
-    const workerSpinner = ora({
-      text: 'Starting worker Bee nodes...',
-      spinner: 'point',
-      color: 'yellow',
-      isSilent: this.verbosity === VerbosityLevel.Quiet,
-    }).start()
+    if (this.workers > 0) {
+      const workerSpinner = ora({
+        text: 'Starting worker Bee nodes...',
+        spinner: 'point',
+        color: 'yellow',
+        isSilent: this.verbosity === VerbosityLevel.Quiet,
+      }).start()
 
-    try {
-      for (let i = 1; i <= WORKER_COUNT; i++) {
-        await docker.startWorkerNode(this.beeVersion, i, queenAddress, dockerOptions)
+      try {
+        for (let i = 1; i <= this.workers; i++) {
+          await docker.startWorkerNode(this.beeVersion, i, queenAddress, dockerOptions)
+        }
+
+        workerSpinner.text = 'Waiting until all workers connect to queen...'
+        await waitForWorkers(this.workers, docker.getAllStatus.bind(docker))
+        workerSpinner.succeed('Worker nodes are up and listening')
+      } catch (e) {
+        workerSpinner.fail(`It was not possible to start worker nodes!`)
+        await this.stopDocker(docker)
+        throw e
       }
-
-      workerSpinner.text = 'Waiting until all workers connect to queen...'
-      await waitForWorkers(async () => Object.values(await docker.getAllStatus()).every(node => node === 'running'))
-      workerSpinner.succeed('Worker nodes are up and listening')
-    } catch (e) {
-      workerSpinner.fail(`It was not possible to start worker nodes!`)
-      await this.stopDocker(docker)
-      throw e
     }
 
     if (!this.detach) {
diff --git a/src/utils/wait.ts b/src/utils/wait.ts
index 763fbd4..ba3316e 100644
--- a/src/utils/wait.ts
+++ b/src/utils/wait.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import fetch, { FetchError } from 'node-fetch'
 import { sleep } from './index'
 import { TimeoutError } from './error'
 import { BeeDebug } from '@ethersphere/bee-js'
-import { WORKER_COUNT } from './docker'
+import { AllStatus } from './docker'
 
 const AWAIT_SLEEP = 3_000
 
@@ -80,20 +80,24 @@ export async function waitForQueen(verifyQueenIsUp: () => Promise<boolean>, wait
 }
 
 export async function waitForWorkers(
-  verifyWorkersAreUp: () => Promise<boolean>,
+  workerCount: number,
+  getStatus: () => Promise<AllStatus>,
   waitingIterations = 120,
 ): Promise<void> {
   const beeDebug = new BeeDebug('http://127.0.0.1:1635')
 
+  const status = await getStatus()
+  for (let i = 1; i <= workerCount; i++) {
+    if (status[`worker${i}` as keyof AllStatus] !== 'running') {
+      throw new Error('Some of the workers node is not running!')
+    }
+  }
+
   for (let i = 0; i < waitingIterations; i++) {
     try {
-      if (!(await verifyWorkersAreUp())) {
-        throw new Error('Some of the workers node is not running!')
-      }
-
       const peers = await beeDebug.getPeers()
 
-      if (peers.length >= WORKER_COUNT) {
+      if (peers.length >= workerCount) {
         return
       }
     } catch (e) {
diff --git a/test/integration/start.spec.ts b/test/integration/start.spec.ts
index adbf607..d5c4906 100644
--- a/test/integration/start.spec.ts
+++ b/test/integration/start.spec.ts
@@ -64,6 +64,29 @@ describe('start command', () => {
     }),
   )
 
+  describe('should start cluster with just few workers', () => {
+    beforeAll(async () => {
+      await run(['stop', '--rm']) // Cleanup the testing containers
+    })
+
+    it(
+      '',
+      wrapper(async () => {
+        // As spinning the cluster with --detach the command will exit once the cluster is up and running
+        await run(['start', '--workers', '2'])
+
+        await expect(findContainer(docker, 'queen')).resolves.toBeDefined()
+        await expect(findContainer(docker, 'blockchain')).resolves.toBeDefined()
+        await expect(findContainer(docker, 'worker-1')).resolves.toBeDefined()
+        await expect(findContainer(docker, 'worker-2')).resolves.toBeDefined()
+        await expect(findContainer(docker, 'worker-3')).rejects.toHaveProperty('statusCode', 404)
+        await expect(findContainer(docker, 'worker-4')).rejects.toHaveProperty('statusCode', 404)
+
+        await expect(beeDebug.getHealth()).resolves.toHaveProperty('status')
+      }),
+    )
+  })
+
   describe('should create docker network', () => {
     beforeAll(async () => {
       await run(['stop', '--rm']) // Cleanup the testing containers