diff --git a/code/bngblaster/src/bbl_config.c b/code/bngblaster/src/bbl_config.c
index 895efd81..5945437f 100644
--- a/code/bngblaster/src/bbl_config.c
+++ b/code/bngblaster/src/bbl_config.c
@@ -1316,6 +1316,10 @@ json_parse_config(json_t *root, bbl_ctx_s *ctx) {
         if (json_is_number(value)) {
             ctx->config.sessions_start_delay = json_number_value(value);
         }
+        value = json_object_get(section, "autostart");
+        if (json_is_boolean(value)) {
+            ctx->config.sessions_autostart = json_boolean_value(value);
+        }
     }
 
     /* IPoE Configuration */
@@ -2191,6 +2195,7 @@ bbl_config_init_defaults (bbl_ctx_s *ctx) {
     ctx->config.sessions_max_outstanding = 800;
     ctx->config.sessions_start_rate = 400;
     ctx->config.sessions_stop_rate = 400;
+    ctx->config.sessions_autostart = true;
     ctx->config.pppoe_discovery_timeout = 5;
     ctx->config.pppoe_discovery_retry = 10;
     ctx->config.ppp_mru = 1492;
diff --git a/code/bngblaster/src/bbl_ctrl.c b/code/bngblaster/src/bbl_ctrl.c
index fd9b1fa0..0d1b3eed 100644
--- a/code/bngblaster/src/bbl_ctrl.c
+++ b/code/bngblaster/src/bbl_ctrl.c
@@ -442,6 +442,29 @@ bbl_ctrl_session_info(int fd, bbl_ctx_s *ctx, uint32_t session_id, json_t* argum
     }
 }
 
+ssize_t
+bbl_ctrl_session_start(int fd, bbl_ctx_s *ctx, uint32_t session_id, json_t* arguments __attribute__((unused))) {
+    bbl_session_s *session;
+
+    if(session_id == 0) {
+        /* session-id is mandatory */
+        return bbl_ctrl_status(fd, "error", 405, "missing session-id");
+    }
+
+    session = bbl_session_get(ctx, session_id);
+    if(session) {
+        if(session->session_state != BBL_IDLE || 
+           CIRCLEQ_NEXT(session, session_idle_qnode) || 
+           CIRCLEQ_PREV(session, session_idle_qnode)) {
+           return bbl_ctrl_status(fd, "error", 405, "wrong session state");
+        }
+        CIRCLEQ_INSERT_TAIL(&ctx->sessions_idle_qhead, session, session_idle_qnode);
+        return bbl_ctrl_status(fd, "ok", 200, NULL);
+    } else {
+        return bbl_ctrl_status(fd, "warning", 404, "session not found");
+    }
+}
+
 static json_t *
 bbl_ctrl_interfaces_json(bbl_interface_s *interace, const char *type) {
     return json_pack("{ss si ss si si si si si si si si}",
@@ -1338,6 +1361,7 @@ struct action actions[] = {
     {"ip6cp-close", bbl_ctrl_session_ip6cp_close},
     {"session-counters", bbl_ctrl_session_counters},
     {"session-info", bbl_ctrl_session_info},
+    {"session-start", bbl_ctrl_session_start},
     {"session-traffic", bbl_ctrl_session_traffic_stats},
     {"session-traffic-enabled", bbl_ctrl_session_traffic_start},
     {"session-traffic-start", bbl_ctrl_session_traffic_start},
diff --git a/code/bngblaster/src/bbl_ctx.h b/code/bngblaster/src/bbl_ctx.h
index a44a151a..b816f33b 100644
--- a/code/bngblaster/src/bbl_ctx.h
+++ b/code/bngblaster/src/bbl_ctx.h
@@ -189,7 +189,8 @@ typedef struct bbl_ctx_
         uint16_t sessions_start_rate;
         uint16_t sessions_stop_rate;
         uint16_t sessions_start_delay;
-
+        bool sessions_autostart;
+        
         bool iterate_outer_vlan;
 
         /* Static */
diff --git a/code/bngblaster/src/bbl_session.c b/code/bngblaster/src/bbl_session.c
index f6d48b4a..a4817ce7 100644
--- a/code/bngblaster/src/bbl_session.c
+++ b/code/bngblaster/src/bbl_session.c
@@ -653,7 +653,9 @@ bbl_sessions_init(bbl_ctx_s *ctx)
         session->interface = access_config->access_if;
         session->network_interface = bbl_get_network_interface(ctx, access_config->network_interface);
         session->session_state = BBL_IDLE;
-        CIRCLEQ_INSERT_TAIL(&ctx->sessions_idle_qhead, session, session_idle_qnode);
+        if(ctx->config.sessions_autostart) {
+            CIRCLEQ_INSERT_TAIL(&ctx->sessions_idle_qhead, session, session_idle_qnode);
+        }
         ctx->sessions++;
         if(session->access_type == ACCESS_TYPE_PPPOE) {
             ctx->sessions_pppoe++;
diff --git a/docsrc/sources/api/sessions.rst b/docsrc/sources/api/sessions.rst
index c93f3b66..737cf711 100644
--- a/docsrc/sources/api/sessions.rst
+++ b/docsrc/sources/api/sessions.rst
@@ -37,6 +37,10 @@
      - Terminate session
      - 
      - `session-id`, `reconnect-delay`
+   * - `session-start`
+     - Start session manually
+     - `session-id`
+     - 
 
 The argument ``reconnect-delay`` is only applicable in combination with ``session-id`` 
 and reconnect enabled in configuration. This argument allows to delay the session 
diff --git a/docsrc/sources/configuration/sessions.rst b/docsrc/sources/configuration/sessions.rst
index 29bf936a..9544d003 100644
--- a/docsrc/sources/configuration/sessions.rst
+++ b/docsrc/sources/configuration/sessions.rst
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@
    * - `start-delay`
      - Wait N seconds after all interface are resolved before starting sessions
      - 0
+   * - `autostart`
+     - Start sessions automatically
+     - true
 
 Per default sessions are created by iteration over inner VLAN range first and 
 outer VLAN second. Which can be changed by ``iterate-vlan-outer`` to iterate