Index: src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/core/config/ClusterConfig.java
===================================================================
--- src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/core/config/ClusterConfig.java	(revision 676201)
+++ src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/core/config/ClusterConfig.java	(working copy)
@@ -38,6 +38,11 @@
     private final JournalConfig jc;
 
     /**
+     * Create workspaces if they do not already exist
+     */
+    private final boolean createWorkspaces;
+
+    /**
      * Creates a new cluster configuration.
      *
      * @param id custom cluster node id
@@ -44,10 +49,11 @@
      * @param syncDelay syncDelay, in milliseconds
      * @param jc journal configuration
      */
-    public ClusterConfig(String id, long syncDelay, JournalConfig jc) {
+    public ClusterConfig(String id, long syncDelay, JournalConfig jc, boolean createWorkspaces) {
         this.id = id;
         this.syncDelay = syncDelay;
         this.jc = jc;
+        this.createWorkspaces = createWorkspaces;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -69,6 +75,15 @@
     }
 
     /**
+     * Returns the createWorkspace configuration attribute value
+     *
+     * @return createWorkspace
+     */
+    public boolean isCreateWorkspaces() {
+        return createWorkspaces;
+    }
+
+    /**
      * Returns the journal configuration.
      *
      * @return journal configuration
Index: src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/core/config/RepositoryConfigurationParser.java
===================================================================
--- src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/core/config/RepositoryConfigurationParser.java	(revision 676201)
+++ src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/core/config/RepositoryConfigurationParser.java	(working copy)
@@ -126,6 +126,9 @@
     /** Name of the syncDelay configuration attribute. */
     public static final String SYNC_DELAY_ATTRIBUTE = "syncDelay";
 
+    /** Name of the createWorkspace configuration attribute. */
+    public static final String CREATE_WORKSPACES_ATTRIBUTE = "createWorkspaces";
+    
     /** Name of the default search index implementation class. */
     public static final String DEFAULT_QUERY_HANDLER =
         "org.apache.jackrabbit.core.query.lucene.SearchIndex";
@@ -135,6 +138,8 @@
 
     /** Default synchronization delay, in milliseconds. */
     public static final String DEFAULT_SYNC_DELAY = "5000";
+    
+    public static final String DEFAULT_CREATE_WORKSPACES = "false";
 
     /** Name of the workspace specific security configuration element */
     private static final String WSP_SECURITY_ELEMENT = "WorkspaceSecurity";
@@ -629,8 +634,11 @@
                 long syncDelay = Long.parseLong(
                         getAttribute(element, SYNC_DELAY_ATTRIBUTE, DEFAULT_SYNC_DELAY));
 
+                boolean createWorkspaces = Boolean.parseBoolean(
+                        getAttribute(element, CREATE_WORKSPACES_ATTRIBUTE, DEFAULT_CREATE_WORKSPACES));
+
                 JournalConfig jc = parseJournalConfig(element);
-                return new ClusterConfig(id, syncDelay, jc);
+                return new ClusterConfig(id, syncDelay, jc, createWorkspaces);
             }
         }
         return null;
Index: src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/core/RepositoryImpl.java
===================================================================
--- src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/core/RepositoryImpl.java	(revision 676201)
+++ src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/core/RepositoryImpl.java	(working copy)
@@ -738,14 +738,16 @@
 
     /**
      * Returns the {@link WorkspaceInfo} for the named workspace.
-     *
-     * @param workspaceName The name of the workspace whose {@link WorkspaceInfo}
-     *                      is to be returned. This must not be <code>null</code>.
+     * 
+     * @param workspaceName
+     *            The name of the workspace whose {@link WorkspaceInfo} is to be
+     *            returned. This must not be <code>null</code>.
      * @return The {@link WorkspaceInfo} for the named workspace. This will
      *         never be <code>null</code>.
-     * @throws IllegalStateException    If this repository has already been
-     *                                  shut down.
-     * @throws NoSuchWorkspaceException If the named workspace does not exist.
+     * @throws IllegalStateException
+     *             If this repository has already been shut down.
+     * @throws NoSuchWorkspaceException
+     *             If the named workspace does not exist.
      */
     protected WorkspaceInfo getWorkspaceInfo(String workspaceName)
             throws IllegalStateException, NoSuchWorkspaceException {
@@ -763,7 +765,8 @@
         try {
             initWorkspace(wspInfo);
         } catch (RepositoryException e) {
-            log.error("Unable to initialize workspace '" + workspaceName + "'", e);
+            log.error("Unable to initialize workspace '" + workspaceName + "'",
+                    e);
             throw new NoSuchWorkspaceException(workspaceName);
         }
         return wspInfo;
@@ -770,6 +773,54 @@
     }
 
     /**
+     * Makes sure that the workspace is ready to get external update
+     *
+     * @param workspaceName
+     * @param createIfDoesNotExist
+     *            create workspace if workspace with specified name does not
+     *            exist
+     * @throws RepositoryException
+     */
+    protected void ensureWorkspaceReady(String workspaceName,
+            boolean createIfDoesNotExist) throws RepositoryException {
+        // check sanity of this instance
+        sanityCheck();
+
+        WorkspaceInfo wspInfo;
+        synchronized (wspInfos) {
+            wspInfo = (WorkspaceInfo) wspInfos.get(workspaceName);
+            if (wspInfo == null) {
+                if (createIfDoesNotExist) {
+                    createWorkspaceExternal(workspaceName);
+                    wspInfo = (WorkspaceInfo) wspInfos.get(workspaceName);
+                } else {
+                    throw new NoSuchWorkspaceException(workspaceName);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        try {
+            initWorkspace(wspInfo);
+        } catch (RepositoryException e) {
+            log.error("Unable to initialize workspace '" + workspaceName + "'",
+                    e);
+            throw new NoSuchWorkspaceException(workspaceName);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Creates workspace as a result of external event (update events from other
+     * cluster node). This method provides way to detect new workspace creation
+     * triggered by receiving workspace related events from other nodes.
+     *
+     * @param workspaceName
+     * @throws RepositoryException
+     */
+    protected void createWorkspaceExternal(String workspaceName) throws RepositoryException {
+        createWorkspace(workspaceName);
+    }
+
+    /**
      * Creates a workspace with the given name.
      *
      * @param workspaceName name of the new workspace
@@ -2156,9 +2207,11 @@
         /**
          * {@inheritDoc}
          */
-        public void updateEventsReady(String workspace) throws RepositoryException {
+        public void updateEventsReady(String workspace)
+        throws RepositoryException {
+
             // toggle the initialization of some workspace
-            getWorkspaceInfo(workspace);
+            ensureWorkspaceReady(workspace, getClusterConfig().isCreateWorkspaces());
         }
 
         /**
Index: src/main/resources/org/apache/jackrabbit/core/config/repository-1.5.dtd
===================================================================
--- src/main/resources/org/apache/jackrabbit/core/config/repository-1.5.dtd	(revision 676201)
+++ src/main/resources/org/apache/jackrabbit/core/config/repository-1.5.dtd	(working copy)
@@ -187,8 +187,9 @@
     automatically detected.
 -->
 <!ELEMENT Cluster (Journal)>
-<!ATTLIST Cluster id        CDATA #IMPLIED
-                  syncDelay CDATA #IMPLIED>
+<!ATTLIST Cluster id               CDATA #IMPLIED
+                  syncDelay        CDATA #IMPLIED
+                  createWorkspaces CDATA #IMPLIED>
 
 <!--
     the Journal element configures the journal used in clustering; the