diff --git a/cmd/lakectl/cmd/repo_create.go b/cmd/lakectl/cmd/repo_create.go
index c8c5c998527..ad7b859407c 100644
--- a/cmd/lakectl/cmd/repo_create.go
+++ b/cmd/lakectl/cmd/repo_create.go
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ import (
 const (
 	DefaultBranch = "main"
 
+	SampleDataFlag = "sample-data"
+
 	repoCreateCmdArgs = 2
 )
 
@@ -25,29 +27,34 @@ var repoCreateCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		clt := getClient()
 		u := MustParseRepoURI("repository URI", args[0])
 		fmt.Println("Repository:", u)
-		defaultBranch, err := cmd.Flags().GetString("default-branch")
-		if err != nil {
-			DieErr(err)
-		}
+		defaultBranch := Must(cmd.Flags().GetString("default-branch"))
+		sampleData := Must(cmd.Flags().GetBool(SampleDataFlag))
+
 		resp, err := clt.CreateRepositoryWithResponse(cmd.Context(),
 			&apigen.CreateRepositoryParams{},
 			apigen.CreateRepositoryJSONRequestBody{
 				Name:             u.Repository,
 				StorageNamespace: args[1],
 				DefaultBranch:    &defaultBranch,
+				SampleData:       &sampleData,
 			})
 		DieOnErrorOrUnexpectedStatusCode(resp, err, http.StatusCreated)
 		if resp.JSON201 == nil {
 			Die("Bad response from server", 1)
 		}
 		repo := resp.JSON201
-		fmt.Printf("Repository '%s' created:\nstorage namespace: %s\ndefault branch: %s\ntimestamp: %d\n", repo.Id, repo.StorageNamespace, repo.DefaultBranch, repo.CreationDate)
+		fmt.Printf("Repository '%s' created:\nstorage namespace: %s\ndefault branch: %s\ntimestamp: %d\n",
+			repo.Id, repo.StorageNamespace, repo.DefaultBranch, repo.CreationDate)
+		if sampleData {
+			fmt.Printf("sample data included\n")
+		}
 	},
 }
 
 //nolint:gochecknoinits
 func init() {
 	repoCreateCmd.Flags().StringP("default-branch", "d", DefaultBranch, "the default branch of this repository")
+	repoCreateCmd.Flags().Bool(SampleDataFlag, false, "create sample data in the repository")
 
 	repoCmd.AddCommand(repoCreateCmd)
 }
diff --git a/docs/reference/cli.md b/docs/reference/cli.md
index 8e5cf108b68..d1f852bc5a3 100644
--- a/docs/reference/cli.md
+++ b/docs/reference/cli.md
@@ -2626,6 +2626,7 @@ lakectl repo create lakefs://my-repo s3://my-bucket
 ```
   -d, --default-branch string   the default branch of this repository (default "main")
   -h, --help                    help for create
+      --sample-data             create sample data in the repository
 ```
 
 
diff --git a/esti/golden/lakectl_repo_create.golden b/esti/golden/lakectl_repo_create.golden
index 979c8048082..31c11300734 100644
--- a/esti/golden/lakectl_repo_create.golden
+++ b/esti/golden/lakectl_repo_create.golden
@@ -2,4 +2,4 @@ Repository: lakefs://${REPO}
 Repository '${REPO}' created:
 storage namespace: ${STORAGE}
 default branch: ${BRANCH}
-timestamp: <TIMESTAMP>
\ No newline at end of file
+timestamp: <TIMESTAMP>
diff --git a/esti/golden/lakectl_repo_create_sample.golden b/esti/golden/lakectl_repo_create_sample.golden
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3b1b0540c36
--- /dev/null
+++ b/esti/golden/lakectl_repo_create_sample.golden
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+Repository: lakefs://${REPO}
+Repository '${REPO}' created:
+storage namespace: ${STORAGE}
+default branch: ${BRANCH}
+timestamp: <TIMESTAMP>
+sample data included
diff --git a/esti/lakectl_test.go b/esti/lakectl_test.go
index 7f8198457b5..2d3f67e90c1 100644
--- a/esti/lakectl_test.go
+++ b/esti/lakectl_test.go
@@ -101,6 +101,16 @@ func TestLakectlBasicRepoActions(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Trying to delete again
 	RunCmdAndVerifyFailureWithFile(t, Lakectl()+" repo delete lakefs://"+repoName2+" -y", false, "lakectl_repo_delete_not_found", vars)
+
+	// Create repository with sample data
+	repoName3 := generateUniqueRepositoryName()
+	storage3 := generateUniqueStorageNamespace(repoName3)
+	vars = map[string]string{
+		"REPO":    repoName3,
+		"STORAGE": storage3,
+		"BRANCH":  mainBranch,
+	}
+	RunCmdAndVerifySuccessWithFile(t, Lakectl()+" repo create lakefs://"+repoName3+" "+storage3+" --sample-data", false, "lakectl_repo_create_sample", vars)
 }
 
 func TestLakectlPreSignUpload(t *testing.T) {
@@ -428,7 +438,6 @@ func TestLakectlLogNoMergesWithCommitsAndMerges(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// log the commits without merges
 	RunCmdAndVerifySuccessWithFile(t, Lakectl()+" log lakefs://"+repoName+"/"+mainBranch+" --no-merges", false, "lakectl_log_no_merges", vars)
-
 }
 
 func TestLakectlLogNoMergesAndAmount(t *testing.T) {
@@ -480,8 +489,8 @@ func TestLakectlLogNoMergesAndAmount(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// log the commits without merges
 	RunCmdAndVerifySuccessWithFile(t, Lakectl()+" log lakefs://"+repoName+"/"+mainBranch+" --no-merges --amount=2", false, "lakectl_log_no_merges_amount", vars)
-
 }
+
 func TestLakectlAnnotate(t *testing.T) {
 	repoName := generateUniqueRepositoryName()
 	storage := generateUniqueStorageNamespace(repoName)
@@ -577,7 +586,6 @@ func TestLakectlAuthUsers(t *testing.T) {
 
 // testing without user email for now, since it is a pain to config esti with a mail
 func TestLakectlIdentity(t *testing.T) {
-
 	userId := "mike"
 	vars := map[string]string{
 		"ID": userId,
@@ -690,7 +698,6 @@ func TestLakectlFsUpload(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("single_file_with_recursive", func(t *testing.T) {
 		vars["FILE_PATH"] = "data/ro/ro_1k.0"
 		RunCmdAndVerifySuccessWithFile(t, Lakectl()+" fs upload --recursive -s files/ro_1k lakefs://"+repoName+"/"+mainBranch+"/"+vars["FILE_PATH"]+" -s files/ro_1k", false, "lakectl_fs_upload", vars)
-
 	})
 	t.Run("dir", func(t *testing.T) {
 		vars["FILE_PATH"] = "data/ro/"
diff --git a/esti/lakectl_util.go b/esti/lakectl_util.go
index ef2fa55273e..8bdc7a7757e 100644
--- a/esti/lakectl_util.go
+++ b/esti/lakectl_util.go
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ var (
 )
 
 var (
-	reTimestamp       = regexp.MustCompile(`timestamp: \d+\n`)
+	reTimestamp       = regexp.MustCompile(`timestamp: \d+`)
 	reTime            = regexp.MustCompile(`\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2} \d{2}:\d{2}:\d{2} [-+]\d{4} \w{1,4}`)
 	reCommitID        = regexp.MustCompile(`[\d|a-f]{64}`)
 	reShortCommitID   = regexp.MustCompile(`[\d|a-f]{16}`)