diff --git a/packages/netlify-cms-core/index.d.ts b/packages/netlify-cms-core/index.d.ts
index be4a3835d081..45c34b4a2fd0 100644
--- a/packages/netlify-cms-core/index.d.ts
+++ b/packages/netlify-cms-core/index.d.ts
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ declare module 'netlify-cms-core' {
 
   export type CmsPublishMode = 'simple' | 'editorial_workflow';
 
+  export type CmsPublishWorkflowStatus = 'draft' | 'pending_review' | 'pending_publish';
+
   export type CmsSlugEncoding = 'unicode' | 'ascii';
 
   export interface CmsI18nConfig {
@@ -394,6 +396,7 @@ declare module 'netlify-cms-core' {
     media_folder_relative?: boolean;
     media_library?: CmsMediaLibrary;
     publish_mode?: CmsPublishMode;
+    default_workflow_status?: CmsPublishWorkflowStatus;
     load_config_file?: boolean;
     integrations?: {
       hooks: string[];
diff --git a/packages/netlify-cms-core/src/backend.ts b/packages/netlify-cms-core/src/backend.ts
index b328dac88133..9c452c20d9a5 100644
--- a/packages/netlify-cms-core/src/backend.ts
+++ b/packages/netlify-cms-core/src/backend.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import { basename, join, extname, dirname } from 'path';
 import { stringTemplate } from 'netlify-cms-lib-widgets';
 
 import { resolveFormat } from './formats/formats';
-import { selectUseWorkflow } from './reducers/config';
+import { selectUseWorkflow, selectDefaultWorkflowStatus } from './reducers/config';
 import { selectMediaFilePath, selectEntry } from './reducers/entries';
 import { selectIntegration } from './reducers/integrations';
 import {
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ import { createEntry } from './valueObjects/Entry';
 import { sanitizeChar } from './lib/urlHelper';
 import { getBackend, invokeEvent } from './lib/registry';
 import { commitMessageFormatter, slugFormatter, previewUrlFormatter } from './lib/formatters';
-import { status } from './constants/publishModes';
 import { FOLDER, FILES } from './constants/collectionTypes';
 import { selectCustomPath } from './reducers/entryDraft';
 import {
@@ -322,7 +321,7 @@ export class Backend {
     this.implementation = implementation.init(this.config, {
       useWorkflow: selectUseWorkflow(this.config),
       updateUserCredentials: this.updateUserCredentials,
-      initialWorkflowStatus: status.first(),
+      initialWorkflowStatus: selectDefaultWorkflowStatus(this.config),
     });
     this.backendName = backendName;
     this.authStore = authStore;
diff --git a/packages/netlify-cms-core/src/constants/configSchema.js b/packages/netlify-cms-core/src/constants/configSchema.js
index 31e3711f8745..6f0dd0b3b820 100644
--- a/packages/netlify-cms-core/src/constants/configSchema.js
+++ b/packages/netlify-cms-core/src/constants/configSchema.js
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import {
 import ajvErrors from 'ajv-errors';
 import uuid from 'uuid/v4';
 
+import { Statues } from './publishModes';
 import { formatExtensions, frontmatterFormats, extensionFormatters } from '../formats/formats';
 import { getWidgets } from '../lib/registry';
 import { I18N_STRUCTURE, I18N_FIELD } from '../lib/i18n';
@@ -178,6 +179,11 @@ function getConfigSchema() {
         enum: ['simple', 'editorial_workflow'],
         examples: ['editorial_workflow'],
       },
+      default_workflow_status: {
+        type: 'string',
+        enum: Object.values(Statues),
+        examples: [Statues.PENDING_PUBLISH],
+      },
       slug: {
         type: 'object',
         properties: {
diff --git a/packages/netlify-cms-core/src/reducers/config.ts b/packages/netlify-cms-core/src/reducers/config.ts
index d98546a48c1a..3553dbba6cca 100644
--- a/packages/netlify-cms-core/src/reducers/config.ts
+++ b/packages/netlify-cms-core/src/reducers/config.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { produce } from 'immer';
 
 import { CONFIG_REQUEST, CONFIG_SUCCESS, CONFIG_FAILURE } from '../actions/config';
-import { EDITORIAL_WORKFLOW } from '../constants/publishModes';
+import { EDITORIAL_WORKFLOW, status } from '../constants/publishModes';
 
 import type { ConfigAction } from '../actions/config';
 import type { CmsConfig } from '../types/redux';
@@ -35,4 +35,8 @@ export function selectUseWorkflow(state: CmsConfig) {
   return state.publish_mode === EDITORIAL_WORKFLOW;
 }
 
+export function selectDefaultWorkflowStatus(state: CmsConfig) {
+  return state.default_workflow_status || status.first();
+}
+
 export default config;
diff --git a/packages/netlify-cms-core/src/types/redux.ts b/packages/netlify-cms-core/src/types/redux.ts
index e00ad57246a8..f9947c4137e8 100644
--- a/packages/netlify-cms-core/src/types/redux.ts
+++ b/packages/netlify-cms-core/src/types/redux.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import type { Action } from 'redux';
 import type { StaticallyTypedRecord } from './immutable';
 import type { Map, List, OrderedMap, Set } from 'immutable';
 import type { FILES, FOLDER } from '../constants/collectionTypes';
+import type { Status as PublishStatus } from '../constants/publishModes';
 import type { MediaFile as BackendMediaFile } from '../backend';
 import type { Auth } from '../reducers/auth';
 import type { Status } from '../reducers/status';
@@ -400,6 +401,7 @@ export interface CmsConfig {
   media_folder_relative?: boolean;
   media_library?: CmsMediaLibrary;
   publish_mode?: CmsPublishMode;
+  default_workflow_status?: PublishStatus;
   load_config_file?: boolean;
   integrations?: {
     hooks: string[];