diff --git a/packages/caliper-core/lib/common/messages/testMessage.js b/packages/caliper-core/lib/common/messages/testMessage.js
index a07f20e56..cb0e62979 100644
--- a/packages/caliper-core/lib/common/messages/testMessage.js
+++ b/packages/caliper-core/lib/common/messages/testMessage.js
@@ -66,6 +66,14 @@ class TestMessage extends Message {
         return this.content.rateControl;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Sets the rate control specification for the round.
+     * @param {object} rateControlSpec The rate control specification.
+     */
+    setRateControlSpec(rateControlSpec) {
+        this.content.rateControl = rateControlSpec;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Gets the trim length for the round.
      * @return {number} The trim length.
@@ -106,6 +114,14 @@ class TestMessage extends Message {
         return this.content.numb;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Sets the number of TXs to perform in the round.
+     * @param {number} numberOfTxs The number of TXs.
+     */
+    setNumberOfTxs(numberOfTxs) {
+        this.content.numb = numberOfTxs;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Gets the target duration for the round in seconds.
      * @return {number} The duration of the round in seconds.
@@ -113,6 +129,23 @@ class TestMessage extends Message {
     getRoundDuration() {
         return this.content.txDuration;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Sets the target duration for the round in seconds.
+     * @param {number} txDuration The duration of the round in seconds.
+     */
+    setRoundDuration(txDuration) {
+        this.content.txDuration = txDuration;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Deep-clones the test message.
+     * @returns {TestMessage} The clone test message.
+     */
+    clone() {
+        const contentClone = JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(this.content));
+        return new TestMessage(this.sender, Array.from(this.recipients), contentClone, this.date, this.error);
+    }
 }
 
 module.exports = TestMessage;
diff --git a/packages/caliper-core/lib/worker/rate-control/compositeRate.js b/packages/caliper-core/lib/worker/rate-control/compositeRate.js
index 3ddf28644..52d739b9d 100644
--- a/packages/caliper-core/lib/worker/rate-control/compositeRate.js
+++ b/packages/caliper-core/lib/worker/rate-control/compositeRate.js
@@ -116,8 +116,10 @@ class CompositeRateController extends RateInterface{
         }
         weights = weights.map(w => w / weightSum);
 
+        const numberOfTxs = this.testMessage.getNumberOfTxs();
+
         // pre-set switch logic to avoid an other condition check during rate control
-        this.controllerSwitch = this.roundConfig.txNumber ? this._controllerSwitchForTxNumber : this._controllerSwitchForDuration;
+        this.controllerSwitch = numberOfTxs ? this._controllerSwitchForTxNumber : this._controllerSwitchForDuration;
 
         let currentWeightSum = 0;
         // create controller instances, skip zero-weight cases
@@ -132,35 +134,36 @@ class CompositeRateController extends RateInterface{
             currentWeightSum += currentWeight;
 
             // create a modified copy of the round configuration according to the weights
-            let controllerRoundConfig = Object.assign({}, this.roundConfig);
+            let controllerRoundConfig = this.testMessage.clone();
 
             // lie to the sub-controller that it's the only one
-            controllerRoundConfig.rateControl = currentControllerOptions;
+            controllerRoundConfig.setRateControlSpec(currentControllerOptions);
 
             // create the sub-collector to be activated later, and add it to the current stats collector (which could be another sub-collector)
             let statSubCollector = new TransactionStatisticsCollector(this.workerIndex, this.roundIndex, this.roundLabel);
             this.stats.addSubCollector(statSubCollector);
 
             // scale down number of TXs or the duration
-            if (this.roundConfig.txNumber) {
-                controllerRoundConfig.txNumber = Math.floor(this.roundConfig.txNumber * currentWeight);
+            if (numberOfTxs) {
+                controllerRoundConfig.setNumberOfTxs(Math.floor(numberOfTxs * currentWeight));
 
                 // the sub-controller is initialized with the TX stat sub-collector, which is inactive at this point (i.e., the round hasn't started for it)
-                let subcontroller = new RateControl(rateControllers[i], statSubCollector, this.workerIndex, this.roundIndex, this.numberOfWorkers, controllerRoundConfig);
+                let subcontroller = new RateControl(controllerRoundConfig, statSubCollector, this.workerIndex);
                 let controllerData = new ControllerData(subcontroller, statSubCollector);
 
                 // the sub-controller should be switched after this TX index
-                controllerData.lastTxIndex = Math.floor(this.roundConfig.txNumber * currentWeightSum);
+                controllerData.lastTxIndex = Math.floor(numberOfTxs * currentWeightSum);
                 this.controllers.push(controllerData);
             } else {
-                controllerRoundConfig.txDuration = Math.floor(this.roundConfig.txDuration * currentWeight);
+                const txDuration = this.testMessage.getRoundDuration();
+                controllerRoundConfig.setRoundDuration(Math.floor(txDuration * currentWeight));
 
                 // the sub-controller is initialized with the TX stat sub-collector, which is inactive at this point (i.e., the round hasn't started for it)
-                let subcontroller = new RateControl(rateControllers[i], statSubCollector, this.workerIndex, this.roundIndex, this.numberOfWorkers, controllerRoundConfig);
+                let subcontroller = new RateControl(controllerRoundConfig, statSubCollector, this.workerIndex);
                 let controllerData = new ControllerData(subcontroller, statSubCollector);
 
                 // the sub-controller should be switched "around" this time
-                controllerData.relFinishTime = Math.floor(this.roundConfig.txDuration * 1000 * currentWeightSum);
+                controllerData.relFinishTime = Math.floor(txDuration * 1000 * currentWeightSum);
                 this.controllers.push(controllerData);
             }
         }
@@ -254,9 +257,6 @@ class CompositeRateController extends RateInterface{
  * @param {TestMessage} testMessage start test message
  * @param {TransactionStatisticsCollector} stats The TX stats collector instance.
  * @param {number} workerIndex The 0-based index of the worker node.
- * @param {number} roundIndex The 0-based index of the current round.
- * @param {number} numberOfWorkers The total number of worker nodes.
- * @param {object} roundConfig The round configuration object.
  *
  * @return {RateInterface} The new rate controller instance.
  */
diff --git a/packages/caliper-tests-integration/fabric_tests/phase5/benchconfig.yaml b/packages/caliper-tests-integration/fabric_tests/phase5/benchconfig.yaml
index 33508524b..676ae26a0 100644
--- a/packages/caliper-tests-integration/fabric_tests/phase5/benchconfig.yaml
+++ b/packages/caliper-tests-integration/fabric_tests/phase5/benchconfig.yaml
@@ -20,7 +20,17 @@ test:
     rounds:
     - label: query1
       txNumber: 50
-      rateControl: { type: 'fixed-rate', opts: { tps: 3 } }
+      rateControl:
+        type: composite-rate
+        opts:
+          weights: [2,1]
+          rateControllers:
+          - type: fixed-rate
+            opts:
+              tps: 2
+          - type: fixed-rate
+            opts:
+              tps: 4
       workload:
         module: ./../query.js
     - label: query2