diff --git a/salad/operator/config/compose_config.json b/salad/operator/config/compose_config.json
index be40b69..0958cff 100644
--- a/salad/operator/config/compose_config.json
+++ b/salad/operator/config/compose_config.json
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
  "ENG_NODE_PORT": "3346",
  "MONGO_URL": "mongodb://mongo:27017",
  "DB_NAME": "salad",
+ "FAUCET_URL": "http://contract:8001",
  "OPERATOR_ETH_PRIVATE_KEY": null,
  "SECRET_CONTRACT_BUILD_FOLDER": "..",
  "SALAD_SMART_CONTRACT_ADDRESS": "",
diff --git a/salad/operator/config/k8s_config.json b/salad/operator/config/k8s_config.json
index 5b151ab..56fd15b 100644
--- a/salad/operator/config/k8s_config.json
+++ b/salad/operator/config/k8s_config.json
@@ -7,10 +7,11 @@
  "ENG_NODE_PORT": "3346",
  "MONGO_URL": "mongodb://mongo:27017",
  "DB_NAME": "salad",
+ "FAUCET_URL": "http://contract-service:8001",
  "OPERATOR_ETH_PRIVATE_KEY": null,
  "SECRET_CONTRACT_BUILD_FOLDER": "..",
  "SALAD_SMART_CONTRACT_ADDRESS": "",
  "SALAD_SECRET_CONTRACT_ADDRESS": "",
  "KEY_MANAGEMENT_DISCOVERY": "unused",
  "LOG_LEVEL": "debug"
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/salad/operator/scripts/configure.py b/salad/operator/scripts/configure.py
index fb4b4d0..6a5f976 100755
--- a/salad/operator/scripts/configure.py
+++ b/salad/operator/scripts/configure.py
@@ -54,8 +54,9 @@ def main():
                 'SALAD_SMART_CONTRACT_ADDRESS': 'SALAD_SMART_CONTRACT_ADDRESS',
                 'SALAD_SECRET_CONTRACT_ADDRESS': 'SALAD_SECRET_CONTRACT_ADDRESS',
                 'NETWORK_ID': 'NETWORK_ID',
+                'FAUCET_URL': 'FAUCET_URL'
         }.items():
-            envs[env_var] = config[config_var]
+            envs[env_var] = config.get(config_var)
 
         envs['ENIGMA_CONTRACT_ADDRESS'] = enigma_contract_address
         envs['ENIGMA_TOKEN_CONTRACT_ADDRESS'] = enigma_token_contract_address
diff --git a/salad/operator/scripts/create_account.js b/salad/operator/scripts/create_account.js
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..961016f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/salad/operator/scripts/create_account.js
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#! /usr/bin/env node
+
+const Web3 = require('web3');
+
+function main() {
+    const web3 = new Web3();
+    web3.eth.accounts.wallet.create(1);
+    let account = web3.eth.accounts.wallet[0];
+    console.log(account.address, account.privateKey);
+}
+
+main();
diff --git a/salad/operator/scripts/distribute_funds.py b/salad/operator/scripts/distribute_funds.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..7e3e224
--- /dev/null
+++ b/salad/operator/scripts/distribute_funds.py
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+import sys
+from enigma_docker_common.faucet_api import request_coins
+from enigma_docker_common.config import Config
+from enigma_docker_common.logger import get_logger
+
+logger = get_logger('operator-startup')
+
+try:
+    config = Config(required=['FAUCET_URL'])
+except (ValueError, IOError) as e:
+    logger.critical(f'encountered unexpected error while configuring the operator: {e!r}')
+    raise
+
+
+def main():
+    addresses = sys.argv[1:]
+    faucet_url = config['FAUCET_URL']
+    for address in addresses:
+        logger.info(f'distributing ether to {address}')
+        request_coins(faucet_url, address, 'ether')
+        logger.info(f'distributing eng to {address}')
+        request_coins(faucet_url, address, 'eng')
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    main()
diff --git a/salad/operator/scripts/run.sh b/salad/operator/scripts/run.sh
index 8db4bca..6a5cc85 100755
--- a/salad/operator/scripts/run.sh
+++ b/salad/operator/scripts/run.sh
@@ -8,7 +8,20 @@ if ! ./scripts/take_salad_contract_addresses_from_environment.js; then
     echo 'Running deployment...'
     ENV=$(echo "$ENIGMA_ENV" | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]')
     npx truffle migrate --network $ENV
+    ./scripts/wait_for_epoch_transition.js
     echo 'Done deployment!'
 fi
 
+# If the operator's private key has not been supplied externally, provide it here.
+if [[ -z "$OPERATOR_ETH_PRIVATE_KEY" ]]; then
+    echo 'generating account for operator'
+    ACCOUNT_1="$(./scripts/create_account.js)"
+
+    ADDRESS_1="$(echo "$ACCOUNT_1" | cut -d' ' -f1)"
+    PRIVATE_KEY_1="$(echo "$ACCOUNT_1" | cut -d' ' -f2)"
+    export OPERATOR_ETH_PRIVATE_KEY="$PRIVATE_KEY_1"
+
+    ./scripts/distribute_funds.py "$ADDRESS_1"
+fi
+
 node ./operator/src/server.js -t
diff --git a/salad/operator/scripts/take_salad_contract_addresses_from_environment.js b/salad/operator/scripts/take_salad_contract_addresses_from_environment.js
index 087d7c5..86c897e 100755
--- a/salad/operator/scripts/take_salad_contract_addresses_from_environment.js
+++ b/salad/operator/scripts/take_salad_contract_addresses_from_environment.js
@@ -38,10 +38,10 @@ async function main() {
         await store.insertSmartContractAddress(process.env.SALAD_SMART_CONTRACT_ADDRESS);
         await store.insertSecretContractAddress(process.env.SALAD_SECRET_CONTRACT_ADDRESS);
     } catch (e) {
-        log.error('Error while taking contract addresses from env', e);
+        log.info('Error while taking contract addresses from env', e);
     } finally {
         await store.closeAsync();
     }
 }
 
-main().catch(err => { log.error(err); process.exit(1) });
+main().catch(err => { log.info(err); process.exit(1) });
diff --git a/salad/operator/scripts/wait_for_epoch_transition.js b/salad/operator/scripts/wait_for_epoch_transition.js
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..71a9c37
--- /dev/null
+++ b/salad/operator/scripts/wait_for_epoch_transition.js
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+
+require('dotenv').config();
+const Web3 = require('web3');
+const {Enigma} = require('enigma-js/node');
+
+const main = async () => {
+    const provider = new Web3.providers.WebsocketProvider(`ws://${process.env.ETH_HOST}:${process.env.ETH_PORT}`);
+    const web3 = new Web3(provider);
+
+    let enigmaHost = process.env.ENIGMA_HOST || 'localhost';
+    let enigmaPort = process.env.ENIGMA_PORT || '3333';
+    const enigmaAddr = process.env.ENIGMA_CONTRACT_ADDRESS;
+    const enigmaTokenAddr = process.env.ENIGMA_TOKEN_CONTRACT_ADDRESS;
+
+    const enigma = new Enigma(
+        web3,
+        enigmaAddr,
+        enigmaTokenAddr,
+        'http://' + enigmaHost + ':' + enigmaPort,
+        {
+            gas: 4712388,
+            from: web3.eth.accounts[0],
+        },
+    );
+
+    const enigmaContract = enigma.enigmaContract;
+    console.log('Waiting for an epoch to pass after the contract deployment');
+    await new Promise(resolve =>
+        enigmaContract.events.WorkersParameterized({})
+            .once('data', data => {
+                console.log(`got data ${JSON.stringify(data)}`);
+                resolve(data);
+            })
+    );
+    console.log('an epoch has passed');
+    await web3.currentProvider.disconnect();
+    console.log('provider disconnected');
+};
+
+main().catch(err => { console.log(err); process.exit(1) });