diff --git a/benchmark.py b/benchmark.py
index 624b12269..0f571455e 100755
--- a/benchmark.py
+++ b/benchmark.py
@@ -59,9 +59,14 @@ def initRepo(config):
 		git(["clone", config["storage"]["remote"], dataDir], None)
 
 	# default settings
-	git(["config", "--local", "user.name", config["storage"]["user"]], dataDir)
+	git(["config", "--local", "user.name", config["storage"]["userName"]], dataDir)
 	git(["config", "--local", "user.email", config["storage"]["userEMail"]], dataDir)
-	git(["config", "--local", "commit.gpgsign", "false"], dataDir)
+
+	if "userSigningKey" in config["storage"]:
+		git(["config", "--local", "user.signingkey", config["storage"]["userSigningKey"]], dataDir)
+		git(["config", "--local", "commit.gpgsign", "true"], dataDir)
+	else:
+		git(["config", "--local", "commit.gpgsign", "false"], dataDir)
 
 	# fetch origin
 	git(["fetch"], cwd = dataDir)
diff --git a/config.example.yaml b/config.example.yaml
index 406cda6c5..8ca26eb32 100644
--- a/config.example.yaml
+++ b/config.example.yaml
@@ -4,9 +4,11 @@ storage:
   # repote Git repository URL
   remote: git@git.luehne.de:patrick/tplp-planning-benchmark.git
   # user name for commits
-  user: potassco-bot
+  userName: potassco-bot
   # user e-mail for commits
   userEMail: bot@potassco.org
+  # user GPG key for signing commits (optional)
+  # userSigningKey: 12345678
   # data branches
   branches:
     results: results