diff --git a/scripts/genesis-benchmarks/README.md b/scripts/genesis-benchmarks/README.md
index a280ad774f..93903b6bc7 100644
--- a/scripts/genesis-benchmarks/README.md
+++ b/scripts/genesis-benchmarks/README.md
@@ -87,6 +87,31 @@ from slot 0 with,
 $ SYNC_FROM_0=1 NUM_SLOTS=155000 ./run-syncing-node.sh 1
 ```
 
+### How to connect to other nodes than toxiproxy
+
+The following uses a custom topology file, instead of generating one that
+connects to toxiproxy.
+
+```
+$ TOPOLOGY=toplogy.json ./run-syncing-node.sh 1
+```
+
+For instance,
+```
+$ cat topology.json
+{"publicRoots": []
+, "localRoots":
+  [{ "accessPoints":
+     [ {"address": "34.216.201.242", "port": 3001}
+     , {"address": "3.77.115.8", "port": 3001}
+     ]
+   , "advertise": false
+   , "hotValency": 2
+   , "trustable": true
+   }]
+}
+```
+
 ### How to collect the eventlog of the syncing node
 
 The following command collects the eventlog.
diff --git a/scripts/genesis-benchmarks/run-syncing-node.sh b/scripts/genesis-benchmarks/run-syncing-node.sh
index 2fc45555b9..426299c085 100644
--- a/scripts/genesis-benchmarks/run-syncing-node.sh
+++ b/scripts/genesis-benchmarks/run-syncing-node.sh
@@ -88,7 +88,12 @@ then
 else
     truncate_chaindb
 fi
-generate_topology_json_p2p $TOPOLOGY_JSON
+if [ -v TOPOLOGY ]
+then
+    cp $TOPOLOGY $TOPOLOGY_JSON
+else
+    generate_topology_json_p2p $TOPOLOGY_JSON
+fi
 
 CABAL_FLAGS=${CABAL_FLAGS:-}