diff --git a/Configuration/ProcessModifiers/python/trackingMkFitInitialStepPreSplitting_cff.py b/Configuration/ProcessModifiers/python/trackingMkFitInitialStepPreSplitting_cff.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..938865286bb2f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Configuration/ProcessModifiers/python/trackingMkFitInitialStepPreSplitting_cff.py
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+import FWCore.ParameterSet.Config as cms
+
+# This modifier sets replaces the default pattern recognition with mkFit for initialStep
+trackingMkFitInitialStepPreSplitting = cms.Modifier()
diff --git a/Configuration/ProcessModifiers/python/trackingMkFit_cff.py b/Configuration/ProcessModifiers/python/trackingMkFit_cff.py
index b62a8d8376937..e0e6c6e0250e7 100644
--- a/Configuration/ProcessModifiers/python/trackingMkFit_cff.py
+++ b/Configuration/ProcessModifiers/python/trackingMkFit_cff.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import FWCore.ParameterSet.Config as cms
 
 from Configuration.ProcessModifiers.trackingMkFitCommon_cff import *
+from Configuration.ProcessModifiers.trackingMkFitInitialStepPreSplitting_cff import *
 from Configuration.ProcessModifiers.trackingMkFitInitialStep_cff import *
 from Configuration.ProcessModifiers.trackingMkFitLowPtQuadStep_cff import *
 from Configuration.ProcessModifiers.trackingMkFitHighPtTripletStep_cff import *
@@ -14,6 +15,7 @@
 # Use mkFit in selected iterations
 trackingMkFit = cms.ModifierChain(
     trackingMkFitCommon,
+    trackingMkFitInitialStepPreSplitting,
     trackingMkFitInitialStep,
     trackingMkFitLowPtQuadStep,
     trackingMkFitHighPtTripletStep,
diff --git a/RecoTracker/IterativeTracking/python/InitialStepPreSplitting_cff.py b/RecoTracker/IterativeTracking/python/InitialStepPreSplitting_cff.py
index 826412e2db73f..fe7a571c9a029 100644
--- a/RecoTracker/IterativeTracking/python/InitialStepPreSplitting_cff.py
+++ b/RecoTracker/IterativeTracking/python/InitialStepPreSplitting_cff.py
@@ -125,6 +125,45 @@
 )
 initialStepTrackCandidatesPreSplitting.MeasurementTrackerEvent = 'MeasurementTrackerEventPreSplitting'
 
+from Configuration.ProcessModifiers.trackingMkFitInitialStepPreSplitting_cff import trackingMkFitInitialStepPreSplitting
+from RecoTracker.MkFit.mkFitGeometryESProducer_cfi import mkFitGeometryESProducer
+import RecoTracker.MkFit.mkFitSiPixelHitConverter_cfi as mkFitSiPixelHitConverter_cfi
+import RecoTracker.MkFit.mkFitSiStripHitConverter_cfi as mkFitSiStripHitConverter_cfi
+import RecoTracker.MkFit.mkFitEventOfHitsProducer_cfi as mkFitEventOfHitsProducer_cfi
+import RecoTracker.MkFit.mkFitSeedConverter_cfi as mkFitSeedConverter_cfi
+import RecoTracker.MkFit.mkFitIterationConfigESProducer_cfi as mkFitIterationConfigESProducer_cfi
+import RecoTracker.MkFit.mkFitProducer_cfi as mkFitProducer_cfi
+import RecoTracker.MkFit.mkFitOutputConverter_cfi as mkFitOutputConverter_cfi
+# TODO: Split the MkHitConverter to two to avoid re-converting strip hits in initialStep
+mkFitSiPixelHitsPreSplitting = mkFitSiPixelHitConverter_cfi.mkFitSiPixelHitConverter.clone(
+    hits = 'siPixelRecHitsPreSplitting'
+)
+mkFitSiStripHits = mkFitSiStripHitConverter_cfi.mkFitSiStripHitConverter.clone() # TODO: figure out better place for this module?
+mkFitEventOfHitsPreSplitting = mkFitEventOfHitsProducer_cfi.mkFitEventOfHitsProducer.clone(
+    pixelHits = 'mkFitSiPixelHitsPreSplitting'
+)
+initialStepTrackCandidatesMkFitSeedsPreSplitting = mkFitSeedConverter_cfi.mkFitSeedConverter.clone(
+    seeds = 'initialStepSeedsPreSplitting',
+)
+# TODO: or try to re-use the ESProducer of initialStep?
+initialStepTrackCandidatesMkFitConfigPreSplitting = mkFitIterationConfigESProducer_cfi.mkFitIterationConfigESProducer.clone(
+    ComponentName = 'initialStepTrackCandidatesMkFitConfigPreSplitting',
+    config = 'RecoTracker/MkFit/data/mkfit-phase1-initialStep.json',
+)
+initialStepTrackCandidatesMkFitPreSplitting = mkFitProducer_cfi.mkFitProducer.clone(
+    pixelHits = 'mkFitSiPixelHitsPreSplitting',
+    eventOfHits = 'mkFitEventOfHitsPreSplitting',
+    seeds = 'initialStepTrackCandidatesMkFitSeedsPreSplitting',
+    config = ('', 'initialStepTrackCandidatesMkFitConfigPreSplitting'),
+)
+trackingMkFitInitialStepPreSplitting.toReplaceWith(initialStepTrackCandidatesPreSplitting, mkFitOutputConverter_cfi.mkFitOutputConverter.clone(
+    mkFitPixelHits = 'mkFitSiPixelHitsPreSplitting',
+    mkFitEventOfHits = 'mkFitEventOfHitsPreSplitting',
+    seeds = 'initialStepSeedsPreSplitting',
+    mkFitSeeds = 'initialStepTrackCandidatesMkFitSeedsPreSplitting',
+    tracks = 'initialStepTrackCandidatesMkFitPreSplitting',
+))
+
 # fitting
 import RecoTracker.TrackProducer.TrackProducer_cfi
 initialStepTracksPreSplitting = RecoTracker.TrackProducer.TrackProducer_cfi.TrackProducer.clone(
@@ -195,6 +234,10 @@
 _InitialStepPreSplittingTask_trackingPhase1.replace(initialStepHitTripletsPreSplitting, cms.Task(initialStepHitTripletsPreSplitting,initialStepHitQuadrupletsPreSplitting))
 trackingPhase1.toReplaceWith(InitialStepPreSplittingTask, _InitialStepPreSplittingTask_trackingPhase1.copyAndExclude([initialStepHitTripletsPreSplitting]))
 
+_InitialStepPreSplittingTask_trackingMkFit = InitialStepPreSplittingTask.copy()
+_InitialStepPreSplittingTask_trackingMkFit.add(mkFitSiPixelHitsPreSplitting, mkFitSiStripHits, mkFitEventOfHitsPreSplitting, initialStepTrackCandidatesMkFitSeedsPreSplitting, initialStepTrackCandidatesMkFitPreSplitting, initialStepTrackCandidatesMkFitConfigPreSplitting)
+trackingMkFitInitialStepPreSplitting.toReplaceWith(InitialStepPreSplittingTask, _InitialStepPreSplittingTask_trackingMkFit)
+
 
 # Although InitialStepPreSplitting is not really part of LowPU/Run1/Phase2PU140
 # tracking, we use it to get siPixelClusters and siPixelRecHits
diff --git a/RecoTracker/IterativeTracking/python/InitialStep_cff.py b/RecoTracker/IterativeTracking/python/InitialStep_cff.py
index d8fa10a6768d4..693a9de80c92a 100644
--- a/RecoTracker/IterativeTracking/python/InitialStep_cff.py
+++ b/RecoTracker/IterativeTracking/python/InitialStep_cff.py
@@ -233,7 +233,6 @@
 import RecoTracker.MkFit.mkFitProducer_cfi as mkFitProducer_cfi
 import RecoTracker.MkFit.mkFitOutputConverter_cfi as mkFitOutputConverter_cfi
 mkFitSiPixelHits = mkFitSiPixelHitConverter_cfi.mkFitSiPixelHitConverter.clone() # TODO: figure out better place for this module?
-mkFitSiStripHits = mkFitSiStripHitConverter_cfi.mkFitSiStripHitConverter.clone() # TODO: figure out better place for this module?
 mkFitEventOfHits = mkFitEventOfHitsProducer_cfi.mkFitEventOfHitsProducer.clone() # TODO: figure out better place for this module?
 initialStepTrackCandidatesMkFitSeeds = mkFitSeedConverter_cfi.mkFitSeedConverter.clone(
     seeds = 'initialStepSeeds',
@@ -428,7 +427,7 @@
 
 from Configuration.ProcessModifiers.trackingMkFitCommon_cff import trackingMkFitCommon
 _InitialStepTask_trackingMkFitCommon = InitialStepTask.copy()
-_InitialStepTask_trackingMkFitCommon.add(mkFitSiPixelHits, mkFitSiStripHits, mkFitEventOfHits, mkFitGeometryESProducer)
+_InitialStepTask_trackingMkFitCommon.add(mkFitSiPixelHits, mkFitEventOfHits, mkFitGeometryESProducer)
 trackingMkFitCommon.toReplaceWith(InitialStepTask, _InitialStepTask_trackingMkFitCommon)
 
 _InitialStepTask_trackingMkFit = InitialStepTask.copy()
diff --git a/Validation/RecoTrack/python/plotting/trackingPlots.py b/Validation/RecoTrack/python/plotting/trackingPlots.py
index 24bdd0c21a86d..2e5155d4d4a56 100644
--- a/Validation/RecoTrack/python/plotting/trackingPlots.py
+++ b/Validation/RecoTrack/python/plotting/trackingPlots.py
@@ -1456,7 +1456,9 @@ def modules(self):
                        "initialStepHitTripletsPreSplitting",
                        "initialStepHitQuadrupletsPreSplitting",
                        "initialStepSeedsPreSplitting"],
-              building=["initialStepTrackCandidatesPreSplitting"],
+              building=["initialStepTrackCandidatesPreSplitting"
+                        "initialStepTrackCandidatesMkFitSeedsPreSplitting",
+                        "initialStepTrackCandidatesMkFitPreSplitting"],
               fit=["initialStepTracksPreSplitting"],
               other=["firstStepPrimaryVerticesPreSplitting",
                      "initialStepTrackRefsForJetsPreSplitting",
@@ -1466,7 +1468,10 @@ def modules(self):
                      "siPixelClusters",
                      "siPixelRecHits",
                      "MeasurementTrackerEvent",
-                     "siPixelClusterShapeCache"]),
+                     "siPixelClusterShapeCache",
+                     "mkFitSiPixelHitsPreSplitting",
+                     "mkFitSiStripHits",
+                     "mkFitEventOfHitsPreSplitting"]),
     Iteration("initialStep", clusterMasking=[],
               selection=["initialStepClassifier1",
                          "initialStepClassifier2",
@@ -1479,7 +1484,6 @@ def modules(self):
                      "ak4CaloJetsForTrk",
                      "firstStepPrimaryVertices",
                      "mkFitSiPixelHits",
-                     "mkFitSiStripHits",
                      "mkFitEventOfHits"]),
     Iteration("highPtTripletStep",
               selection=["highPtTripletStepClassifier1",