diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index e68a8f9e5..bdb383159 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 * Changed all instances of arguments that refer to the maximum of a distribution to reflect the maximum. Previously this did, in some instance, refer to the length of the PMF. By @sbfnk in #468.
 * Fixed a bug in the bounds of delays when setting initial conditions. By @sbfnk in #474.
 * Added input checking to `estimate_infections()`, `estimate_secondary()`, `estimate_truncation()`, `simulate_infections()`, and `epinow()`. `check_reports_valid()` has been added to validate the reports dataset passed to these functions. Tests are added to check `check_reports_valid()`. As part of input validation, the various `*_opts()` functions now return subclasses of the same name as the functions and are tested against passed arguments to ensure the right `*_opts()` is passed to the right argument. For example, the `obs` argument in `estimate_secondary()` is expected to only receive arguments passed through `obs_opts()` and will error otherwise. By @jamesmbaazam in #476 and reviewed by @sbfnk and @seabbs.
+* Added the possibility of specifying a fixed observation scaling. By @sbfnk in #550 and reviewed by @seabbs.
 
 ## Model changes
 
diff --git a/R/create.R b/R/create.R
index f58ad80d6..182781cd7 100644
--- a/R/create.R
+++ b/R/create.R
@@ -415,7 +415,9 @@ create_obs_model <- function(obs = obs_opts(), dates) {
     phi_sd = obs$phi[2],
     week_effect = ifelse(obs$week_effect, obs$week_length, 1),
     obs_weight = obs$weight,
-    obs_scale = as.numeric(length(obs$scale) != 0),
+    obs_scale = as.integer(obs$scale$sd > 0 || obs$scale$mean != 1),
+    obs_scale_mean = obs$scale$mean,
+    obs_scale_sd = obs$scale$sd,
     accumulate = obs$accumulate,
     likelihood = as.numeric(obs$likelihood),
     return_likelihood = as.numeric(obs$return_likelihood)
@@ -423,14 +425,6 @@ create_obs_model <- function(obs = obs_opts(), dates) {
 
   data$day_of_week <- add_day_of_week(dates, data$week_effect)
 
-  data <- c(data, list(
-    obs_scale_mean = ifelse(data$obs_scale,
-      obs$scale$mean, 0
-    ),
-    obs_scale_sd = ifelse(data$obs_scale,
-      obs$scale$sd, 0
-    )
-  ))
   return(data)
 }
 #' Create Stan Data Required for estimate_infections
@@ -614,7 +608,7 @@ create_initial_conditions <- function(data) {
       out$bp_sd <- array(numeric(0))
       out$bp_effects <- array(numeric(0))
     }
-    if (data$obs_scale == 1) {
+    if (data$obs_scale_sd > 0) {
       out$frac_obs <- array(truncnorm::rtruncnorm(1,
         a = 0, b = 1,
         mean = data$obs_scale_mean,
diff --git a/R/extract.R b/R/extract.R
index d4b7fbc33..8d4cb1232 100644
--- a/R/extract.R
+++ b/R/extract.R
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ extract_parameter_samples <- function(stan_fit, data, reported_dates,
       value.V1 := NULL
     ]
   }
-  if (data$obs_scale == 1) {
+  if (data$obs_scale_sd > 0) {
     out$fraction_observed <- extract_static_parameter("frac_obs", samples)
     out$fraction_observed <- out$fraction_observed[, value := value.V1][,
       value.V1 := NULL
diff --git a/R/opts.R b/R/opts.R
index 2ad5f76a8..d0bf688ad 100644
--- a/R/opts.R
+++ b/R/opts.R
@@ -436,12 +436,13 @@ gp_opts <- function(basis_prop = 0.2,
 #' @param week_effect Logical defaulting to `TRUE`. Should a day of the week
 #'   effect be used in the observation model.
 #' @param week_length Numeric assumed length of the week in days, defaulting to
-#' 7 days. This can be modified if data aggregated over a period other than a
-#' week or if data has a non-weekly periodicity.
-#' @param scale List, defaulting to an empty list. Should an scaling factor be
-#'   applied to map latent infections (convolved to date of report). If none
-#'   empty a mean (`mean`) and standard deviation (`sd`) needs to be supplied
-#'   defining the normally distributed scaling factor.
+#'   7 days. This can be modified if data aggregated over a period other than a
+#'   week or if data has a non-weekly periodicity.
+#' @param scale Scaling factor to be applied to map latent infections (convolved
+#'   to date of report). Can be supplied either as a single numeric value (fixed
+#'   scale) or a list with numeric elements mean (`mean`) and standard deviation
+#'   (`sd`) defining a normally distributed scaling factor. Defaults to 1, i.e.
+#'   no scaling.
 #' @param na Character. Options are "missing" (the default) and "accumulate".
 #'   This determines how NA values in the data are interpreted. If set to
 #'   "missing", any NA values in the observation data set will be interpreted as
@@ -473,7 +474,7 @@ obs_opts <- function(family = "negbin",
                      weight = 1,
                      week_effect = TRUE,
                      week_length = 7,
-                     scale = list(),
+                     scale = 1,
                      na = c("missing", "accumulate"),
                      likelihood = TRUE,
                      return_likelihood = FALSE) {
@@ -504,13 +505,13 @@ obs_opts <- function(family = "negbin",
     return_likelihood = return_likelihood
   )
 
-  if (length(obs$scale) != 0) {
-    scale_names <- names(obs$scale)
-    scale_correct <- "mean" %in% scale_names & "sd" %in% scale_names
-    if (!scale_correct) {
-      stop("If specifying a scale both a mean and sd are needed")
-    }
+  if (is.numeric(obs$scale)) {
+    obs$scale <- list(mean = obs$scale, sd = 0)
+  }
+  if (!(all(c("mean", "sd") %in% names(obs$scale)))) {
+    stop("If specifying a scale as list both a mean and sd are needed")
   }
+
   attr(obs, "class") <- c("obs_opts", class(obs))
   return(obs)
 }
diff --git a/inst/stan/estimate_infections.stan b/inst/stan/estimate_infections.stan
index 7eb128b2d..e1d4d0159 100644
--- a/inst/stan/estimate_infections.stan
+++ b/inst/stan/estimate_infections.stan
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ parameters{
   array[delay_n_p] real delay_mean;         // mean of delays
   array[delay_n_p] real<lower = 0> delay_sd;  // sd of delays
   simplex[week_effect] day_of_week_simplex;// day of week reporting effect
-  array[obs_scale] real<lower = 0, upper = 1> frac_obs;     // fraction of cases that are ultimately observed
+  array[obs_scale_sd > 0 ? 1 : 0] real<lower = 0, upper = 1> frac_obs;     // fraction of cases that are ultimately observed
   array[model_type] real<lower = 0> rep_phi;     // overdispersion of the reporting process
 }
 
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ transformed parameters {
   }
   // scaling of reported cases by fraction observed
  if (obs_scale) {
-   reports = scale_obs(reports, frac_obs[1]);
+   reports = scale_obs(reports, obs_scale_sd > 0 ? frac_obs[1] : obs_scale_mean);
  }
  // truncate near time cases to observed reports
  if (trunc_id) {
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ model {
     );
   }
   // prior observation scaling
-  if (obs_scale) {
+  if (obs_scale_sd > 0) {
     frac_obs[1] ~ normal(obs_scale_mean, obs_scale_sd) T[0, 1];
   }
   // observed reports from mean of reports (update likelihood)
diff --git a/man/obs_opts.Rd b/man/obs_opts.Rd
index 85aecaa7b..05221d53d 100644
--- a/man/obs_opts.Rd
+++ b/man/obs_opts.Rd
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ obs_opts(
   weight = 1,
   week_effect = TRUE,
   week_length = 7,
-  scale = list(),
+  scale = 1,
   na = c("missing", "accumulate"),
   likelihood = TRUE,
   return_likelihood = FALSE
@@ -34,10 +34,11 @@ effect be used in the observation model.}
 7 days. This can be modified if data aggregated over a period other than a
 week or if data has a non-weekly periodicity.}
 
-\item{scale}{List, defaulting to an empty list. Should an scaling factor be
-applied to map latent infections (convolved to date of report). If none
-empty a mean (\code{mean}) and standard deviation (\code{sd}) needs to be supplied
-defining the normally distributed scaling factor.}
+\item{scale}{Scaling factor to be applied to map latent infections (convolved
+to date of report). Can be supplied either as a single numeric value (fixed
+scale) or a list with numeric elements mean (\code{mean}) and standard deviation
+(\code{sd}) defining a normally distributed scaling factor. Defaults to 1, i.e.
+no scaling.}
 
 \item{na}{Character. Options are "missing" (the default) and "accumulate".
 This determines how NA values in the data are interpreted. If set to
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-create_obs_model.R b/tests/testthat/test-create_obs_model.R
index 4211c7dbe..72cc67591 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-create_obs_model.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-create_obs_model.R
@@ -6,9 +6,8 @@ test_that("create_obs_model works with default settings", {
   expect_equal(length(obs), 12)
   expect_equal(names(obs), c(
     "model_type", "phi_mean", "phi_sd", "week_effect", "obs_weight",
-    "obs_scale", "accumulate", "likelihood", "return_likelihood",
-    "day_of_week", "obs_scale_mean",
-    "obs_scale_sd"
+    "obs_scale", "obs_scale_mean", "obs_scale_sd", "accumulate",
+    "likelihood", "return_likelihood", "day_of_week"
   ))
   expect_equal(obs$model_type, 1)
   expect_equal(obs$week_effect, 7)
@@ -16,7 +15,7 @@ test_that("create_obs_model works with default settings", {
   expect_equal(obs$likelihood, 1)
   expect_equal(obs$return_likelihood, 0)
   expect_equal(obs$day_of_week, c(7, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7))
-  expect_equal(obs$obs_scale_mean, 0)
+  expect_equal(obs$obs_scale_mean, 1)
   expect_equal(obs$obs_scale_sd, 0)
 })
 
@@ -34,6 +33,15 @@ test_that("create_obs_model can be used with a scaling", {
   expect_equal(obs$obs_scale_sd, 0.01)
 })
 
+test_that("create_obs_model can be used with fixed scaling", {
+  obs <- create_obs_model(
+    dates = dates,
+    obs = obs_opts(scale = 0.4)
+  )
+  expect_equal(obs$obs_scale_mean, 0.4)
+  expect_equal(obs$obs_scale_sd, 0)
+})
+
 test_that("create_obs_model can be used with no week effect", {
   obs <- create_obs_model(dates = dates, obs = obs_opts(week_effect = FALSE))
   expect_equal(obs$week_effect, 1)