diff --git a/modules/setting/setting.go b/modules/setting/setting.go
index 4acad4239..c3a829715 100644
--- a/modules/setting/setting.go
+++ b/modules/setting/setting.go
@@ -871,6 +871,7 @@ please consider changing to GITEA_CUSTOM`)
 	// Determine and create root git repository path.
 	sec = Cfg.Section("repository")
 	Repository.DisableHTTPGit = sec.Key("DISABLE_HTTP_GIT").MustBool()
+	Repository.MaxCreationLimit = sec.Key("MAX_CREATION_LIMIT").MustInt(-1)
 	RepoRootPath = sec.Key("ROOT").MustString(path.Join(homeDir, "gitea-repositories"))
 	forcePathSeparator(RepoRootPath)
 	if !filepath.IsAbs(RepoRootPath) {