diff --git a/custom/conf/app.ini.sample b/custom/conf/app.ini.sample
index 2d3aab1489a..512073d43df 100644
--- a/custom/conf/app.ini.sample
+++ b/custom/conf/app.ini.sample
@@ -57,6 +57,8 @@ DEFAULT_REPO_UNITS = repo.code,repo.releases,repo.issues,repo.pulls,repo.wiki
 PREFIX_ARCHIVE_FILES = true
 ; Disable the creation of new mirrors. Pre-existing mirrors remain valid.
 DISABLE_MIRRORS = false
+; The default branch name of new repositories
+DEFAULT_BRANCH=master
 
 [repository.editor]
 ; List of file extensions for which lines should be wrapped in the Monaco editor
diff --git a/docs/content/doc/advanced/config-cheat-sheet.en-us.md b/docs/content/doc/advanced/config-cheat-sheet.en-us.md
index 5cc148f419b..13c5f987adb 100644
--- a/docs/content/doc/advanced/config-cheat-sheet.en-us.md
+++ b/docs/content/doc/advanced/config-cheat-sheet.en-us.md
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ Values containing `#` or `;` must be quoted using `` ` `` or `"""`.
 - `ENABLE_PUSH_CREATE_ORG`:  **false**: Allow users to push local repositories to Gitea and have them automatically created for an org.
 - `PREFIX_ARCHIVE_FILES`: **true**: Prefix archive files by placing them in a directory named after the repository.
 - `DISABLE_MIRRORS`: **false**: Disable the creation of **new** mirrors. Pre-existing mirrors remain valid.
+- `DEFAULT_BRANCH`: **master**: Default branch name of all repositories.
 
 ### Repository - Pull Request (`repository.pull-request`)
 
diff --git a/modules/repository/init.go b/modules/repository/init.go
index f468ca0435f..8f3f2f05906 100644
--- a/modules/repository/init.go
+++ b/modules/repository/init.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import (
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/models"
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/git"
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/log"
+	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/setting"
 
 	"github.com/mcuadros/go-version"
 	"github.com/unknwon/com"
@@ -147,7 +148,7 @@ func initRepoCommit(tmpPath string, repo *models.Repository, u *models.User, def
 	}
 
 	if len(defaultBranch) == 0 {
-		defaultBranch = "master"
+		defaultBranch = setting.Repository.DefaultBranch
 	}
 
 	if stdout, err := git.NewCommand("push", "origin", "master:"+defaultBranch).
diff --git a/modules/setting/repository.go b/modules/setting/repository.go
index 3e63d458f8f..eb1501d7b86 100644
--- a/modules/setting/repository.go
+++ b/modules/setting/repository.go
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ var (
 		DefaultRepoUnits                        []string
 		PrefixArchiveFiles                      bool
 		DisableMirrors                          bool
+		DefaultBranch                           string
 
 		// Repository editor settings
 		Editor struct {
@@ -241,6 +242,7 @@ func newRepository() {
 	Repository.DisableHTTPGit = sec.Key("DISABLE_HTTP_GIT").MustBool()
 	Repository.UseCompatSSHURI = sec.Key("USE_COMPAT_SSH_URI").MustBool()
 	Repository.MaxCreationLimit = sec.Key("MAX_CREATION_LIMIT").MustInt(-1)
+	Repository.DefaultBranch = sec.Key("DEFAULT_BRANCH").MustString("master")
 	RepoRootPath = sec.Key("ROOT").MustString(path.Join(homeDir, "gitea-repositories"))
 	forcePathSeparator(RepoRootPath)
 	if !filepath.IsAbs(RepoRootPath) {
diff --git a/routers/repo/repo.go b/routers/repo/repo.go
index 4ded75db6c3..27c8ff1e03e 100644
--- a/routers/repo/repo.go
+++ b/routers/repo/repo.go
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@ func Create(ctx *context.Context) {
 	ctx.Data["readme"] = "Default"
 	ctx.Data["private"] = getRepoPrivate(ctx)
 	ctx.Data["IsForcedPrivate"] = setting.Repository.ForcePrivate
+	ctx.Data["default_branch"] = setting.Repository.DefaultBranch
 
 	ctxUser := checkContextUser(ctx, ctx.QueryInt64("org"))
 	if ctx.Written() {
diff --git a/templates/repo/create.tmpl b/templates/repo/create.tmpl
index cad60126ef9..c4b25c73d83 100644
--- a/templates/repo/create.tmpl
+++ b/templates/repo/create.tmpl
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@
 						</div>
 						<div class="inline field">
 							<label for="default_branch">{{.i18n.Tr "repo.default_branch"}}</label>
-							<input id="default_branch" name="default_branch" value="{{.default_branch}}" placeholder="master">
+							<input id="default_branch" name="default_branch" value="{{.default_branch}}" placeholder="{{.default_branch}}">
 						</div>
 					</div>
 
diff --git a/templates/repo/empty.tmpl b/templates/repo/empty.tmpl
index 8efb6d28664..9aa0706c29e 100644
--- a/templates/repo/empty.tmpl
+++ b/templates/repo/empty.tmpl
@@ -49,10 +49,11 @@
 								<div class="markdown">
 									<pre><code>touch README.md
 git init
+{{if ne .Repository.DefaultBranch "master"}}git branch -m master {{.Repository.DefaultBranch}}{{end}}
 git add README.md
 git commit -m "first commit"
 git remote add origin <span class="clone-url">{{if $.DisableSSH}}{{$.CloneLink.HTTPS}}{{else}}{{$.CloneLink.SSH}}{{end}}</span>
-git push -u origin {{if ne .Repository.DefaultBranch "master"}}master:{{.Repository.DefaultBranch}}{{else}}master{{end}}</code></pre>
+git push -u origin {{.Repository.DefaultBranch}}</code></pre>
 								</div>
 							</div>
 							<div class="ui divider"></div>