diff --git a/modules/graceful/net_unix.go b/modules/graceful/net_unix.go
index e9c12851230..f5af1e39378 100644
--- a/modules/graceful/net_unix.go
+++ b/modules/graceful/net_unix.go
@@ -150,11 +150,13 @@ func CloseProvidedListeners() error {
 	return returnableError
 }
 
-// GetListener obtains a listener for the local network address. The network must be
+// DefaultGetListener obtains a listener for the local network address. The network must be
 // a stream-oriented network: "tcp", "tcp4", "tcp6", "unix" or "unixpacket". It
 // returns an provided net.Listener for the matching network and address, or
-// creates a new one using net.Listen.
-func GetListener(network, address string) (net.Listener, error) {
+// creates a new one using net.Listen. This function can be replaced by changing the
+// GetListener variable at the top of this file, for example to listen on an onion service using
+// github.com/cretz/bine
+func DefaultGetListener(network, address string) (net.Listener, error) {
 	// Add a deferral to say that we've tried to grab a listener
 	defer GetManager().InformCleanup()
 	switch network {
diff --git a/modules/graceful/net_windows.go b/modules/graceful/net_windows.go
index a2f58e224a9..15d228d6b65 100644
--- a/modules/graceful/net_windows.go
+++ b/modules/graceful/net_windows.go
@@ -9,9 +9,11 @@ package graceful
 
 import "net"
 
-// GetListener obtains a listener for the local network address.
-// On windows this is basically just a shim around net.Listen.
-func GetListener(network, address string) (net.Listener, error) {
+// DefaultGetListener obtains a listener for the local network address.
+// On windows this is basically just a shim around net.Listen. This function
+// can be replaced by changing the GetListener variable at the top of this file,
+// for example to listen on an onion service using github.com/cretz/bine
+func DefaultGetListener(network, address string) (net.Listener, error) {
 	// Add a deferral to say that we've tried to grab a listener
 	defer GetManager().InformCleanup()
 
diff --git a/modules/graceful/server.go b/modules/graceful/server.go
index e42d35cd49b..bd917828bc8 100644
--- a/modules/graceful/server.go
+++ b/modules/graceful/server.go
@@ -33,6 +33,14 @@ var (
 	PerWriteWriteTimeoutKbTime = 10 * time.Second
 )
 
+// GetListener returns a listener from a GetListener function, which must have the
+// signature: `func FunctioName(network, address string) (net.Listener, error)`.
+// This determines the implementation of net.Listener which the server will use.`
+// It is implemented in this way so that downstreams may specify the type of listener
+// they want to provide Gitea on by default, such as with a hidden service or a p2p network
+// No need to worry about "breaking" if there would be a refactoring for the Listeners. No compatibility-guarantee for this mechanism
+var GetListener = DefaultGetListener
+
 func init() {
 	DefaultMaxHeaderBytes = 0 // use http.DefaultMaxHeaderBytes - which currently is 1 << 20 (1MB)
 }