diff --git a/conf/app.ini b/conf/app.ini
index 3333434230fad..db0d457b24def 100644
--- a/conf/app.ini
+++ b/conf/app.ini
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ ALLOWED_TYPES =
 FILE_MAX_SIZE = 3
 ; Max number of files per upload. Defaults to 5
 MAX_FILES = 5
+; Create repository on upload if it doesn't exists
+AUTO_CREATE = false
 
 [ui]
 ; Number of repositories that are showed in one explore page
diff --git a/integrations/repo_test.go b/integrations/repo_test.go
index 8465bbdc5aa62..64b2cb3fa6f5f 100644
--- a/integrations/repo_test.go
+++ b/integrations/repo_test.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/setting"
+	api "code.gitea.io/sdk/gitea"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
@@ -74,3 +75,45 @@ func TestViewRepo1CloneLinkAuthorized(t *testing.T) {
 	sshURL := fmt.Sprintf("%s@%s:user2/repo1.git", setting.RunUser, setting.SSH.Domain)
 	assert.Equal(t, sshURL, link)
 }
+
+func TestAutoCreateRepo(t *testing.T) {
+	prepareTestEnv(t)
+
+	session := loginUser(t, "user2")
+
+	// repo should not exist
+	req := NewRequest(t, "GET", "/api/v1/repos/user2/autocreated")
+	MakeRequest(t, req, http.StatusNotFound)
+
+	//
+	// if 'AUTO_CREATE = false', the repo should not be created if it doesn't exist
+	//
+	setting.Repository.Upload.AutoCreate = false
+	req = NewRequest(t, "GET", "/user2/autocreated.git/info/refs?service=git-receive-pack")
+	session.MakeRequest(t, req, http.StatusNotFound)
+
+	req = NewRequest(t, "GET", "/api/v1/repos/user2/autocreated")
+	MakeRequest(t, req, http.StatusNotFound)
+
+	//
+	// if 'AUTO_CREATE = true', the repos should be created
+	//
+	setting.Repository.Upload.AutoCreate = true
+	req = NewRequest(t, "GET", "/user2/autocreated.git/info/refs?service=git-receive-pack")
+	// we don't get a successful response code here, because we don't execute a real 'git push ...'
+	session.MakeRequest(t, req, NoExpectedStatus)
+
+	// repo should exist
+	req = NewRequest(t, "GET", "/api/v1/repos/user2/autocreated")
+	resp := MakeRequest(t, req, http.StatusOK)
+
+	var repo api.Repository
+	DecodeJSON(t, resp, &repo)
+	assert.Equal(t, repo.Name, "autocreated")
+
+	//
+	// cleanup
+	//
+	req = NewRequest(t, "DELETE", "/api/v1/repos/user2/autocreated")
+	session.MakeRequest(t, req, http.StatusNoContent)
+}
diff --git a/modules/setting/setting.go b/modules/setting/setting.go
index a5908bacaa057..1fe38e143a665 100644
--- a/modules/setting/setting.go
+++ b/modules/setting/setting.go
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ var (
 			AllowedTypes []string `delim:"|"`
 			FileMaxSize  int64
 			MaxFiles     int
+			AutoCreate   bool
 		} `ini:"-"`
 
 		// Repository local settings
@@ -208,12 +209,14 @@ var (
 			AllowedTypes []string `delim:"|"`
 			FileMaxSize  int64
 			MaxFiles     int
+			AutoCreate   bool
 		}{
 			Enabled:      true,
 			TempPath:     "data/tmp/uploads",
 			AllowedTypes: []string{},
 			FileMaxSize:  3,
 			MaxFiles:     5,
+			AutoCreate:   false,
 		},
 
 		// Repository local settings
diff --git a/routers/repo/http.go b/routers/repo/http.go
index 4265c80ac49d6..31791108eb63b 100644
--- a/routers/repo/http.go
+++ b/routers/repo/http.go
@@ -95,6 +95,13 @@ func HTTP(ctx *context.Context) {
 	}
 
 	repo, err := models.GetRepositoryByName(repoUser.ID, reponame)
+	if models.IsErrRepoNotExist(err) && setting.Repository.Upload.AutoCreate {
+
+		// if 'CreateRepository' fails, the error are handled in the next 'if err != nil' block
+		repo, err = models.CreateRepository(repoUser, repoUser, models.CreateRepoOptions{
+			Name: reponame,
+		})
+	}
 	if err != nil {
 		if models.IsErrRepoNotExist(err) {
 			ctx.Handle(http.StatusNotFound, "GetRepositoryByName", nil)