diff --git a/src/main/scala/app/AccountController.scala b/src/main/scala/app/AccountController.scala
index 4628a36..732e18d 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/app/AccountController.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/app/AccountController.scala
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@
    * Show the new repository form.
    */
   get("/new")(usersOnly {
-    account.html.newrepo(getGroupsByUserName(context.loginAccount.get.userName))
+    account.html.newrepo(getGroupsByUserName(context.loginAccount.get.userName), context.settings.isCreateRepoOptionPublic)
   })
 
   /**
diff --git a/src/main/scala/app/SystemSettingsController.scala b/src/main/scala/app/SystemSettingsController.scala
index bdcb0a5..5c11959 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/app/SystemSettingsController.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/app/SystemSettingsController.scala
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
     "baseUrl"                  -> trim(label("Base URL", optional(text()))),
     "information"              -> trim(label("Information", optional(text()))),
     "allowAccountRegistration" -> trim(label("Account registration", boolean())),
+    "isCreateRepoOptionPublic" -> trim(label("Default option to create a new repository", boolean())),
     "gravatar"                 -> trim(label("Gravatar", boolean())),
     "notification"             -> trim(label("Notification", boolean())),
     "ssh"                      -> trim(label("SSH access", boolean())),
diff --git a/src/main/scala/service/SystemSettingsService.scala b/src/main/scala/service/SystemSettingsService.scala
index d0d536d..7575094 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/service/SystemSettingsService.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/service/SystemSettingsService.scala
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
       settings.baseUrl.foreach(x => props.setProperty(BaseURL, x.replaceFirst("/\\Z", "")))
       settings.information.foreach(x => props.setProperty(Information, x))
       props.setProperty(AllowAccountRegistration, settings.allowAccountRegistration.toString)
+      props.setProperty(IsCreateRepoOptionPublic, settings.isCreateRepoOptionPublic.toString)
       props.setProperty(Gravatar, settings.gravatar.toString)
       props.setProperty(Notification, settings.notification.toString)
       props.setProperty(Ssh, settings.ssh.toString)
@@ -64,6 +65,7 @@
         getOptionValue[String](props, BaseURL, None).map(x => x.replaceFirst("/\\Z", "")),
         getOptionValue[String](props, Information, None),
         getValue(props, AllowAccountRegistration, false),
+        getValue(props, IsCreateRepoOptionPublic, true),
         getValue(props, Gravatar, true),
         getValue(props, Notification, false),
         getValue(props, Ssh, false),
@@ -111,6 +113,7 @@
     baseUrl: Option[String],
     information: Option[String],
     allowAccountRegistration: Boolean,
+    isCreateRepoOptionPublic: Boolean,
     gravatar: Boolean,
     notification: Boolean,
     ssh: Boolean,
@@ -155,6 +158,7 @@
   private val BaseURL = "base_url"
   private val Information = "information"
   private val AllowAccountRegistration = "allow_account_registration"
+  private val IsCreateRepoOptionPublic = "is_create_repository_option_public"
   private val Gravatar = "gravatar"
   private val Notification = "notification"
   private val Ssh = "ssh"
diff --git a/src/main/twirl/account/newrepo.scala.html b/src/main/twirl/account/newrepo.scala.html
index b5f6c6a..da9b068 100644
--- a/src/main/twirl/account/newrepo.scala.html
+++ b/src/main/twirl/account/newrepo.scala.html
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-@(groupNames: List[String])(implicit context: app.Context)
+@(groupNames: List[String],
+isCreateRepoOptionPublic: Boolean)(implicit context: app.Context)
 @import context._
 @import view.helpers._
 @html.main("Create a New Repository"){
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@
     </fieldset>
     <fieldset class="margin">
       <label class="radio">
-        <input type="radio" name="isPrivate" value="false" checked>
+        <input type="radio" name="isPrivate" value="false" @if(isCreateRepoOptionPublic){checked}>
         <span class="strong"><img src="@assets/common/images/repo_public.png"/>&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;Public</span><br>
         <div>
           <span>All users and guests can read this repository.</span>
@@ -38,7 +39,7 @@
     </fieldset>
     <fieldset>
       <label class="radio">
-        <input type="radio" name="isPrivate" value="true">
+        <input type="radio" name="isPrivate" value="true" @if(!isCreateRepoOptionPublic){checked}>
         <span class="strong"><img src="@assets/common/images/repo_private.png"/>&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;Private</span><br>
         <div>
           <span>Only collaborators can read this repository.</span>
diff --git a/src/main/twirl/admin/system.scala.html b/src/main/twirl/admin/system.scala.html
index 1d06745..09c8ac8 100644
--- a/src/main/twirl/admin/system.scala.html
+++ b/src/main/twirl/admin/system.scala.html
@@ -53,6 +53,18 @@
               <span class="strong">Deny</span> - Only administrators can create accounts.
             </label>
           </fieldset>
+          <hr>
+          <label class="strong">Default option to create a new repository</label>
+          <fieldset>
+            <label class="radio">
+              <input type="radio" name="isCreateRepoOptionPublic" value="true"@if(settings.isCreateRepoOptionPublic){ checked}>
+              <span class="strong">Public</span> - All users and guests can read that repository.
+            </label>
+            <label class="radio">
+              <input type="radio" name="isCreateRepoOptionPublic" value="false"@if(!settings.isCreateRepoOptionPublic){ checked}>
+              <span class="strong">Private</span> - Only collaborators can read that repository.
+            </label>
+          </fieldset>
           <!--====================================================================-->
           <!-- Services -->
           <!--====================================================================-->
diff --git a/src/test/scala/view/AvatarImageProviderSpec.scala b/src/test/scala/view/AvatarImageProviderSpec.scala
index b8e5b8e..7e9ecc2 100644
--- a/src/test/scala/view/AvatarImageProviderSpec.scala
+++ b/src/test/scala/view/AvatarImageProviderSpec.scala
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@
       baseUrl                  = None,
       information              = None,
       allowAccountRegistration = false,
+      isCreateRepoOptionPublic = true,
       gravatar                 = useGravatar,
       notification             = false,
       ssh                      = false,