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[GH-ISSUE #20389] issue: ENABLE_SIGNUP not working properly #34706
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Originally created by @jayteaftw on GitHub (Jan 5, 2026).
Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/open-webui/open-webui/issues/20389
Check Existing Issues
Installation Method
Docker
Open WebUI Version
v0.6.43
Ollama Version (if applicable)
No response
Operating System
macOS
Browser (if applicable)
No response
Confirmation
README.md.Expected Behavior
When I set the env ENABLE_SIGNUP to True, that Enable New Sign Ups should be True
Actual Behavior
When I set the env ENABLE_SIGNUP to True, Enable New Sign Ups is False
Steps to Reproduce
Start the following docker-compose file
Navigate to Admin-Panel -> General -> Enable New Sign Ups and you will it is not turned on
Logs & Screenshots
Within the sqlite database if you run the query SELECT * FROM config, you will see this
Additional Information
No response
@owui-terminator[bot] commented on GitHub (Jan 5, 2026):
🔍 Similar Issues Found
I found some existing issues that might be related to this one. Please check if any of these are duplicates or contain helpful solutions:
#18737 issue: Admin user creation fails for ENABLE_SIGNUP=false
by IronD7 • Oct 30, 2025 •
bug#19993 issue: Microsoft SSO signup doesn't work after 0.6.41 update
by avatsaev • Dec 16, 2025 •
bug#19792 issue: OAuth Login redirects to https://openwebui.domain.org/oauth/oidc/openwebui.domain.org after succesful login
by StNiosem • Dec 06, 2025 •
bug💡 Tips:
This comment was generated automatically by a bot. Please react with a 👍 if this comment was helpful, or a 👎 if it was not.
@Classic298 commented on GitHub (Jan 5, 2026):
https://docs.openwebui.com/getting-started/env-configuration#important-note-on-persistentconfig-environment-variables
@jayteaftw commented on GitHub (Jan 5, 2026):
@Classic298 Sorry but can you explain what I am doing wrong?
My assumption would be by default that users would be able to create accounts and sign in since ENABLE_SIGNUP defaults to true. However when manually setting or not setting at all ENABLE_SIGNUP to true, the Enable New Sign Ups is False.
@Classic298 commented on GitHub (Jan 5, 2026):
@jayteaftw
ENABLE_SIGNUPis a PersistentConfig variable, so after the first run its value is taken from the database, not from the environment, even if you change the env var later. [Env config]In your case, the DB already has
enable_signup: false, so the UI shows “Enable New Sign Ups” as off, regardless ofENABLE_SIGNUP=truein Docker.To fix it, use one of these approaches:
One-time clean reset
configtable) so it’s a truly fresh installENABLE_SIGNUP=trueset before first launchTemporarily disable persistence
ENABLE_PERSISTENT_CONFIG=FalseandENABLE_SIGNUP=trueYour assumption about the default (
True) is correct, but only for the very first startup before any config is stored.Please read the docs URL i sent above
@jayteaftw commented on GitHub (Jan 5, 2026):
@Classic298
Thank you for informing me about that but from what your describing is sounds like ENABLE_SIGNUP should default to true on first start up.
However, on first startup it is actually setting enable_signup to false within the database.
For example
when running a docker container without a volume attached
I get the same result with Enable New Sign Ups still being turned off.
and when I dig into the database on first startup, I can see that the command
SELECT * FROM config;produces the following@Classic298 commented on GitHub (Jan 5, 2026):
It should not. People will install open-webui on public servers and then get spammed with signups.
Also "secure by default" is a thing and enabling signups for everyone by default is NOT secure.
to enable signups you need to do so via the UI or disable persistent config if you want to work with environment variables
@jayteaftw commented on GitHub (Jan 5, 2026):
Totally makes sense why you wouldn't want by default people being able to signup.
However does the enable ENABLE_SIGNUP environment variable correspond to Enable New Sign Ups or is there a different environment variable for that?
If not, is there another environment variable that accomplishes that so that you don't have to disable ENABLE_PERSISTENT_CONFIG?
@Classic298 commented on GitHub (Jan 5, 2026):
@jayteaftw no you cannot edit the ENABLE_SIGNUP value by editing the ENABLE_SIGNUP environment variable without disabling persistent config
@jayteaftw commented on GitHub (Jan 5, 2026):
@Classic298
Okay I set the following environment variables
and I am getting the same result. I am sorry if I am totally misunderstanding what this env variable is suppose to do
@Classic298 commented on GitHub (Jan 5, 2026):
@jayteaftw
check if you can sign up now
and if you use a systemd file dont forget to daemon-reload after adding the new environment variables
@jayteaftw commented on GitHub (Jan 5, 2026):
@Classic298
I am running this inside of a stateless docker container using docker compose and I can do the first sign in but Enable New Sign Ups is still greyed. Every time i rebuild the container, I am having to create a whole new user.
To be clear, were you saying in your early post that if you disable persistent config and enable singup that Enable New Sign Ups will be set to True? Or is that not possible in anyway with the current available settings?
@Classic298 commented on GitHub (Jan 5, 2026):
Yes — with the current behavior, the only way to reliably drive “Enable New Sign Ups” via
ENABLE_SIGNUPin a stateless Docker setup is:With
ENABLE_PERSISTENT_CONFIG=false, env vars take precedence and the DB value is ignored on startup, soENABLE_SIGNUP=truewill be applied each time you (re)start the container. [Enable persistent config; Persistent note]If
ENABLE_PERSISTENT_CONFIG=true, then after the first run the DB value (which in your case isenable_signup: false) will always override the env var, so you cannot keep “Enable New Sign Ups” on purely viaENABLE_SIGNUPacross rebuilds. [Env config; Issue 20389]That indicates you did not add a volume for the DATA directory
@jayteaftw commented on GitHub (Jan 5, 2026):
@Classic298
It does not seem like the intended functionality you are describing is working
I have set ENABLE_PERSISTENT_CONFIG=false and ENABLE_SIGNUP=true.
I am able to create and sign in with the first user; however I am unable to create and sign in with a second user and the Admin panel is showing the following
@Classic298 commented on GitHub (Jan 5, 2026):
the admin panel is less relevant now; what do you see in the login screen? is there no sign up button?
@jayteaftw commented on GitHub (Jan 5, 2026):
No
@Classic298 commented on GitHub (Jan 5, 2026):
MOST interesting.
I will try to replicate this tomorrow.
Either you found a bug or for some reason in your local deployment the environment variables are not correctly read.
In the meantime, join our discord, and talk to our smart AI bot in the #questions channel it can help with issues specifically like such
@jayteaftw commented on GitHub (Jan 7, 2026):
@Classic298 Hi, were you able to replicate the issue?
@Classic298 commented on GitHub (Jan 7, 2026):
no cannot reproduce, works absolutely perfectly here.
When ENABLE_PERSISTENT_CONFIG is false, and ENABLE_SIGNUP is true, even when the database has ENABLE_SIGNUP is false, signup will be enabled and it works.