diff --git a/api/repo.go b/api/repo.go
index ccb0ffa81..375bb11fa 100644
--- a/api/repo.go
+++ b/api/repo.go
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ func CreateRepo(c *gin.Context) {
 	defaultBuildLimit := c.Value("defaultBuildLimit").(int64)
 	defaultTimeout := c.Value("defaultTimeout").(int64)
 	maxBuildLimit := c.Value("maxBuildLimit").(int64)
+	defaultRepoEvents := c.Value("defaultRepoEvents").([]string)
 
 	// capture body from API request
 	input := new(library.Repo)
@@ -161,8 +162,20 @@ func CreateRepo(c *gin.Context) {
 	if !input.GetAllowPull() && !input.GetAllowPush() &&
 		!input.GetAllowDeploy() && !input.GetAllowTag() &&
 		!input.GetAllowComment() {
-		// default event to push
-		r.SetAllowPush(true)
+		for _, event := range defaultRepoEvents {
+			switch event {
+			case constants.EventPull:
+				r.SetAllowPull(true)
+			case constants.EventPush:
+				r.SetAllowPush(true)
+			case constants.EventDeploy:
+				r.SetAllowDeploy(true)
+			case constants.EventTag:
+				r.SetAllowTag(true)
+			case constants.EventComment:
+				r.SetAllowComment(true)
+			}
+		}
 	} else {
 		r.SetAllowComment(input.GetAllowComment())
 		r.SetAllowDeploy(input.GetAllowDeploy())
diff --git a/cmd/vela-server/main.go b/cmd/vela-server/main.go
index f011261d4..0dbe038fa 100644
--- a/cmd/vela-server/main.go
+++ b/cmd/vela-server/main.go
@@ -112,6 +112,12 @@ func main() {
 			Usage:   "override default build timeout (minutes)",
 			Value:   constants.BuildTimeoutDefault,
 		},
+		&cli.StringSliceFlag{
+			EnvVars: []string{"VELA_DEFAULT_REPO_EVENTS"},
+			Name:    "default-repo-events",
+			Usage:   "override default events for newly activated repositories",
+			Value:   cli.NewStringSlice(constants.EventPush),
+		},
 		// Security Flags
 		&cli.DurationFlag{
 			EnvVars: []string{"VELA_ACCESS_TOKEN_DURATION", "ACCESS_TOKEN_DURATION"},
diff --git a/cmd/vela-server/server.go b/cmd/vela-server/server.go
index 114639501..d12338b2a 100644
--- a/cmd/vela-server/server.go
+++ b/cmd/vela-server/server.go
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ func server(c *cli.Context) error {
 		middleware.WebhookValidation(!c.Bool("vela-disable-webhook-validation")),
 		middleware.SecureCookie(c.Bool("vela-enable-secure-cookie")),
 		middleware.Worker(c.Duration("worker-active-interval")),
+		middleware.DefaultRepoEvents(c.StringSlice("default-repo-events")),
 	)
 
 	addr, err := url.Parse(c.String("server-addr"))
diff --git a/cmd/vela-server/validate.go b/cmd/vela-server/validate.go
index 70b06d90d..a29b4dcf1 100644
--- a/cmd/vela-server/validate.go
+++ b/cmd/vela-server/validate.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"github.com/go-vela/types/constants"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
@@ -78,6 +79,18 @@ func validateCore(c *cli.Context) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("max-build-limit (VELA_MAX_BUILD_LIMIT) flag must be greater than 0")
 	}
 
+	for _, event := range c.StringSlice("default-repo-events") {
+		switch event {
+		case constants.EventPull:
+		case constants.EventPush:
+		case constants.EventDeploy:
+		case constants.EventTag:
+		case constants.EventComment:
+		default:
+			return fmt.Errorf("default-repo-events (VELA_DEFAULT_REPO_EVENTS) has the unsupported value of %s", event)
+		}
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/router/middleware/default_repo_events.go b/router/middleware/default_repo_events.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..65e5ed5b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/router/middleware/default_repo_events.go
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2022 Target Brands, Inc. All rights reserved.
+//
+// Use of this source code is governed by the LICENSE file in this repository.
+
+package middleware
+
+import (
+	"github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
+)
+
+// DefaultRepoEvents is a middleware function that attaches the defaultRepoEvents
+// to enable the server to override the default repo event.
+func DefaultRepoEvents(defaultRepoEvents []string) gin.HandlerFunc {
+	return func(c *gin.Context) {
+		c.Set("defaultRepoEvents", defaultRepoEvents)
+		c.Next()
+	}
+}
diff --git a/router/middleware/default_repo_events_test.go b/router/middleware/default_repo_events_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..83cfc1703
--- /dev/null
+++ b/router/middleware/default_repo_events_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2022 Target Brands, Inc. All rights reserved.
+//
+// Use of this source code is governed by the LICENSE file in this repository.
+
+package middleware
+
+import (
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"reflect"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/go-vela/types/constants"
+
+	"github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
+)
+
+func TestMiddleware_DefaultRepoEvents(t *testing.T) {
+	// setup types
+	var got []string
+
+	want := []string{constants.EventPush}
+
+	// setup context
+	gin.SetMode(gin.TestMode)
+
+	resp := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	context, engine := gin.CreateTestContext(resp)
+	context.Request, _ = http.NewRequest(http.MethodGet, "/health", nil)
+
+	// setup mock server
+	engine.Use(DefaultRepoEvents(want))
+	engine.GET("/health", func(c *gin.Context) {
+		got = c.Value("defaultRepoEvents").([]string)
+
+		c.Status(http.StatusOK)
+	})
+
+	// run test
+	engine.ServeHTTP(context.Writer, context.Request)
+
+	if resp.Code != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Errorf("DefaultRepoEvents returned %v, want %v", resp.Code, http.StatusOK)
+	}
+
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(got, want) {
+		t.Errorf("DefaultRepoEvents is %v, want %v", got, want)
+	}
+}