diff --git a/gitea/defaults/main.yml b/gitea/defaults/main.yml
index 5744264f..0dfe84b1 100644
--- a/gitea/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/gitea/defaults/main.yml
@@ -69,3 +69,11 @@ gitea_prometheus_metrics: False
 #gitea_prometheus_bearer_token: put it into a vault file
 gitea_prometheus_bearer_token: ''
 gitea_log_level: Info
+
+# gitea_app_configurations:
+#   - { section: 'mailer', option: 'ENABLED', value: 'true', state: 'present' }
+#   - { section: 'mailer', option: 'FROM', value: '{{ gitea_mail_from }}', state: 'present' }
+#   - { section: 'mailer', option: 'MAILER_TYPE', value: '{{ gitea_mailer_type }}', state: 'present' }
+#   - { section: 'mailer', option: 'SENDMAIL_PATH', value: '{{ gitea_sendmail_path }}', state: 'present' }
+#   - { section: 'metrics', option: 'ENABLED', value: 'true', state: 'present' }
+#   - { section: 'metrics', option: 'TOKEN', value: '{{ gitea_prometheus_bearer_token }}', state: 'present' }
diff --git a/gitea/tasks/main.yml b/gitea/tasks/main.yml
index 0b767dcb..443765d1 100644
--- a/gitea/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/gitea/tasks/main.yml
@@ -16,9 +16,21 @@
   - name: Install the required packages
     package: state=present use=auto name={{ gitea_required_packages }}
 
-  - name: Configure gitea
-    template: src=app.ini.j2 dest={{ gitea_conf_dir }}/app.ini owner=root group={{ gitea_group }} mode=0640
-    notify: reload gitea
+  - name: Check if the gitea configuration file exists
+    stat: path={{ gitea_conf_dir }}/app.ini
+    register: gitea_app_ini
+
+  - name: Change the gitea configuration. After the installation
+    ini_file: path={{ gitea_conf_dir }}/app.ini section={{ item.section }} option={{ item.option }} value={{ item.value }} state={{ item.state }} owner={{ gitea_user }} group={{ gitea_group }} mode=0640 create=no
+    with_items: '{{ gitea_app_configurations }}'
+    when:
+      - gitea_app_ini.stat.exists
+      - gitea_app_configurations is defined
+    notify: restart gitea
+
+  - name: Install the gitea configuration file. At install time only
+    template: src=app.ini.j2 dest={{ gitea_conf_dir }}/app.ini owner={{ gitea_user }} group={{ gitea_group }} mode=0640 force=no
+    notify: restart gitea
 
   - name: Install the gitea systemd unit
     template: src=gitea.service.systemd dest=/etc/systemd/system/gitea.service