diff --git a/src/components/settings_modal/settings_modal_admin_content.js b/src/components/settings_modal/settings_modal_admin_content.js
index 07d4cf2ee7..1c239e595b 100644
--- a/src/components/settings_modal/settings_modal_admin_content.js
+++ b/src/components/settings_modal/settings_modal_admin_content.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import { library } from '@fortawesome/fontawesome-svg-core'
 import {
   faWrench,
   faHand,
-  faFilter,
+  faLaptopCode,
   faPaintBrush,
   faBell,
   faDownload,
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import {
 library.add(
   faWrench,
   faHand,
-  faFilter,
+  faLaptopCode,
   faPaintBrush,
   faBell,
   faDownload,
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ const SettingsModalAdminContent = {
     LimitsTab
   },
   computed: {
+    user () {
+      return this.$store.state.users.currentUser
+    },
     isLoggedIn () {
       return !!this.$store.state.users.currentUser
     },
@@ -46,6 +49,17 @@ const SettingsModalAdminContent = {
     },
     bodyLock () {
       return this.$store.state.interface.settingsModalState === 'visible'
+    },
+    adminDbLoaded () {
+      return this.$store.state.adminSettings.loaded
+    },
+    noDb () {
+      return this.$store.state.adminSettings.dbConfigEnabled === false
+    }
+  },
+  created () {
+    if (this.user.rights.admin) {
+      this.$store.dispatch('loadAdminStuff')
     }
   },
   methods: {
diff --git a/src/components/settings_modal/settings_modal_admin_content.vue b/src/components/settings_modal/settings_modal_admin_content.vue
index 52c6ddf5f7..ae670a9096 100644
--- a/src/components/settings_modal/settings_modal_admin_content.vue
+++ b/src/components/settings_modal/settings_modal_admin_content.vue
@@ -4,9 +4,40 @@
     class="settings_tab-switcher"
     :side-tab-bar="true"
     :scrollable-tabs="true"
+    :render-only-focused="true"
     :body-scroll-lock="bodyLock"
   >
     <div
+      v-if="noDb"
+      :label="$t('admin_dash.tabs.nodb')"
+      icon="exclamation-triangle"
+      data-tab-name="nodb-notice"
+    >
+      <div :label="$t('admin_dash.tabs.nodb')">
+        <div class="setting-item">
+          <h2>{{ $t('admin_dash.nodb.heading') }}</h2>
+          <i18n-t keypath="admin_dash.nodb.text">
+            <template #documentation>
+              <a
+                href="https://docs-develop.pleroma.social/backend/configuration/howto_database_config/"
+                target="_blank"
+              >
+                {{ $t("admin_dash.nodb.documentation") }}
+              </a>
+            </template>
+            <template #property>
+              <code>config :pleroma, configurable_from_database</code>
+            </template>
+            <template #value>
+              <code>true</code>
+            </template>
+          </i18n-t>
+          <p>{{ $t('admin_dash.nodb.text2') }}</p>
+        </div>
+      </div>
+    </div>
+    <div
+      v-if="adminDbLoaded"
       :label="$t('admin_dash.tabs.instance')"
       icon="wrench"
       data-tab-name="general"
@@ -14,12 +45,20 @@
       <InstanceTab />
     </div>
     <div
+      v-if="adminDbLoaded"
       :label="$t('admin_dash.tabs.limits')"
       icon="hand"
       data-tab-name="limits"
     >
       <LimitsTab />
     </div>
+    <div
+      :label="$t('admin_dash.tabs.frontends')"
+      icon="laptop-code"
+      data-tab-name="frontends"
+    >
+      <FrontendsTab />
+    </div>
   </tab-switcher>
 </template>
 
diff --git a/src/i18n/en.json b/src/i18n/en.json
index dd78d14821..86ae7f06d9 100644
--- a/src/i18n/en.json
+++ b/src/i18n/en.json
@@ -845,8 +845,16 @@
     "reset_all": "Reset all",
     "commit_all": "Save all",
     "tabs": {
+      "nodb": "No DB Config",
       "instance": "Instance",
-      "limits": "Limits"
+      "limits": "Limits",
+      "frontends": "Front-ends"
+    },
+    "nodb": {
+      "heading": "Database config is disabled",
+      "text": "You need to change backend config files so that {property} is set to {value}, see more in {documentation}.",
+      "documentation": "documentation",
+      "text2": "Most configuration options will be unavailable."
     },
     "captcha": {
       "native": "Native",
diff --git a/src/modules/adminSettings.js b/src/modules/adminSettings.js
index 25fb8e5019..fef73974cb 100644
--- a/src/modules/adminSettings.js
+++ b/src/modules/adminSettings.js
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 import { set, get, cloneDeep, differenceWith, isEqual, flatten } from 'lodash'
 
 export const defaultState = {
+  loaded: false,
   needsReboot: null,
   config: null,
   modifiedPaths: null,
   descriptions: null,
-  draft: null
+  draft: null,
+  dbConfigEnabled: null
 }
 
 export const newUserFlags = {
@@ -17,7 +19,13 @@ const adminSettingsStorage = {
     ...cloneDeep(defaultState)
   },
   mutations: {
+    setInstanceAdminNoDbConfig (state) {
+      state.loaded = false
+      state.dbConfigEnabled = false
+    },
     updateAdminSettings (state, { config, modifiedPaths }) {
+      state.loaded = true
+      state.dbConfigEnabled = true
       state.config = config
       state.modifiedPaths = modifiedPaths
     },
@@ -40,6 +48,26 @@ const adminSettingsStorage = {
     }
   },
   actions: {
+    loadAdminStuff ({ state, rootState, dispatch, commit }) {
+      rootState.api.backendInteractor.fetchInstanceDBConfig()
+        .then(backendDbConfig => {
+          if (backendDbConfig.error) {
+            if (backendDbConfig.error.status === 400) {
+              backendDbConfig.error.json().then(errorJson => {
+                if (/configurable_from_database/.test(errorJson.error)) {
+                  commit('setInstanceAdminNoDbConfig')
+                }
+              })
+            }
+          } else {
+            dispatch('setInstanceAdminSettings', { backendDbConfig })
+          }
+        })
+      if (state.descriptions === null) {
+        rootState.api.backendInteractor.fetchInstanceConfigDescriptions()
+          .then(backendDescriptions => this.$store.dispatch('setInstanceAdminDescriptions', { backendDescriptions }))
+      }
+    },
     setInstanceAdminSettings ({ state, commit, dispatch }, { backendDbConfig }) {
       const config = state.config || {}
       const modifiedPaths = new Set()
diff --git a/src/modules/users.js b/src/modules/users.js
index 45cba334a0..a23f6d7d62 100644
--- a/src/modules/users.js
+++ b/src/modules/users.js
@@ -564,12 +564,6 @@ const users = {
               user.domainMutes = []
               commit('setCurrentUser', user)
               commit('setServerSideStorage', user)
-              if (user.rights.admin) {
-                store.rootState.api.backendInteractor.fetchInstanceDBConfig()
-                  .then(backendDbConfig => dispatch('setInstanceAdminSettings', { backendDbConfig }))
-                store.rootState.api.backendInteractor.fetchInstanceConfigDescriptions()
-                  .then(backendDescriptions => dispatch('setInstanceAdminDescriptions', { backendDescriptions }))
-              }
               commit('addNewUsers', [user])
 
               dispatch('fetchEmoji')