diff --git a/rhodecode/config/environment.py b/rhodecode/config/environment.py
--- a/rhodecode/config/environment.py
+++ b/rhodecode/config/environment.py
@@ -165,9 +165,6 @@ def load_environment(global_conf, app_co
     if vcs_server_enabled:
         connect_vcs(vcs_server_uri, utils.get_vcs_server_protocol(config))
 
-    import_on_startup = str2bool(config.get('startup.import_repos', False))
-    if vcs_server_enabled and import_on_startup:
-        repo2db_mapper(ScmModel().repo_scan(repos_path), remove_obsolete=False)
     return config
 
 
diff --git a/rhodecode/config/middleware.py b/rhodecode/config/middleware.py
--- a/rhodecode/config/middleware.py
+++ b/rhodecode/config/middleware.py
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ from pyramid.settings import asbool, asl
 from pyramid.wsgi import wsgiapp
 from pyramid.httpexceptions import HTTPError, HTTPInternalServerError
 from pylons.controllers.util import abort, redirect
+from pyramid.events import ApplicationCreated
 import pyramid.httpexceptions as httpexceptions
 from pyramid.renderers import render_to_response, render
 from routes.middleware import RoutesMiddleware
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@ from rhodecode.lib.middleware.disable_vc
 from rhodecode.lib.middleware.https_fixup import HttpsFixup
 from rhodecode.lib.middleware.vcs import VCSMiddleware
 from rhodecode.lib.plugins.utils import register_rhodecode_plugin
+from rhodecode.subscribers import scan_repositories_if_enabled
 
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -257,6 +259,9 @@ def includeme(config):
     config.add_route(
         'rhodecode_support', 'https://rhodecode.com/help/', static=True)
 
+    # Add subscribers.
+    config.add_subscriber(scan_repositories_if_enabled, ApplicationCreated)
+
     # Set the authorization policy.
     authz_policy = ACLAuthorizationPolicy()
     config.set_authorization_policy(authz_policy)
diff --git a/rhodecode/subscribers.py b/rhodecode/subscribers.py
--- a/rhodecode/subscribers.py
+++ b/rhodecode/subscribers.py
@@ -53,3 +53,18 @@ def add_localizer(event):
 
     request.localizer = localizer
     request.translate = auto_translate
+
+
+def scan_repositories_if_enabled(event):
+    """
+    This is subscribed to the `pyramid.events.ApplicationCreated` event. It
+    does a repository scan if enabled in the settings.
+    """
+    from rhodecode.model.scm import ScmModel
+    from rhodecode.lib.utils import repo2db_mapper, get_rhodecode_base_path
+    settings = event.app.registry.settings
+    vcs_server_enabled = settings['vcs.server.enable']
+    import_on_startup = settings['startup.import_repos']
+    if vcs_server_enabled and import_on_startup:
+        repositories = ScmModel().repo_scan(get_rhodecode_base_path())
+        repo2db_mapper(repositories, remove_obsolete=False)