diff --git a/mercurial/hgweb/webcommands.py b/mercurial/hgweb/webcommands.py
--- a/mercurial/hgweb/webcommands.py
+++ b/mercurial/hgweb/webcommands.py
@@ -1113,7 +1113,7 @@ def archive(web, req, tmpl):
         raise ErrorResponse(HTTP_NOT_FOUND, msg)
 
     if not ((type_ in allowed or
-        web.configbool("web", "allow" + type_, False))):
+             web.configbool("web", "allow" + type_))):
         msg = 'Archive type not allowed: %s' % type_
         raise ErrorResponse(HTTP_FORBIDDEN, msg)
 
diff --git a/tests/test-archive.t b/tests/test-archive.t
--- a/tests/test-archive.t
+++ b/tests/test-archive.t
@@ -24,7 +24,15 @@
   $ cp .hg/hgrc .hg/hgrc-base
   > test_archtype() {
   >     echo "allow_archive = $1" >> .hg/hgrc
-  >     hg serve -p $HGPORT -d --pid-file=hg.pid -E errors.log
+  >     test_archtype_run "$@"
+  > }
+  > test_archtype_deprecated() {
+  >     echo "allow$1 = True" >> .hg/hgrc
+  >     test_archtype_run "$@"
+  > }
+  > test_archtype_run() {
+  >     hg serve -p $HGPORT -d --pid-file=hg.pid -E errors.log \
+  >         --config extensions.blackbox= --config blackbox.track=develwarn
   >     cat hg.pid >> $DAEMON_PIDS
   >     echo % $1 allowed should give 200
   >     get-with-headers.py localhost:$HGPORT "archive/tip.$2" | head -n 1
@@ -33,6 +41,7 @@
   >     get-with-headers.py localhost:$HGPORT "archive/tip.$4" | head -n 1
   >     killdaemons.py
   >     cat errors.log
+  >     hg blackbox --config extensions.blackbox= --config blackbox.track=
   >     cp .hg/hgrc-base .hg/hgrc
   > }
 
@@ -57,6 +66,27 @@ check http return codes
   403 Archive type not allowed: gz
   403 Archive type not allowed: bz2
 
+check http return codes (with deprecated option)
+
+  $ test_archtype_deprecated gz tar.gz tar.bz2 zip
+  % gz allowed should give 200
+  200 Script output follows
+  % tar.bz2 and zip disallowed should both give 403
+  403 Archive type not allowed: bz2
+  403 Archive type not allowed: zip
+  $ test_archtype_deprecated bz2 tar.bz2 zip tar.gz
+  % bz2 allowed should give 200
+  200 Script output follows
+  % zip and tar.gz disallowed should both give 403
+  403 Archive type not allowed: zip
+  403 Archive type not allowed: gz
+  $ test_archtype_deprecated zip zip tar.gz tar.bz2
+  % zip allowed should give 200
+  200 Script output follows
+  % tar.gz and tar.bz2 disallowed should both give 403
+  403 Archive type not allowed: gz
+  403 Archive type not allowed: bz2
+
   $ echo "allow_archive = gz bz2 zip" >> .hg/hgrc
   $ hg serve -p $HGPORT -d --pid-file=hg.pid -E errors.log
   $ cat hg.pid >> $DAEMON_PIDS