diff --git a/app/models/global_setting.rb b/app/models/global_setting.rb
index 387468d9b3a..850f75f5aa0 100644
--- a/app/models/global_setting.rb
+++ b/app/models/global_setting.rb
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ class GlobalSetting
     end
 
     def read
-      File.read(@file).split("\n").each do |line|
+      ERB.new(File.read(@file)).result().split("\n").each do |line|
         if line =~ /([a-z_]+)\s*=\s*(\"([^\"]*)\"|\'([^\']*)\'|[^#]*)/
           @data[$1.strip.to_sym] = ($4 || $3 || $2).strip
         end
diff --git a/config/discourse_defaults.conf b/config/discourse_defaults.conf
index ebaa77e5d6f..424a0371c9c 100644
--- a/config/discourse_defaults.conf
+++ b/config/discourse_defaults.conf
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #
 # DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
 # If you need to make changes create a file called discourse.conf in this directory with your changes
+# On inport this file will be imported using ERB
 #
 
 # Discourse supports multiple mechanisms for production config.
diff --git a/spec/models/global_setting_spec.rb b/spec/models/global_setting_spec.rb
index 54d81c9a9c0..eb02e192ff4 100644
--- a/spec/models/global_setting_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/global_setting_spec.rb
@@ -31,4 +31,16 @@ describe GlobalSetting::FileProvider do
     f.unlink
   end
 
+  it "uses ERB" do
+    f = Tempfile.new('foo')
+    f.write("a = <%= 500 %>  # this is a comment\n")
+    f.close
+
+    provider = GlobalSetting::FileProvider.from(f.path)
+
+    provider.lookup(:a,"").should == 500
+
+    f.unlink
+  end
+
 end