diff --git a/api/config/settings/common.py b/api/config/settings/common.py
index dea9cbbe0..3d2e20560 100644
--- a/api/config/settings/common.py
+++ b/api/config/settings/common.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ from __future__ import absolute_import, unicode_literals
 
 import datetime
 import logging.config
+import os
 import sys
 
 from urllib.parse import urlsplit
@@ -126,6 +127,11 @@ FUNKWHALE_SPA_REWRITE_MANIFEST_URL = env.bool(
 
 APP_NAME = "Funkwhale"
 
+# XXX: for backward compat with django 2.2, remove this when django 2.2 support is dropped
+os.environ["DJANGO_ALLOW_ASYNC_UNSAFE"] = env.bool(
+    "DJANGO_ALLOW_ASYNC_UNSAFE", default="true"
+)
+
 # XXX: deprecated, see #186
 FEDERATION_ENABLED = env.bool("FEDERATION_ENABLED", default=True)
 FEDERATION_HOSTNAME = env("FEDERATION_HOSTNAME", default=FUNKWHALE_HOSTNAME).lower()