diff --git a/modules/repository/generate.go b/modules/repository/generate.go
index cb25daa10b330..2e0b7600a5948 100644
--- a/modules/repository/generate.go
+++ b/modules/repository/generate.go
@@ -303,21 +303,23 @@ func GenerateGitContent(ctx context.Context, templateRepo, generateRepo *repo_mo
 
 // GenerateRepoOptions contains the template units to generate
 type GenerateRepoOptions struct {
-	Name          string
-	DefaultBranch string
-	Description   string
-	Private       bool
-	GitContent    bool
-	Topics        bool
-	GitHooks      bool
-	Webhooks      bool
-	Avatar        bool
-	IssueLabels   bool
+	Name            string
+	DefaultBranch   string
+	Description     string
+	Private         bool
+	GitContent      bool
+	Topics          bool
+	GitHooks        bool
+	Webhooks        bool
+	Avatar          bool
+	IssueLabels     bool
+	ProtectedBranch bool
 }
 
 // IsValid checks whether at least one option is chosen for generation
 func (gro GenerateRepoOptions) IsValid() bool {
-	return gro.GitContent || gro.Topics || gro.GitHooks || gro.Webhooks || gro.Avatar || gro.IssueLabels // or other items as they are added
+	return gro.GitContent || gro.Topics || gro.GitHooks || gro.Webhooks || gro.Avatar ||
+		gro.IssueLabels || gro.ProtectedBranch // or other items as they are added
 }
 
 // GenerateRepository generates a repository from a template
diff --git a/modules/structs/repo.go b/modules/structs/repo.go
index af439ad730930..6a2ba4836bb93 100644
--- a/modules/structs/repo.go
+++ b/modules/structs/repo.go
@@ -238,6 +238,8 @@ type GenerateRepoOption struct {
 	Avatar bool `json:"avatar"`
 	// include labels in template repo
 	Labels bool `json:"labels"`
+	// include protected branches in template repo
+	ProtectedBranch bool `json:"protected_branch"`
 }
 
 // CreateBranchRepoOption options when creating a branch in a repository
diff --git a/routers/api/v1/repo/repo.go b/routers/api/v1/repo/repo.go
index d9424d9e7698b..7b0c954a73bb0 100644
--- a/routers/api/v1/repo/repo.go
+++ b/routers/api/v1/repo/repo.go
@@ -355,16 +355,17 @@ func Generate(ctx *context.APIContext) {
 	}
 
 	opts := repo_module.GenerateRepoOptions{
-		Name:          form.Name,
-		DefaultBranch: form.DefaultBranch,
-		Description:   form.Description,
-		Private:       form.Private,
-		GitContent:    form.GitContent,
-		Topics:        form.Topics,
-		GitHooks:      form.GitHooks,
-		Webhooks:      form.Webhooks,
-		Avatar:        form.Avatar,
-		IssueLabels:   form.Labels,
+		Name:            form.Name,
+		DefaultBranch:   form.DefaultBranch,
+		Description:     form.Description,
+		Private:         form.Private,
+		GitContent:      form.GitContent,
+		Topics:          form.Topics,
+		GitHooks:        form.GitHooks,
+		Webhooks:        form.Webhooks,
+		Avatar:          form.Avatar,
+		IssueLabels:     form.Labels,
+		ProtectedBranch: form.ProtectedBranch,
 	}
 
 	if !opts.IsValid() {
diff --git a/routers/web/repo/repo.go b/routers/web/repo/repo.go
index d1ccb011bb1f0..0a2b334eb90aa 100644
--- a/routers/web/repo/repo.go
+++ b/routers/web/repo/repo.go
@@ -241,15 +241,16 @@ func CreatePost(ctx *context.Context) {
 	var err error
 	if form.RepoTemplate > 0 {
 		opts := repo_module.GenerateRepoOptions{
-			Name:        form.RepoName,
-			Description: form.Description,
-			Private:     form.Private,
-			GitContent:  form.GitContent,
-			Topics:      form.Topics,
-			GitHooks:    form.GitHooks,
-			Webhooks:    form.Webhooks,
-			Avatar:      form.Avatar,
-			IssueLabels: form.Labels,
+			Name:            form.RepoName,
+			Description:     form.Description,
+			Private:         form.Private,
+			GitContent:      form.GitContent,
+			Topics:          form.Topics,
+			GitHooks:        form.GitHooks,
+			Webhooks:        form.Webhooks,
+			Avatar:          form.Avatar,
+			IssueLabels:     form.Labels,
+			ProtectedBranch: form.ProtectedBranch,
 		}
 
 		if !opts.IsValid() {
diff --git a/services/forms/repo_form.go b/services/forms/repo_form.go
index 8108a55f7a35d..a26a2d89c5d65 100644
--- a/services/forms/repo_form.go
+++ b/services/forms/repo_form.go
@@ -42,14 +42,15 @@ type CreateRepoForm struct {
 	Readme        string
 	Template      bool
 
-	RepoTemplate int64
-	GitContent   bool
-	Topics       bool
-	GitHooks     bool
-	Webhooks     bool
-	Avatar       bool
-	Labels       bool
-	TrustModel   string
+	RepoTemplate    int64
+	GitContent      bool
+	Topics          bool
+	GitHooks        bool
+	Webhooks        bool
+	Avatar          bool
+	Labels          bool
+	ProtectedBranch bool
+	TrustModel      string
 }
 
 // Validate validates the fields
diff --git a/services/repository/template.go b/services/repository/template.go
index 42174d095b035..9a69360aff66e 100644
--- a/services/repository/template.go
+++ b/services/repository/template.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/models/db"
+	git_model "code.gitea.io/gitea/models/git"
 	issues_model "code.gitea.io/gitea/models/issues"
 	repo_model "code.gitea.io/gitea/models/repo"
 	user_model "code.gitea.io/gitea/models/user"
@@ -39,6 +40,28 @@ func GenerateIssueLabels(ctx context.Context, templateRepo, generateRepo *repo_m
 	return db.Insert(ctx, newLabels)
 }
 
+func GenerateProtectedBranch(ctx context.Context, templateRepo, generateRepo *repo_model.Repository) error {
+	templateBranches, err := git_model.FindRepoProtectedBranchRules(ctx, templateRepo.ID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	// Prevent insert being called with an empty slice which would result in
+	// err "no element on slice when insert".
+	if len(templateBranches) == 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	newBranches := make([]*git_model.ProtectedBranch, 0, len(templateBranches))
+	for _, templateBranch := range templateBranches {
+		templateBranch.ID = 0
+		templateBranch.RepoID = generateRepo.ID
+		templateBranch.UpdatedUnix = 0
+		templateBranch.CreatedUnix = 0
+		newBranches = append(newBranches, templateBranch)
+	}
+	return db.Insert(ctx, newBranches)
+}
+
 // GenerateRepository generates a repository from a template
 func GenerateRepository(ctx context.Context, doer, owner *user_model.User, templateRepo *repo_model.Repository, opts repo_module.GenerateRepoOptions) (_ *repo_model.Repository, err error) {
 	if !doer.IsAdmin && !owner.CanCreateRepo() {
@@ -96,6 +119,12 @@ func GenerateRepository(ctx context.Context, doer, owner *user_model.User, templ
 			}
 		}
 
+		if opts.ProtectedBranch {
+			if err = GenerateProtectedBranch(ctx, templateRepo, generateRepo); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+
 		return nil
 	}); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/templates/repo/create.tmpl b/templates/repo/create.tmpl
index 1ec67827e5220..ce909fbbf7bf7 100644
--- a/templates/repo/create.tmpl
+++ b/templates/repo/create.tmpl
@@ -107,6 +107,13 @@
 								<label>{{.locale.Tr "repo.template.issue_labels"}}</label>
 							</div>
 						</div>
+						<div class="inline field">
+							<label></label>
+							<div class="ui checkbox">
+								<input name="protected_branch" type="checkbox" tabindex="0" {{if .protected_branch}}checked{{end}}>
+								<label>{{.locale.Tr "repo.settings.protected_branch"}}</label>
+							</div>
+						</div>
 					</div>
 
 					<div id="non_template">
diff --git a/templates/swagger/v1_json.tmpl b/templates/swagger/v1_json.tmpl
index 0dfbc9c69596e..7b3a616740ca2 100644
--- a/templates/swagger/v1_json.tmpl
+++ b/templates/swagger/v1_json.tmpl
@@ -18906,6 +18906,11 @@
           "type": "boolean",
           "x-go-name": "Private"
         },
+        "protected_branch": {
+          "description": "include protected branches in template repo",
+          "type": "boolean",
+          "x-go-name": "ProtectedBranch"
+        },
         "topics": {
           "description": "include topics in template repo",
           "type": "boolean",