diff --git a/app/controllers/admin/settings_controller.rb b/app/controllers/admin/settings_controller.rb
index 5985d628293..c5e6fe4e50e 100644
--- a/app/controllers/admin/settings_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/admin/settings_controller.rb
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ module Admin
       closed_registrations_message
       open_deletion
       timeline_preview
+      bootstrap_timeline_accounts
     ).freeze
 
     BOOLEAN_SETTINGS = %w(
diff --git a/app/controllers/auth/confirmations_controller.rb b/app/controllers/auth/confirmations_controller.rb
index 2fdb281f40e..d5e8e58ede3 100644
--- a/app/controllers/auth/confirmations_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/auth/confirmations_controller.rb
@@ -2,4 +2,10 @@
 
 class Auth::ConfirmationsController < Devise::ConfirmationsController
   layout 'auth'
+
+  def show
+    super do |user|
+      BootstrapTimelineWorker.perform_async(user.account_id) if user.errors.empty?
+    end
+  end
 end
diff --git a/app/models/form/admin_settings.rb b/app/models/form/admin_settings.rb
index c3a04ba652d..2b148c82b85 100644
--- a/app/models/form/admin_settings.rb
+++ b/app/models/form/admin_settings.rb
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ class Form::AdminSettings
     :open_deletion=,
     :timeline_preview,
     :timeline_preview=,
+    :bootstrap_timeline_accounts,
+    :bootstrap_timeline_accounts=,
     to: Setting
   )
 end
diff --git a/app/services/bootstrap_timeline_service.rb b/app/services/bootstrap_timeline_service.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c01e25824f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/services/bootstrap_timeline_service.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+class BootstrapTimelineService < BaseService
+  def call(source_account)
+    bootstrap_timeline_accounts.each do |target_account|
+      FollowService.new.call(source_account, target_account)
+    end
+  end
+
+  private
+
+  def bootstrap_timeline_accounts
+    return @bootstrap_timeline_accounts if defined?(@bootstrap_timeline_accounts)
+
+    @bootstrap_timeline_accounts = bootstrap_timeline_accounts_usernames.empty? ? admin_accounts : local_unlocked_accounts(bootstrap_timeline_accounts_usernames)
+  end
+
+  def bootstrap_timeline_accounts_usernames
+    @bootstrap_timeline_accounts_usernames ||= (Setting.bootstrap_timeline_accounts || '').split(',').map { |str| str.strip.gsub(/\A@/, '') }.reject(&:blank?)
+  end
+
+  def admin_accounts
+    User.admins
+        .includes(:account)
+        .where(accounts: { locked: false })
+        .map(&:account)
+  end
+
+  def local_unlocked_accounts(usernames)
+    Account.local
+           .where(username: usernames)
+           .where(locked: false)
+  end
+end
diff --git a/app/services/follow_service.rb b/app/services/follow_service.rb
index 941556b6046..791773f250b 100644
--- a/app/services/follow_service.rb
+++ b/app/services/follow_service.rb
@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@ class FollowService < BaseService
 
   # Follow a remote user, notify remote user about the follow
   # @param [Account] source_account From which to follow
-  # @param [String] uri User URI to follow in the form of username@domain
+  # @param [String, Account] uri User URI to follow in the form of username@domain (or account record)
   def call(source_account, uri)
-    target_account = ResolveRemoteAccountService.new.call(uri)
+    target_account = uri.is_a?(Account) ? uri : ResolveRemoteAccountService.new.call(uri)
 
     raise ActiveRecord::RecordNotFound if target_account.nil? || target_account.id == source_account.id || target_account.suspended?
     raise Mastodon::NotPermittedError  if target_account.blocking?(source_account) || source_account.blocking?(target_account)
diff --git a/app/views/admin/settings/edit.html.haml b/app/views/admin/settings/edit.html.haml
index 9f8a6640b24..50d019ec425 100644
--- a/app/views/admin/settings/edit.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/admin/settings/edit.html.haml
@@ -28,5 +28,10 @@
     = f.input :site_extended_description, wrapper: :with_block_label, as: :text, label: t('admin.settings.site_description_extended.title'), hint: t('admin.settings.site_description_extended.desc_html'), input_html: { rows: 8 }
     = f.input :site_terms, wrapper: :with_block_label, as: :text, label: t('admin.settings.site_terms.title'), hint: t('admin.settings.site_terms.desc_html'), input_html: { rows: 8 }
 
+  %hr/
+
+  .fields-group
+    = f.input :bootstrap_timeline_accounts, wrapper: :with_block_label, label: t('admin.settings.bootstrap_timeline_accounts.title'), hint: t('admin.settings.bootstrap_timeline_accounts.desc_html')
+
   .actions
     = f.button :button, t('generic.save_changes'), type: :submit
diff --git a/app/workers/bootstrap_timeline_worker.rb b/app/workers/bootstrap_timeline_worker.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..89cfb4c3ae4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/workers/bootstrap_timeline_worker.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+class BootstrapTimelineWorker
+  include Sidekiq::Worker
+
+  def perform(account_id)
+    BootstrapTimelineService.new.call(Account.find(account_id))
+  end
+end
diff --git a/config/locales/en.yml b/config/locales/en.yml
index 4160745f852..64fc556f3d5 100644
--- a/config/locales/en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/en.yml
@@ -167,6 +167,9 @@ en:
       unresolved: Unresolved
       view: View
     settings:
+      bootstrap_timeline_accounts:
+        desc_html: Separate multiple usernames by comma. Only local and unlocked accounts will work. Default when empty is all local admins.
+        title: Default follows for new users
       contact_information:
         email: Business e-mail
         username: Contact username
diff --git a/config/settings.yml b/config/settings.yml
index 2ab91a102f7..ba63afa924a 100644
--- a/config/settings.yml
+++ b/config/settings.yml
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ defaults: &defaults
     - root
     - webmaster
     - administrator
+  bootstrap_timeline_accounts: ''
 
 development:
   <<: *defaults
diff --git a/spec/controllers/auth/confirmations_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/auth/confirmations_controller_spec.rb
index cf7f91e528e..2ec36c060b4 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/auth/confirmations_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/auth/confirmations_controller_spec.rb
@@ -10,4 +10,22 @@ describe Auth::ConfirmationsController, type: :controller do
       expect(response).to have_http_status(:success)
     end
   end
+
+  describe 'GET #show' do
+    let!(:user) { Fabricate(:user, confirmation_token: 'foobar', confirmed_at: nil) }
+
+    before do
+      allow(BootstrapTimelineWorker).to receive(:perform_async)
+      @request.env['devise.mapping'] = Devise.mappings[:user]
+      get :show, params: { confirmation_token: 'foobar' }
+    end
+
+    it 'redirects to login' do
+      expect(response).to redirect_to(new_user_session_path)
+    end
+
+    it 'queues up bootstrapping of home timeline' do
+      expect(BootstrapTimelineWorker).to have_received(:perform_async).with(user.account_id)
+    end
+  end
 end
diff --git a/spec/services/bootstrap_timeline_service_spec.rb b/spec/services/bootstrap_timeline_service_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5189b1de84e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/services/bootstrap_timeline_service_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+require 'rails_helper'
+
+RSpec.describe BootstrapTimelineService do
+  subject { described_class.new }
+
+  describe '#call' do
+    let(:source_account) { Fabricate(:account) }
+
+    context 'when setting is empty' do
+      let!(:admin) { Fabricate(:user, admin: true) }
+
+      before do
+        Setting.bootstrap_timeline_accounts = nil
+        subject.call(source_account)
+      end
+
+      it 'follows admin accounts from account' do
+        expect(source_account.following?(admin.account)).to be true
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'when setting is set' do
+      let!(:alice) { Fabricate(:account, username: 'alice') }
+      let!(:bob)   { Fabricate(:account, username: 'bob') }
+
+      before do
+        Setting.bootstrap_timeline_accounts = 'alice, bob'
+        subject.call(source_account)
+      end
+
+      it 'follows found accounts from account' do
+        expect(source_account.following?(alice)).to be true
+        expect(source_account.following?(bob)).to be true
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end