diff --git a/api/funkwhale_api/common/preferences.py b/api/funkwhale_api/common/preferences.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..e6eb8bedaaa140a6fc496258d839a242e7e9e213
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/funkwhale_api/common/preferences.py
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+from django.conf import settings
+from dynamic_preferences.registries import global_preferences_registry
+
+
+class DefaultFromSettingMixin(object):
+    def get_default(self):
+        return getattr(settings, self.setting)
+
+
+def get(pref):
+    manager = global_preferences_registry.manager()
+    return manager[pref]