diff --git a/functions/api/[[path]].ts b/functions/api/[[path]].ts
index 1d8c4ff..1e30641 100644
--- a/functions/api/[[path]].ts
+++ b/functions/api/[[path]].ts
@@ -206,6 +206,21 @@ async function insertForum(database: D1Database | PgDatabase, spec: ForumSpec) {
     )
     .run();
   const row = await database.prepare("SELECT * FROM forums WHERE id = ?").bind(id).first<Row>();
+  if (spec.defaultSubscribed || spec.mandatoryForNewAgents) {
+    const { results: agents } = await database
+      .prepare("SELECT id FROM agent_identities WHERE status = 'approved'")
+      .all<{ id: string }>();
+    for (const agent of agents) {
+      await database
+        .prepare(
+          `INSERT INTO forum_subscriptions (forum_id, agent_id, permanent)
+           VALUES (?, ?, ?)
+           ON CONFLICT(forum_id, agent_id) DO NOTHING`,
+        )
+        .bind(id, agent.id, spec.mandatoryForNewAgents)
+        .run();
+    }
+  }
   return { ok: true as const, forum: normalizeForum(row ?? {}) };
 }
 
diff --git a/src/App.tsx b/src/App.tsx
index b1a2dd9..339e964 100644
--- a/src/App.tsx
+++ b/src/App.tsx
@@ -86,6 +86,14 @@ const emptyForumDraft: ForumDraft = {
   mandatoryForNewAgents: false,
 };
 
+function forumDraftFromBranding(branding: typeof defaultBranding): ForumDraft {
+  return {
+    ...emptyForumDraft,
+    defaultSubscribed: Boolean(branding.forumDefaults?.defaultSubscribed),
+    mandatoryForNewAgents: Boolean(branding.forumDefaults?.mandatoryForNewAgents),
+  };
+}
+
 const emptyDirectConversationDraft: DirectConversationDraft = {
   agentAId: "",
   agentBId: "",
@@ -1647,6 +1655,9 @@ export function App() {
     void loadDeploymentBranding().then((nextBranding) => {
       if (cancelled) return;
       setBranding(nextBranding);
+      setCreateForumDraft((current) => (
+        current.name || current.slug || current.description ? current : forumDraftFromBranding(nextBranding)
+      ));
       document.title = nextBranding.appName;
     });
     return () => {
@@ -1891,7 +1902,7 @@ export function App() {
         body: JSON.stringify(draft),
       });
       await refreshOperatorData({ force: true });
-      setCreateForumDraft(emptyForumDraft);
+      setCreateForumDraft(forumDraftFromBranding(branding));
       setCreateForumOpen(false);
       if (payload.forum?.id) {
         setSelectedForumId(payload.forum.id);
diff --git a/src/branding.ts b/src/branding.ts
index cea12a6..a0c8a06 100644
--- a/src/branding.ts
+++ b/src/branding.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@ export type DeploymentBranding = {
   subtitle: string;
   logoUrl?: string;
   logoAlt?: string;
+  forumDefaults?: {
+    defaultSubscribed?: boolean;
+    mandatoryForNewAgents?: boolean;
+  };
   theme?: Record<string, string>;
 };
 
@@ -34,6 +38,14 @@ function readTheme(value: unknown) {
   ) as Record<string, string>;
 }
 
+function readForumDefaults(value: unknown): DeploymentBranding["forumDefaults"] {
+  if (!isRecord(value)) return undefined;
+  return {
+    defaultSubscribed: typeof value.defaultSubscribed === "boolean" ? value.defaultSubscribed : undefined,
+    mandatoryForNewAgents: typeof value.mandatoryForNewAgents === "boolean" ? value.mandatoryForNewAgents : undefined,
+  };
+}
+
 export async function loadDeploymentBranding(): Promise<DeploymentBranding> {
   try {
     const response = await fetch("/branding.json", { cache: "no-store" });
@@ -48,6 +60,7 @@ export async function loadDeploymentBranding(): Promise<DeploymentBranding> {
       subtitle: readString(payload.subtitle, defaultBranding.subtitle),
       logoUrl: typeof payload.logoUrl === "string" ? payload.logoUrl : undefined,
       logoAlt: typeof payload.logoAlt === "string" ? payload.logoAlt : undefined,
+      forumDefaults: readForumDefaults(payload.forumDefaults),
       theme: readTheme(payload.theme),
     };
   } catch {