diff --git a/doc/docker.md b/doc/docker.md
index 72cc6437c..e45a1fbb3 100644
--- a/doc/docker.md
+++ b/doc/docker.md
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ Available options:
 * `DB_PASS`: the password for the database username
 * `DB_CHARSET`: the character set for the tables (only required for MySQL)
 * `DB_FILENAME`: in case `DB_TYPE` is `DirtyDB`, the database filename. Default: `var/dirty.db`
+* `DEFAULT_PAD_TEXT`: The default text of a pad
 * `ADMIN_PASSWORD`: the password for the `admin` user (leave unspecified if you do not want to create it)
 * `USER_PASSWORD`: the password for the first user `user` (leave unspecified if you do not want to create it)
 * `TRUST_PROXY`: set to `true` if you are using a reverse proxy in front of Etherpad (for example: Traefik for SSL termination via Let's Encrypt). This will affect security and correctness of the logs if not done
diff --git a/settings.json.docker b/settings.json.docker
index 5c6188d13..b389a63a2 100644
--- a/settings.json.docker
+++ b/settings.json.docker
@@ -65,6 +65,10 @@
  *    "password": "${PASSW}"  // if PASSW is not defined would result in password === null
  *    "password": "${PASSW:}" // if PASSW is not defined would result in password === ''
  *
+ * 3) if you want to use newlines in the default value of a string parameter,
+ *    use "\n" as usual.
+ *
+ *    "defaultPadText" : "${DEFAULT_PAD_TEXT}Line 1\nLine 2"
  */
 {
   /*
@@ -159,7 +163,7 @@
   /*
    * The default text of a pad
    */
-  "defaultPadText" : "Welcome to Etherpad!\n\nThis pad text is synchronized as you type, so that everyone viewing this page sees the same text. This allows you to collaborate seamlessly on documents!\n\nGet involved with Etherpad at http:\/\/etherpad.org\n",
+  "defaultPadText" : "${DEFAULT_PAD_TEXT:Welcome to Etherpad!\n\nThis pad text is synchronized as you type, so that everyone viewing this page sees the same text. This allows you to collaborate seamlessly on documents!\n\nGet involved with Etherpad at http:\/\/etherpad.org\n}",
 
   /*
    * Default Pad behavior.
diff --git a/settings.json.template b/settings.json.template
index 329f1f6cc..b8f97e700 100644
--- a/settings.json.template
+++ b/settings.json.template
@@ -56,6 +56,10 @@
  *    "password": "${PASSW}"  // if PASSW is not defined would result in password === null
  *    "password": "${PASSW:}" // if PASSW is not defined would result in password === ''
  *
+ * 3) if you want to use newlines in the default value of a string parameter,
+ *    use "\n" as usual.
+ *
+ *    "defaultPadText" : "${DEFAULT_PAD_TEXT}Line 1\nLine 2"
  */
 {
   /*
diff --git a/src/node/utils/Settings.js b/src/node/utils/Settings.js
index f64d65878..e44a01282 100644
--- a/src/node/utils/Settings.js
+++ b/src/node/utils/Settings.js
@@ -474,7 +474,7 @@ function lookupEnvironmentVariables(obj) {
      * "${ENV_VAR}" or "${ENV_VAR:default_value}")
      */
     // MUXATOR 2019-03-21: we could use named capture groups here once we migrate to nodejs v10
-    const match = value.match(/^\$\{([^:]*)(:(.*))?\}$/);
+    const match = value.match(/^\$\{([^:]*)(:((.|\n)*))?\}$/);
 
     if (match === null) {
       // no match: use the value literally, without any substitution