diff --git a/migrations/20170423032116-settings-set-default-retentionSecs.js b/migrations/20170423032116-settings-set-default-retentionSecs.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a963d0616
--- /dev/null
+++ b/migrations/20170423032116-settings-set-default-retentionSecs.js
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+'use strict';
+
+exports.up = function(db, callback) {
+    db.all('SELECT value FROM settings WHERE name="backup_config"', function (error, results) {
+        if (error) return callback(error);
+
+        var backupConfig = JSON.parse(results[0].value);
+        if (backupConfig.provider === 'filesystem') {
+            backupConfig.retentionSecs = 2 * 24 * 60 * 60; // 2 days
+        } else {
+            backupConfig.retentionSecs = -1;
+        }
+        db.runSql('UPDATE settings SET value=? WHERE name="backup_config"', [ JSON.stringify(backupConfig) ], callback);
+
+    });
+};
+
+exports.down = function(db, callback) {
+  callback();
+};
diff --git a/scripts/cloudron-setup b/scripts/cloudron-setup
index e9d4dd4e5..1167c389a 100755
--- a/scripts/cloudron-setup
+++ b/scripts/cloudron-setup
@@ -196,7 +196,8 @@ if [[ -z "${dataJson}" ]]; then
         "backupConfig" : {
             "provider": "filesystem",
             "backupFolder": "/var/backups",
-            "key": "${encryptionKey}"
+            "key": "${encryptionKey}",
+            "retentionSecs": 172800
         },
         "updateConfig": {
             "prerelease": ${prerelease}
diff --git a/src/settings.js b/src/settings.js
index 70a37c9f4..43a62c596 100644
--- a/src/settings.js
+++ b/src/settings.js
@@ -97,7 +97,8 @@ var gDefaults = (function () {
     result[exports.BACKUP_CONFIG_KEY] = {
         provider: 'filesystem',
         key: '',
-        backupFolder: '/var/backups'
+        backupFolder: '/var/backups',
+        retentionSecs: 172800
     };
     result[exports.TLS_CONFIG_KEY] = { provider: 'letsencrypt-prod' };
     result[exports.UPDATE_CONFIG_KEY] = { prerelease: false };