diff --git a/src/core/main.go b/src/core/main.go
index 40e052b2f..696ccc8a9 100755
--- a/src/core/main.go
+++ b/src/core/main.go
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/goharbor/harbor/src/lib/orm"
 	tracelib "github.com/goharbor/harbor/src/lib/trace"
 	"github.com/goharbor/harbor/src/migration"
+	dbCfg "github.com/goharbor/harbor/src/pkg/config/db"
 	_ "github.com/goharbor/harbor/src/pkg/config/inmemory"
 	"github.com/goharbor/harbor/src/pkg/notification"
 	_ "github.com/goharbor/harbor/src/pkg/notifier/topic"
@@ -176,6 +177,9 @@ func main() {
 		if err := cache.Initialize(u.Scheme, redisURL); err != nil {
 			log.Fatalf("failed to initialize cache: %v", err)
 		}
+		// when config/db init function is called, the cache is not ready,
+		// enable config cache explicitly when the cache is ready
+		dbCfg.EnableConfigCache()
 	}
 	beego.AddTemplateExt("htm")
 
diff --git a/src/pkg/config/db/manager.go b/src/pkg/config/db/manager.go
index 48df44c25..45ac34dbb 100644
--- a/src/pkg/config/db/manager.go
+++ b/src/pkg/config/db/manager.go
@@ -44,3 +44,12 @@ func NewDBCfgManager() *config.CfgManager {
 	manager.LoadSystemConfigFromEnv()
 	return manager
 }
+
+// EnableConfigCache ...
+func EnableConfigCache() {
+	if cache.Default() == nil {
+		log.Error("failed to enable config cache, cache is not ready.")
+		return
+	}
+	libCfg.Register(common.DBCfgManager, NewDBCfgManager())
+}