diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index defd747..263d02b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -984,22 +984,23 @@ To comply with the Gitea helm chart definition of the digest parameter, a "custo
 
 ### Gitea
 
-| Name                                   | Description                                                               | Value                |
-| -------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------- |
-| `gitea.admin.username`                 | Username for the Gitea admin user                                         | `gitea_admin`        |
-| `gitea.admin.existingSecret`           | Use an existing secret to store admin user credentials                    | `nil`                |
-| `gitea.admin.password`                 | Password for the Gitea admin user                                         | `r8sA8CPHD9!bt6d`    |
-| `gitea.admin.email`                    | Email for the Gitea admin user                                            | `gitea@local.domain` |
-| `gitea.metrics.enabled`                | Enable Gitea metrics                                                      | `false`              |
-| `gitea.metrics.serviceMonitor.enabled` | Enable Gitea metrics service monitor                                      | `false`              |
-| `gitea.ldap`                           | LDAP configuration                                                        | `[]`                 |
-| `gitea.oauth`                          | OAuth configuration                                                       | `[]`                 |
-| `gitea.config.server.SSH_PORT`         | SSH port for rootlful Gitea image                                         | `22`                 |
-| `gitea.config.server.SSH_LISTEN_PORT`  | SSH port for rootless Gitea image                                         | `2222`               |
-| `gitea.additionalConfigSources`        | Additional configuration from secret or configmap                         | `[]`                 |
-| `gitea.additionalConfigFromEnvs`       | Additional configuration sources from environment variables               | `[]`                 |
-| `gitea.podAnnotations`                 | Annotations for the Gitea pod                                             | `{}`                 |
-| `gitea.ssh.logLevel`                   | Configure OpenSSH's log level. Only available for root-based Gitea image. | `INFO`               |
+| Name                                   | Description                                                                                                                   | Value                |
+| -------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------- |
+| `gitea.admin.username`                 | Username for the Gitea admin user                                                                                             | `gitea_admin`        |
+| `gitea.admin.existingSecret`           | Use an existing secret to store admin user credentials                                                                        | `nil`                |
+| `gitea.admin.password`                 | Password for the Gitea admin user                                                                                             | `r8sA8CPHD9!bt6d`    |
+| `gitea.admin.email`                    | Email for the Gitea admin user                                                                                                | `gitea@local.domain` |
+| `gitea.admin.passwordMode`             | Mode for how to set/update the admin user password. Options are: initialOnlyNoReset, initialOnlyRequireReset, and keepUpdated | `keepUpdated`        |
+| `gitea.metrics.enabled`                | Enable Gitea metrics                                                                                                          | `false`              |
+| `gitea.metrics.serviceMonitor.enabled` | Enable Gitea metrics service monitor                                                                                          | `false`              |
+| `gitea.ldap`                           | LDAP configuration                                                                                                            | `[]`                 |
+| `gitea.oauth`                          | OAuth configuration                                                                                                           | `[]`                 |
+| `gitea.config.server.SSH_PORT`         | SSH port for rootlful Gitea image                                                                                             | `22`                 |
+| `gitea.config.server.SSH_LISTEN_PORT`  | SSH port for rootless Gitea image                                                                                             | `2222`               |
+| `gitea.additionalConfigSources`        | Additional configuration from secret or configmap                                                                             | `[]`                 |
+| `gitea.additionalConfigFromEnvs`       | Additional configuration sources from environment variables                                                                   | `[]`                 |
+| `gitea.podAnnotations`                 | Annotations for the Gitea pod                                                                                                 | `{}`                 |
+| `gitea.ssh.logLevel`                   | Configure OpenSSH's log level. Only available for root-based Gitea image.                                                     | `INFO`               |
 
 ### LivenessProbe
 
diff --git a/templates/gitea/deployment.yaml b/templates/gitea/deployment.yaml
index ca1bdd9..5618f2b 100644
--- a/templates/gitea/deployment.yaml
+++ b/templates/gitea/deployment.yaml
@@ -243,6 +243,8 @@ spec:
             - name: GITEA_ADMIN_PASSWORD
               value: {{ .Values.gitea.admin.password | quote }}
             {{- end }}
+            - name: GITEA_ADMIN_PASSWORD_MODE
+              value: {{ .Values.gitea.admin.passwordMode }}
             {{- if .Values.deployment.env }}
             {{- toYaml .Values.deployment.env | nindent 12 }}
             {{- end }}
diff --git a/templates/gitea/init.yaml b/templates/gitea/init.yaml
index a67166b..014e7de 100644
--- a/templates/gitea/init.yaml
+++ b/templates/gitea/init.yaml
@@ -109,13 +109,24 @@ stringData:
 
       local ACCOUNT_ID=$(echo "${actual_user_table}" | grep -E "\s+${GITEA_ADMIN_USERNAME}\s+" | awk -F " " "{printf \$1}")
       if [[ -z "${ACCOUNT_ID}" ]]; then
+        local -a create_args
+        create_args=(--admin --username "${GITEA_ADMIN_USERNAME}" --password "${GITEA_ADMIN_PASSWORD}" --email {{ .Values.gitea.admin.email | quote }})
+        if [[ "${GITEA_ADMIN_PASSWORD_MODE}" = initialOnlyRequireReset ]]; then
+          create_args+=(--must-change-password=true)
+        else
+          create_args+=(--must-change-password=false)
+        fi
         echo "No admin user '${GITEA_ADMIN_USERNAME}' found. Creating now..."
-        gitea admin user create --admin --username "${GITEA_ADMIN_USERNAME}" --password "${GITEA_ADMIN_PASSWORD}" --email {{ .Values.gitea.admin.email | quote }} --must-change-password=false
+        gitea admin user create "${create_args[@]}"
         echo '...created.'
       else
-        echo "Admin account '${GITEA_ADMIN_USERNAME}' already exist. Running update to sync password..."
-        gitea admin user change-password --username "${GITEA_ADMIN_USERNAME}" --password "${GITEA_ADMIN_PASSWORD}"
-        echo '...password sync done.'
+        if [[ "${GITEA_ADMIN_PASSWORD_MODE}" = keepUpdated ]]; then
+          echo "Admin account '${GITEA_ADMIN_USERNAME}' already exist. Running update to sync password..."
+          gitea admin user change-password --username "${GITEA_ADMIN_USERNAME}" --password "${GITEA_ADMIN_PASSWORD}" --must-change-password=false
+          echo '...password sync done.'
+        else
+          echo "Admin account '${GITEA_ADMIN_USERNAME}' already exist, but update mode is set to '${GITEA_ADMIN_PASSWORD_MODE}'. Skipping."
+        fi
       fi
     }
 
diff --git a/values.schema.json b/values.schema.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..90ac9d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/values.schema.json
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema",
+  "properties": {
+    "gitea": {
+      "type": "object",
+      "properties": {
+        "admin": {
+          "type": "object",
+          "required": [
+            "passwordMode"
+          ],
+          "properties": {
+            "passwordMode": {
+              "type": "string",
+              "enum": [
+                "initialOnlyNoReset",
+                "initialOnlyRequireReset",
+                "keepUpdated"
+              ]
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/values.yaml b/values.yaml
index 4b6f017..12e0a05 100644
--- a/values.yaml
+++ b/values.yaml
@@ -342,12 +342,14 @@ gitea:
   ## @param gitea.admin.existingSecret Use an existing secret to store admin user credentials
   ## @param gitea.admin.password Password for the Gitea admin user
   ## @param gitea.admin.email Email for the Gitea admin user
+  ## @param gitea.admin.passwordMode Mode for how to set/update the admin user password. Options are: initialOnlyNoReset, initialOnlyRequireReset, and keepUpdated
   admin:
     # existingSecret: gitea-admin-secret
     existingSecret:
     username: gitea_admin
     password: r8sA8CPHD9!bt6d
     email: "gitea@local.domain"
+    passwordMode: keepUpdated
 
   ## @param gitea.metrics.enabled Enable Gitea metrics
   ## @param gitea.metrics.serviceMonitor.enabled Enable Gitea metrics service monitor