diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased-ee/4915-background-upload-option-is-not-effective.yml b/changelogs/unreleased-ee/4915-background-upload-option-is-not-effective.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..54ae83f8d76eadba0c22f90a6dd4e4ae21755cd3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased-ee/4915-background-upload-option-is-not-effective.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Fix the background_upload configuration being ignored.
+merge_request: 4507
+author:
+type: fixed
diff --git a/config/initializers/1_settings.rb b/config/initializers/1_settings.rb
index acfa300882c61ad8be6166cd312bb05b87b86062..3c116501e4c5327336fee06720a8cfc7208ce83d 100644
--- a/config/initializers/1_settings.rb
+++ b/config/initializers/1_settings.rb
@@ -307,9 +307,9 @@ Settings.artifacts['path']         = Settings.artifacts['storage_path']
 Settings.artifacts['max_size'] ||= 100 # in megabytes
 
 Settings.artifacts['object_store'] ||= Settingslogic.new({})
-Settings.artifacts['object_store']['enabled']           ||= false
-Settings.artifacts['object_store']['remote_directory']  ||= nil
-Settings.artifacts['object_store']['background_upload'] ||= true
+Settings.artifacts['object_store']['enabled'] = false if Settings.artifacts['object_store']['enabled'].nil?
+Settings.artifacts['object_store']['remote_directory'] ||= nil
+Settings.artifacts['object_store']['background_upload'] = true if Settings.artifacts['object_store']['background_upload'].nil?
 # Convert upload connection settings to use string keys, to make Fog happy
 Settings.artifacts['object_store']['connection']&.deep_stringify_keys!
 
@@ -348,9 +348,9 @@ Settings['lfs'] ||= Settingslogic.new({})
 Settings.lfs['enabled']      = true if Settings.lfs['enabled'].nil?
 Settings.lfs['storage_path'] = Settings.absolute(Settings.lfs['storage_path'] || File.join(Settings.shared['path'], "lfs-objects"))
 Settings.lfs['object_store'] ||= Settingslogic.new({})
-Settings.lfs['object_store']['enabled']           ||= false
-Settings.lfs['object_store']['remote_directory']  ||= nil
-Settings.lfs['object_store']['background_upload'] ||= true
+Settings.lfs['object_store']['enabled'] = false if Settings.lfs['object_store']['enabled'].nil?
+Settings.lfs['object_store']['remote_directory'] ||= nil
+Settings.lfs['object_store']['background_upload'] = true if Settings.lfs['object_store']['background_upload'].nil?
 # Convert upload connection settings to use string keys, to make Fog happy
 Settings.lfs['object_store']['connection']&.deep_stringify_keys!
 
@@ -361,9 +361,9 @@ Settings['uploads'] ||= Settingslogic.new({})
 Settings.uploads['storage_path'] = Settings.absolute(Settings.uploads['storage_path'] || 'public')
 Settings.uploads['base_dir'] = Settings.uploads['base_dir'] || 'uploads/-/system'
 Settings.uploads['object_store'] ||= Settingslogic.new({})
-Settings.uploads['object_store']['enabled']           ||= false
-Settings.uploads['object_store']['remote_directory']  ||= 'uploads'
-Settings.uploads['object_store']['background_upload'] ||= true
+Settings.uploads['object_store']['enabled'] = false if Settings.uploads['object_store']['enabled'].nil?
+Settings.uploads['object_store']['remote_directory'] ||= 'uploads'
+Settings.uploads['object_store']['background_upload'] = true if Settings.uploads['object_store']['background_upload'].nil?
 # Convert upload connection settings to use string keys, to make Fog happy
 Settings.uploads['object_store']['connection']&.deep_stringify_keys!