diff --git a/api/api/settings.py b/api/api/settings.py
index 0b31d6e16..562e63f21 100644
--- a/api/api/settings.py
+++ b/api/api/settings.py
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@
 MINIMUM_TTL_DEFAULT = int(os.environ["DESECSTACK_MINIMUM_TTL_DEFAULT"])
 MAXIMUM_TTL = 86400
 AUTH_USER_MODEL = "desecapi.User"
-LIMIT_USER_DOMAIN_COUNT_DEFAULT = 15
+LIMIT_USER_DOMAIN_COUNT_DEFAULT = 0
 USER_ACTIVATION_REQUIRED = True
 VALIDITY_PERIOD_VERIFICATION_SIGNATURE = timedelta(
     hours=int(os.environ.get("DESECSTACK_API_AUTHACTION_VALIDITY", "0"))
diff --git a/api/api/settings_quick_test.py b/api/api/settings_quick_test.py
index b580dd50c..4fd8cc521 100644
--- a/api/api/settings_quick_test.py
+++ b/api/api/settings_quick_test.py
@@ -36,4 +36,6 @@
 # Carry email backend connection over to test mail outbox
 CELERY_EMAIL_MESSAGE_EXTRA_ATTRIBUTES = ["connection"]
 
+LIMIT_USER_DOMAIN_COUNT_DEFAULT = 15
+
 PCH_API = "http://api.invalid"
diff --git a/www/webapp/src/views/HomePage.vue b/www/webapp/src/views/HomePage.vue
index 6e96dacb9..066c9e3e9 100644
--- a/www/webapp/src/views/HomePage.vue
+++ b/www/webapp/src/views/HomePage.vue
@@ -487,6 +487,14 @@ export default {
             "have not expired in the meantime are now working when opened. Direct login to the web interface and " +
             "deSEC DNS operations were not affected.",
       },
+      {
+        id: 'news-20231226001',
+        start: new Date(Date.UTC(2023, 12 - 1, 26)),  // first day of showing
+        end: new Date(Date.UTC(2024, 12 - 1, 26)),  // first day of not showing
+        icon: 'mdi-heart-broken',
+        teaser: "Due to a recent spike in abusive domain registrations, new accounts need manual verification before " +
+            "domains can be created. Please contact support explaining your use case to enable domain creation.",
+      },
     ],
   })
 }