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+---
+title: "Forgejo: Account Recovery & CLI Admin When Locked Out of the GUI"
+domain: troubleshooting
+category: general
+tags: [forgejo, gitea, smtp, docker, account-recovery, self-hosting]
+status: published
+created: 2026-06-12
+updated: 2026-06-12
+---
+# Forgejo: Account Recovery & CLI Admin When Locked Out of the GUI
+
+Two related problems on a single-admin self-hosted **Forgejo** (or Gitea): the GUI *"Forgot password"* is disabled, and you can't log in to fix it. Here's how to (1) enable account recovery properly, and (2) recover from the command line when you're already locked out.
+
+## Symptoms
+
+- The *Forgot password* page shows: **"Account recovery is only available when email is set up. Please set up email to enable account recovery."**
+- You can't log in (wrong/forgotten password), so you can't add an SSH key or change settings in the GUI either.
+
+## Part 1 — Enable account recovery (configure the mailer)
+
+Account recovery needs SMTP. If you already run a mail server on your tailnet, relay through it — **no app password needed** when the Forgejo host is `mynetworks`-trusted by that mail server.
+
+Edit `app.ini` (in the data volume, e.g. `/data/gitea/conf/app.ini`):
+
+```ini
+[mailer]
+ENABLED = true
+PROTOCOL = smtp+starttls
+SMTP_ADDR = 100.x.y.z           ; mail server's tailnet IP
+SMTP_PORT = 587
+FROM = forgejo@example.com
+FORCE_TRUST_SERVER_CERT = true  ; required when connecting by IP (cert CN won't match)
+```
+
+Notes:
+
+- `FORCE_TRUST_SERVER_CERT = true` is needed when you target the relay by **IP** — the TLS cert is issued for a hostname, not the IP, so verification would otherwise fail. Acceptable on a trusted internal hop.
+- Omit `USER`/`PASSWD` if the relay accepts your host via `mynetworks` (no SASL). Otherwise add SMTP auth.
+- `app.ini` lives in the persistent volume, so the change **survives container re-creation** (e.g. Watchtower's nightly pull).
+
+Apply and verify:
+
+```bash
+docker restart forgejo
+docker logs forgejo 2>&1 | grep -i "Mail Service Enabled"   # confirms the mailer loaded
+```
+
+Test the SMTP path **before** trusting it (run from the host, mimicking Forgejo's connection):
+
+```bash
+python3 - <<'EOF'
+import smtplib, ssl
+ctx = ssl.create_default_context(); ctx.check_hostname = False; ctx.verify_mode = ssl.CERT_NONE
+s = smtplib.SMTP("100.x.y.z", 587, timeout=15)
+s.ehlo(); s.starttls(context=ctx); s.ehlo()
+s.sendmail("forgejo@example.com", ["you@example.com"],
+           "Subject: test\r\n\r\nForgejo relay path test")
+s.quit(); print("SENT_OK")
+EOF
+```
+
+`SENT_OK` means the relay accepted the message. `/user/forgot_password` should now show the reset form instead of the email error.
+
+> **Container can't reach the tailnet IP?** Docker bridge networks usually route to Tailscale via the host (SNAT to the host's tailnet IP). Confirm with:
+> `docker exec forgejo nc -w5 100.x.y.z 587 </dev/null && echo REACHABLE`
+
+## Part 2 — Recover from the CLI (already locked out)
+
+Forgejo's admin CLI runs inside the container as the git user (UID 1000) and needs no login.
+
+**Reset a password:**
+
+```bash
+docker exec -u 1000 forgejo forgejo admin user change-password -u <user> -p '<newpass>'
+```
+
+> ⚠️ **Gotcha:** `change-password` sets `must_change_password=true` by default. That **forces a change on next GUI login _and_ returns HTTP 403 on the API** (`"You must change your password"`). Clear it:
+> ```bash
+> docker exec -u 1000 forgejo forgejo admin user must-change-password --unset <user>
+> ```
+
+**Add an SSH key without the GUI** (basic-auth API — works only if 2FA is off):
+
+```bash
+curl -u <user>:'<pass>' -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
+  -d '{"title":"laptop","key":"ssh-ed25519 AAAA... you@host"}' \
+  http://localhost:3004/api/v1/user/keys
+# HTTP 201 = created
+```
+
+Forgejo regenerates the git user's `authorized_keys` from the database, so `ssh -p <port> git@host` authenticates immediately afterward — no restart needed.
+
+## "The password keeps changing" — it (probably) isn't
+
+If a self-hosted Forgejo admin password *seems* to reset itself, a stock Forgejo container does **not** reset admin passwords. Rule out the server first:
+
+- the compose has **no** admin/password env and no custom entrypoint;
+- **no** cron, systemd timer, or script runs `forgejo admin user change-password`;
+- the data volume is persistent (re-creation keeps the DB, password included).
+
+If all three hold, nothing server-side is changing it — the "changing" password is a **client-side** artifact: a duplicate or stale entry in your password manager autofilling different values. Delete the duplicates and keep one.
+
+## See also
+
+- Forgejo — [Config Cheat Sheet → mailer](https://forgejo.org/docs/latest/admin/config-cheat-sheet/)
diff --git a/SUMMARY.md b/SUMMARY.md
index 68af294..9ec1f25 100644
--- a/SUMMARY.md
+++ b/SUMMARY.md
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ updated: 2026-05-15T09:00
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     * [Gitea Actions Runner: Boot Race Condition Fix](05-troubleshooting/gitea-runner-boot-race-network-target.md)
+    * [Forgejo: Account Recovery & CLI Admin When Locked Out of the GUI](05-troubleshooting/forgejo-mailer-and-cli-recovery.md)
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