diff --git a/packages/api/src/config.js b/packages/api/src/config.js
index 50603f5259..e16b62278d 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/config.js
+++ b/packages/api/src/config.js
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 import {
   modes as MaintenanceModes,
   DEFAULT_MODE,
+  NO_READ_OR_WRITE,
+  READ_ONLY,
+  READ_WRITE_ONLY,
 } from './middleware/maintenance.js'
 
 /**
@@ -178,6 +181,13 @@ function parseRuntimeEnv(s) {
   }
 }
 
+/** @type {Record<string, import('./middleware/maintenance.js').Mode>} */
+const legacyModeMappings = {
+  '--': NO_READ_OR_WRITE,
+  'r-': READ_ONLY,
+  rw: READ_WRITE_ONLY,
+}
+
 /**
  * If `s` is undefined, return the default maintenance mode. Otherwise, make sure it's a valid mode and return.
  *
@@ -193,6 +203,11 @@ function maintenanceModeFromString(s) {
       return m
     }
   }
+  for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(legacyModeMappings)) {
+    if (s === key) {
+      return value
+    }
+  }
   throw new Error(
     `invalid maintenance mode value "${s}". valid choices: ${MaintenanceModes}`
   )
diff --git a/packages/api/test/config.spec.js b/packages/api/test/config.spec.js
index 7bd7919eca..034990534f 100644
--- a/packages/api/test/config.spec.js
+++ b/packages/api/test/config.spec.js
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ const BASE_CONFIG = {
   DATABASE_TOKEN:
     'eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpc3MiOiJzdXBhYmFzZSIsImlhdCI6MTYwMzk2ODgzNCwiZXhwIjoyNTUwNjUzNjM0LCJyb2xlIjoic2VydmljZV9yb2xlIn0.necIJaiP7X2T2QjGeV-FhpkizcNTX8HjDDBAxpgQTEI',
   DATABASE_CONNECTION: 'postgresql://postgres:postgres@localhost:5432/postgres',
-  MAINTENANCE_MODE: 'rw',
+  MAINTENANCE_MODE: 'rwc',
   S3_REGION: 'us-east-1',
   S3_ACCESS_KEY_ID: 'minioadmin',
   S3_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY: 'minioadmin',
@@ -144,6 +144,23 @@ test.serial(
 
 test.serial(
   'serviceConfigFromVariables sets MAINTENANCE_MODE if it contains a valid mode string',
+  (t) => {
+    const modes = ['---', 'r--', 'rw-', 'rwc']
+    for (const m of modes) {
+      t.is(
+        serviceConfigFromVariables(
+          override({
+            MAINTENANCE_MODE: m,
+          })
+        ).MAINTENANCE_MODE.toString(),
+        m
+      )
+    }
+  }
+)
+
+test.serial(
+  'serviceConfigFromVariables sets MAINTENANCE_MODE if it contains a valid legacy mode string',
   (t) => {
     const modes = ['--', 'r-', 'rw']
     for (const m of modes) {
diff --git a/packages/api/test/scripts/globals.js b/packages/api/test/scripts/globals.js
index e670fe1099..d2ca6eed6e 100644
--- a/packages/api/test/scripts/globals.js
+++ b/packages/api/test/scripts/globals.js
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ globalThis.PICKUP_API_URL = 'http://127.0.0.1:9094'
 // will be used with we can active auth in cluster base64 of test:test
 globalThis.PICKUP_BASIC_AUTH_TOKEN = 'dGVzdDp0ZXN0'
 
-globalThis.MAINTENANCE_MODE = 'rw'
+globalThis.MAINTENANCE_MODE = 'rwc'
 
 globalThis.S3_ENDPOINT = 'http://127.0.0.1:9000'
 globalThis.S3_REGION = 'us-east-1'