diff --git a/routers/web/repo/issue.go b/routers/web/repo/issue.go
index 0373d06ea0..cab508e6c6 100644
--- a/routers/web/repo/issue.go
+++ b/routers/web/repo/issue.go
@@ -76,34 +76,27 @@ const (
 	issueTemplateTitleKey = "IssueTemplateTitle"
 )
 
-// IssueTemplateCandidates issue templates
-var IssueTemplateCandidates = []string{
-	"ISSUE_TEMPLATE.md",
-	"ISSUE_TEMPLATE.yaml",
-	"ISSUE_TEMPLATE.yml",
-	"issue_template.md",
-	"issue_template.yaml",
-	"issue_template.yml",
-	".forgejo/ISSUE_TEMPLATE.md",
-	".forgejo/ISSUE_TEMPLATE.yaml",
-	".forgejo/ISSUE_TEMPLATE.yml",
-	".forgejo/issue_template.md",
-	".forgejo/issue_template.yaml",
-	".forgejo/issue_template.yml",
-	".gitea/ISSUE_TEMPLATE.md",
-	".gitea/ISSUE_TEMPLATE.yaml",
-	".gitea/ISSUE_TEMPLATE.yml",
-	".gitea/issue_template.md",
-	".gitea/issue_template.yaml",
-	".gitea/issue_template.yml",
-	".github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE.md",
-	".github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE.yaml",
-	".github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE.yml",
-	".github/issue_template.md",
-	".github/issue_template.yaml",
-	".github/issue_template.yml",
+// generateIssueTemplateLocations generates all the file paths where we
+// look for an issue template, e.g. ".forgejo/ISSUE_TEMPLATE.md".
+func generateIssueTemplateLocations() []string {
+	var result []string
+	prefixes := []string{"", ".forgejo/", ".gitea/", ".github/", "docs/"}
+	filenames := []string{"ISSUE_TEMPLATE", "issue_template"}
+	extensions := []string{".md", ".yaml", ".yml"}
+
+	for _, prefix := range prefixes {
+		for _, filename := range filenames {
+			for _, extension := range extensions {
+				result = append(result, prefix+filename+extension)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return result
 }
 
+var issueTemplateCandidates = generateIssueTemplateLocations()
+
 // MustAllowUserComment checks to make sure if an issue is locked.
 // If locked and user has permissions to write to the repository,
 // then the comment is allowed, else it is blocked
@@ -1005,7 +998,7 @@ func NewIssue(ctx *context.Context) {
 	ctx.Data["Tags"] = tags
 
 	_, templateErrs := issue_service.GetTemplatesFromDefaultBranch(ctx.Repo.Repository, ctx.Repo.GitRepo)
-	templateLoaded, errs := setTemplateIfExists(ctx, issueTemplateKey, IssueTemplateCandidates)
+	templateLoaded, errs := setTemplateIfExists(ctx, issueTemplateKey, issueTemplateCandidates)
 	for k, v := range errs {
 		templateErrs[k] = v
 	}
diff --git a/routers/web/repo/pull.go b/routers/web/repo/pull.go
index 18ba2b2a9f..65772086bc 100644
--- a/routers/web/repo/pull.go
+++ b/routers/web/repo/pull.go
@@ -66,33 +66,27 @@ const (
 	pullRequestTemplateKey = "PullRequestTemplate"
 )
 
-var pullRequestTemplateCandidates = []string{
-	"PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md",
-	"PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.yaml",
-	"PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.yml",
-	"pull_request_template.md",
-	"pull_request_template.yaml",
-	"pull_request_template.yml",
-	".forgejo/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md",
-	".forgejo/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.yaml",
-	".forgejo/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.yml",
-	".forgejo/pull_request_template.md",
-	".forgejo/pull_request_template.yaml",
-	".forgejo/pull_request_template.yml",
-	".gitea/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md",
-	".gitea/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.yaml",
-	".gitea/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.yml",
-	".gitea/pull_request_template.md",
-	".gitea/pull_request_template.yaml",
-	".gitea/pull_request_template.yml",
-	".github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md",
-	".github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.yaml",
-	".github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.yml",
-	".github/pull_request_template.md",
-	".github/pull_request_template.yaml",
-	".github/pull_request_template.yml",
+// generatePullRequestTemplateLocations generates all the file paths where we
+// look for a pull request template, e.g. ".forgejo/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md".
+func generatePullRequestTemplateLocations() []string {
+	var result []string
+	prefixes := []string{"", ".forgejo/", ".gitea/", ".github/", "docs/"}
+	filenames := []string{"PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE", "pull_request_template"}
+	extensions := []string{".md", ".yaml", ".yml"}
+
+	for _, prefix := range prefixes {
+		for _, filename := range filenames {
+			for _, extension := range extensions {
+				result = append(result, prefix+filename+extension)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return result
 }
 
+var pullRequestTemplateCandidates = generatePullRequestTemplateLocations()
+
 func getRepository(ctx *context.Context, repoID int64) *repo_model.Repository {
 	repo, err := repo_model.GetRepositoryByID(ctx, repoID)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/services/issue/template.go b/services/issue/template.go
index 36ee3a3027..07f59af630 100644
--- a/services/issue/template.go
+++ b/services/issue/template.go
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ var templateDirCandidates = []string{
 	".github/issue_template",
 	".gitlab/ISSUE_TEMPLATE",
 	".gitlab/issue_template",
+	"docs/ISSUE_TEMPLATE",
+	"docs/issue_template",
 }
 
 var templateConfigCandidates = []string{
@@ -40,6 +42,8 @@ var templateConfigCandidates = []string{
 	".gitea/issue_template/config",
 	".github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/config",
 	".github/issue_template/config",
+	"docs/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/config",
+	"docs/issue_template/config",
 }
 
 func GetDefaultTemplateConfig() api.IssueConfig {
diff --git a/tests/integration/api_issue_config_test.go b/tests/integration/api_issue_config_test.go
index dd4f95e934..99b2829fbf 100644
--- a/tests/integration/api_issue_config_test.go
+++ b/tests/integration/api_issue_config_test.go
@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@ func TestAPIRepoIssueConfigPaths(t *testing.T) {
 		".gitea/issue_template/config",
 		".github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/config",
 		".github/issue_template/config",
+		"docs/issue_template/config",
 	}
 
 	for _, candidate := range templateConfigCandidates {
@@ -184,7 +185,7 @@ func TestAPIRepoValidateIssueConfig(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 
 	t.Run("Invalid", func(t *testing.T) {
-		dirs := []string{".gitea", ".forgejo"}
+		dirs := []string{".gitea", ".forgejo", "docs"}
 		for _, dir := range dirs {
 			t.Run(dir, func(t *testing.T) {
 				defer tests.PrintCurrentTest(t)()
diff --git a/tests/integration/api_issue_templates_test.go b/tests/integration/api_issue_templates_test.go
index 47ba34198a..3d119c1157 100644
--- a/tests/integration/api_issue_templates_test.go
+++ b/tests/integration/api_issue_templates_test.go
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ func TestAPIIssueTemplateList(t *testing.T) {
 				".gitea/issue_template/test.md",
 				".github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/test.md",
 				".github/issue_template/test.md",
+				"docs/issue_template/test.md",
 			}
 
 			for _, template := range templateCandidates {
@@ -79,6 +80,7 @@ This is the template!`)
 				".forgejo/issue_template/test.md",
 				".gitea/issue_template/test.md",
 				".github/issue_template/test.md",
+				"docs/issue_template/test.md",
 			}
 			defer func() {
 				for _, template := range templatePriority {
@@ -107,7 +109,7 @@ This is the template!`)
 			// If templates have the same filename and content, but in different
 			// directories, they count as different templates, and all are
 			// considered.
-			assert.Len(t, issueTemplates, 3)
+			assert.Len(t, issueTemplates, 4)
 		})
 	})
 }
diff --git a/tests/integration/pull_create_test.go b/tests/integration/pull_create_test.go
index 8c9bdcdfc6..7af70b4e5c 100644
--- a/tests/integration/pull_create_test.go
+++ b/tests/integration/pull_create_test.go
@@ -136,6 +136,8 @@ func TestPullCreateWithPullTemplate(t *testing.T) {
 			".gitea/pull_request_template.md",
 			".github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md",
 			".github/pull_request_template.md",
+			"docs/pull_request_template.md",
+			"docs/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md",
 		}
 
 		createBaseRepo := func(t *testing.T, templateFiles []string, message string) (*repo_model.Repository, func()) {