diff --git a/graphql/schema/types/config.graphql b/graphql/schema/types/config.graphql
index 5ab7fdfea..e8f39c7a7 100644
--- a/graphql/schema/types/config.graphql
+++ b/graphql/schema/types/config.graphql
@@ -420,6 +420,9 @@ input ConfigInterfaceInput {
   "When true, disables all customizations (plugins, CSS, JavaScript, locales) for troubleshooting"
   disableCustomizations: Boolean
 
+  "Default gender to apply when creating a performer without explicit gender"
+  defaultPerformerGender: GenderEnum
+
   "Interface language"
   language: String
 
@@ -497,6 +500,9 @@ type ConfigInterfaceResult {
   "When true, disables all customizations (plugins, CSS, JavaScript, locales) for troubleshooting"
   disableCustomizations: Boolean
 
+  "Default gender to apply when creating a performer without explicit gender"
+  defaultPerformerGender: GenderEnum
+
   "Interface language"
   language: String
 
diff --git a/internal/api/resolver_mutation_configure.go b/internal/api/resolver_mutation_configure.go
index 3df1c9114..241ce8434 100644
--- a/internal/api/resolver_mutation_configure.go
+++ b/internal/api/resolver_mutation_configure.go
@@ -528,6 +528,7 @@ func (r *mutationResolver) ConfigureInterface(ctx context.Context, input ConfigI
 	r.setConfigBool(config.CustomLocalesEnabled, input.CustomLocalesEnabled)
 
 	r.setConfigBool(config.DisableCustomizations, input.DisableCustomizations)
+	r.setConfigString(config.DefaultPerformerGender, (*string)(input.DefaultPerformerGender))
 
 	if input.DisableDropdownCreate != nil {
 		ddc := input.DisableDropdownCreate
diff --git a/internal/api/resolver_mutation_performer.go b/internal/api/resolver_mutation_performer.go
index 6f88c54ca..c437e9c52 100644
--- a/internal/api/resolver_mutation_performer.go
+++ b/internal/api/resolver_mutation_performer.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
+	"github.com/stashapp/stash/internal/manager/config"
 	"github.com/stashapp/stash/pkg/models"
 	"github.com/stashapp/stash/pkg/performer"
 	"github.com/stashapp/stash/pkg/plugin/hook"
@@ -21,6 +22,14 @@ const (
 	instagramURL = "https://instagram.com"
 )
 
+func performerGenderOrDefault(gender *models.GenderEnum) *models.GenderEnum {
+	if gender != nil {
+		return gender
+	}
+
+	return config.GetInstance().GetDefaultPerformerGender()
+}
+
 // used to refetch performer after hooks run
 func (r *mutationResolver) getPerformer(ctx context.Context, id int) (ret *models.Performer, err error) {
 	if err := r.withTxn(ctx, func(ctx context.Context) error {
@@ -44,7 +53,7 @@ func (r *mutationResolver) PerformerCreate(ctx context.Context, input models.Per
 	newPerformer.Name = strings.TrimSpace(input.Name)
 	newPerformer.Disambiguation = translator.string(input.Disambiguation)
 	newPerformer.Aliases = models.NewRelatedStrings(stringslice.UniqueExcludeFold(stringslice.TrimSpace(input.AliasList), newPerformer.Name))
-	newPerformer.Gender = input.Gender
+	newPerformer.Gender = performerGenderOrDefault(input.Gender)
 	newPerformer.Ethnicity = translator.string(input.Ethnicity)
 	newPerformer.Country = translator.string(input.Country)
 	newPerformer.EyeColor = translator.string(input.EyeColor)
diff --git a/internal/api/resolver_query_configuration.go b/internal/api/resolver_query_configuration.go
index cf2c0e3cc..b446562d2 100644
--- a/internal/api/resolver_query_configuration.go
+++ b/internal/api/resolver_query_configuration.go
@@ -162,6 +162,7 @@ func makeConfigInterfaceResult() *ConfigInterfaceResult {
 	customLocales := config.GetCustomLocales()
 	customLocalesEnabled := config.GetCustomLocalesEnabled()
 	disableCustomizations := config.GetDisableCustomizations()
+	defaultPerformerGender := config.GetDefaultPerformerGender()
 	language := config.GetLanguage()
 	handyKey := config.GetHandyKey()
 	scriptOffset := config.GetFunscriptOffset()
@@ -190,6 +191,7 @@ func makeConfigInterfaceResult() *ConfigInterfaceResult {
 		CustomLocales:                &customLocales,
 		CustomLocalesEnabled:         &customLocalesEnabled,
 		DisableCustomizations:        &disableCustomizations,
+		DefaultPerformerGender:       defaultPerformerGender,
 		Language:                     &language,
 
 		ImageLightbox: &imageLightboxOptions,
diff --git a/internal/manager/config/config.go b/internal/manager/config/config.go
index 19e263810..5b7276d79 100644
--- a/internal/manager/config/config.go
+++ b/internal/manager/config/config.go
@@ -206,6 +206,7 @@ const (
 	autostartVideoOnPlaySelectedDefault = true
 	ContinuePlaylistDefault             = "continue_playlist_default"
 	ShowStudioAsText                    = "show_studio_as_text"
+	DefaultPerformerGender              = "default_performer_gender"
 	CSSEnabled                          = "cssenabled"
 	JavascriptEnabled                   = "javascriptenabled"
 	CustomLocalesEnabled                = "customlocalesenabled"
@@ -1311,6 +1312,15 @@ func (i *Config) GetShowStudioAsText() bool {
 	return i.getBool(ShowStudioAsText)
 }
 
+func (i *Config) GetDefaultPerformerGender() *models.GenderEnum {
+	g := models.GenderEnum(i.getString(DefaultPerformerGender))
+	if !g.IsValid() {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	return &g
+}
+
 func (i *Config) getSlideshowDelay() int {
 	// assume have lock
 
diff --git a/ui/v2.5/graphql/data/config.graphql b/ui/v2.5/graphql/data/config.graphql
index ba8215fe3..9bc4bf8a7 100644
--- a/ui/v2.5/graphql/data/config.graphql
+++ b/ui/v2.5/graphql/data/config.graphql
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ fragment ConfigInterfaceData on ConfigInterfaceResult {
   customLocales
   customLocalesEnabled
   disableCustomizations
+  defaultPerformerGender
   language
   imageLightbox {
     slideshowDelay
diff --git a/ui/v2.5/src/components/Performers/PerformerDetails/PerformerEditPanel.tsx b/ui/v2.5/src/components/Performers/PerformerDetails/PerformerEditPanel.tsx
index c94002412..cab445aac 100644
--- a/ui/v2.5/src/components/Performers/PerformerDetails/PerformerEditPanel.tsx
+++ b/ui/v2.5/src/components/Performers/PerformerDetails/PerformerEditPanel.tsx
@@ -97,6 +97,8 @@ export const PerformerEditPanel: React.FC<IPerformerDetails> = ({
   const [scrapedPerformer, setScrapedPerformer] =
     useState<GQL.ScrapedPerformer>();
   const { configuration: stashConfig } = useConfigurationContext();
+  const defaultPerformerGender =
+    stashConfig?.interface.defaultPerformerGender ?? null;
 
   const intl = useIntl();
 
@@ -134,7 +136,7 @@ export const PerformerEditPanel: React.FC<IPerformerDetails> = ({
     name: performer.name ?? "",
     disambiguation: performer.disambiguation ?? "",
     alias_list: performer.alias_list ?? [],
-    gender: performer.gender ?? null,
+    gender: performer.gender ?? (isNew ? defaultPerformerGender : null),
     birthdate: performer.birthdate ?? "",
     death_date: performer.death_date ?? "",
     country: performer.country ?? "",
@@ -424,16 +426,23 @@ export const PerformerEditPanel: React.FC<IPerformerDetails> = ({
 
       const result = await queryScrapePerformer(selectedScraper.id, ret);
       if (!result?.data?.scrapeSinglePerformer?.length) return;
+      const withDefaultGender = (
+        scrapedPerformerData: GQL.ScrapedPerformerDataFragment
+      ) =>
+        !scrapedPerformerData.gender && defaultPerformerGender
+          ? { ...scrapedPerformerData, gender: defaultPerformerGender }
+          : scrapedPerformerData;
+      const scrapedResult = withDefaultGender(
+        result.data.scrapeSinglePerformer[0]
+      );
 
       // assume one result
       // if this is a new performer, just dump the data
       if (isNew) {
-        updatePerformerEditStateFromScraper(
-          result.data.scrapeSinglePerformer[0]
-        );
+        updatePerformerEditStateFromScraper(scrapedResult);
         setScraper(undefined);
       } else {
-        setScrapedPerformer(result.data.scrapeSinglePerformer[0]);
+        setScrapedPerformer(scrapedResult);
       }
     } catch (e) {
       Toast.error(e);
@@ -451,11 +460,19 @@ export const PerformerEditPanel: React.FC<IPerformerDetails> = ({
         return;
       }
 
+      const scrapedResult =
+        !result.data.scrapePerformerURL.gender && defaultPerformerGender
+          ? {
+              ...result.data.scrapePerformerURL,
+              gender: defaultPerformerGender,
+            }
+          : result.data.scrapePerformerURL;
+
       // if this is a new performer, just dump the data
       if (isNew) {
-        updatePerformerEditStateFromScraper(result.data.scrapePerformerURL);
+        updatePerformerEditStateFromScraper(scrapedResult);
       } else {
-        setScrapedPerformer(result.data.scrapePerformerURL);
+        setScrapedPerformer(scrapedResult);
       }
     } catch (e) {
       Toast.error(e);
diff --git a/ui/v2.5/src/components/Settings/SettingsInterfacePanel/SettingsInterfacePanel.tsx b/ui/v2.5/src/components/Settings/SettingsInterfacePanel/SettingsInterfacePanel.tsx
index 5b4e8c5de..feaa057da 100644
--- a/ui/v2.5/src/components/Settings/SettingsInterfacePanel/SettingsInterfacePanel.tsx
+++ b/ui/v2.5/src/components/Settings/SettingsInterfacePanel/SettingsInterfacePanel.tsx
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ import {
   defaultImageWallDirection,
   defaultImageWallMargin,
 } from "src/utils/imageWall";
+import { genderList } from "src/utils/gender";
 import { defaultMaxOptionsShown, defaultPreviewVolume } from "src/core/config";
 import { PatchComponent } from "src/patch";
 
@@ -525,6 +526,27 @@ export const SettingsInterfacePanel: React.FC = PatchComponent(
             checked={ui.showLinksOnPerformerCard ?? undefined}
             onChange={(v) => saveUI({ showLinksOnPerformerCard: v })}
           />
+          <SelectSetting
+            id="default-performer-gender"
+            headingID="config.ui.performer_list.options.default_gender.heading"
+            subHeadingID="config.ui.performer_list.options.default_gender.description"
+            value={iface.defaultPerformerGender ?? ""}
+            onChange={(v) =>
+              saveInterface({
+                defaultPerformerGender:
+                  v === "" ? null : (v as GQL.GenderEnum),
+              })
+            }
+          >
+            <option value="">{intl.formatMessage({ id: "none" })}</option>
+            {genderList.map((gender) => (
+              <option key={gender} value={gender}>
+                {intl.formatMessage({
+                  id: `gender_types.${gender.toLowerCase()}`,
+                })}
+              </option>
+            ))}
+          </SelectSetting>
         </SettingSection>
 
         <SettingSection headingID="config.ui.image_wall.heading">
diff --git a/ui/v2.5/src/locales/en-GB.json b/ui/v2.5/src/locales/en-GB.json
index 4974c06ca..5fb0b837e 100644
--- a/ui/v2.5/src/locales/en-GB.json
+++ b/ui/v2.5/src/locales/en-GB.json
@@ -894,6 +894,10 @@
       "performer_list": {
         "heading": "Performer List",
         "options": {
+          "default_gender": {
+            "description": "Sets the default gender for new performers when the scraper does not provide a gender.",
+            "heading": "Default performer gender"
+          },
           "show_links_on_grid_card": {
             "heading": "Display links on performer grid cards"
           }