diff --git a/.github/workflows/testing.yml b/.github/workflows/testing.yml
index e8a9942c8d..8fa5d73a17 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/testing.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/testing.yml
@@ -35,6 +35,38 @@ jobs:
           coverage report -m
           bash <(curl -s https://codecov.io/bash)
 
+  test_check_unapplied_migrations_middleware:
+    name: middleware for unapplied migrations
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        python-version: [3.7]
+
+    steps:
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+
+    - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+      uses: actions/setup-python@v1
+      with:
+        python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+
+    - name: Install Python dependencies
+      run: |
+        sudo apt-get install libkrb5-dev gettext
+        pip install -r requirements/devel.txt
+        pushd tcms/ && npm install && popd
+
+    - name: Run test
+      run: |
+        export LANG=en-us
+        export TEST_CHECK_UNAPPLIED_MIGRATIONS_MIDDLEWARE=1
+        coverage run --source='.' ./manage.py test -v2 --noinput --settings=tcms.settings.test tcms.core.tests.test_middleware.TestCheckUnappliedMigrationsMiddleware
+
+    - name: Send coverage to codecov.io
+      run: |
+        coverage report -m
+        bash <(curl -s https://codecov.io/bash)
+
   without_internal_bugtracker:
     name: without internal bugtracker
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
diff --git a/tcms/core/middleware.py b/tcms/core/middleware.py
index 2464b96d91..72d238f25d 100644
--- a/tcms/core/middleware.py
+++ b/tcms/core/middleware.py
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 from django.utils.deprecation import MiddlewareMixin
 from django.utils.safestring import mark_safe
 from django.utils.translation import gettext_lazy as _
+from django.db import DEFAULT_DB_ALIAS, connections
+from django.db.migrations.executor import MigrationExecutor
 
 
 class CsrfDisableMiddleware(MiddlewareMixin):
@@ -32,3 +34,23 @@ def process_request(self, request):
                       }
                 )
             )
+
+
+class CheckUnappliedMigrationsMiddleware(MiddlewareMixin):
+    def process_request(self, request):
+        doc_url = """https://kiwitcms.readthedocs.io/en/latest/\
+installing_docker.html#initial-configuration-of-running-container"""
+        executor = MigrationExecutor(connections[DEFAULT_DB_ALIAS])
+        plan = executor.migration_plan(executor.loader.graph.leaf_nodes())
+        if plan:
+            messages.add_message(
+                request,
+                messages.ERROR,
+                mark_safe(
+                    _('You have %(unapplied_migration_count)s unapplied migration(s). '
+                      'See <a href="%(doc_url)s">documentation</a>') % {
+                          "unapplied_migration_count": len(plan),
+                          "doc_url": doc_url,
+                          }
+                )
+            )
diff --git a/tcms/core/tests/test_middleware.py b/tcms/core/tests/test_middleware.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f52e62d19a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tcms/core/tests/test_middleware.py
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+import os
+import unittest
+from django import test
+from django.conf import settings
+from django.apps import apps
+from django.contrib.messages import get_messages
+
+
+@unittest.skipUnless(
+    os.getenv('TEST_CHECK_UNAPPLIED_MIGRATIONS_MIDDLEWARE'),
+    'CheckUnappliedMigrationsMiddleware testing not enabled')
+class TestCheckUnappliedMigrationsMiddleware(test.TestCase):
+    @classmethod
+    def setUpClass(cls):
+        super().setUpClass()
+        settings.INSTALLED_APPS.append("tcms.core.tests.test_migrations_app")
+        apps.set_installed_apps(settings.INSTALLED_APPS)
+
+    @test.override_settings(MIGRATION_MODULES={
+        "migrations": "tcms.core.tests.test_migrations_app.migrations"})
+    def test_unapplied_migrations(self):
+        unapplied_migration_message = """You have 1 unapplied migration(s).\
+ See <a href="https://kiwitcms.readthedocs.io/en/latest/installing_docker.html\
+#initial-configuration-of-running-container">documentation</a>"""
+        response = self.client.get('/', follow=True)
+        self.assertContains(response, unapplied_migration_message)
diff --git a/tcms/core/tests/test_migrations_app/__init__.py b/tcms/core/tests/test_migrations_app/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e69de29bb2
diff --git a/tcms/core/tests/test_migrations_app/migrations/0001_initial.py b/tcms/core/tests/test_migrations_app/migrations/0001_initial.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..da8597c1bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tcms/core/tests/test_migrations_app/migrations/0001_initial.py
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+from django.db import migrations, models
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    operations = [
+
+        migrations.CreateModel(
+            "TestPerson",
+            [
+                ("id", models.AutoField(primary_key=True)),
+                ("name", models.CharField(max_length=10)),
+            ],
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/tcms/core/tests/test_migrations_app/migrations/__init__.py b/tcms/core/tests/test_migrations_app/migrations/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e69de29bb2
diff --git a/tcms/core/tests/test_migrations_app/models.py b/tcms/core/tests/test_migrations_app/models.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ba7c29523d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tcms/core/tests/test_migrations_app/models.py
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+from django.db import models
+
+
+class TestPerson(models.Model):
+    name = models.CharField(max_length=10)
diff --git a/tcms/settings/common.py b/tcms/settings/common.py
index c9933ccc45..30b7179c2c 100644
--- a/tcms/settings/common.py
+++ b/tcms/settings/common.py
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@
     'global_login_required.GlobalLoginRequiredMiddleware',
     'simple_history.middleware.HistoryRequestMiddleware',
     'tcms.core.middleware.CheckSettingsMiddleware',
+    'tcms.core.middleware.CheckUnappliedMigrationsMiddleware',
 ]