diff --git a/src/__phutil_library_map__.php b/src/__phutil_library_map__.php
--- a/src/__phutil_library_map__.php
+++ b/src/__phutil_library_map__.php
@@ -2848,6 +2848,9 @@
     'ProjectConduitAPIMethod' => 'applications/project/conduit/ProjectConduitAPIMethod.php',
     'ProjectCreateConduitAPIMethod' => 'applications/project/conduit/ProjectCreateConduitAPIMethod.php',
     'ProjectCreateProjectsCapability' => 'applications/project/capability/ProjectCreateProjectsCapability.php',
+    'ProjectDefaultEditCapability' => 'applications/project/capability/ProjectDefaultEditCapability.php',
+    'ProjectDefaultJoinCapability' => 'applications/project/capability/ProjectDefaultJoinCapability.php',
+    'ProjectDefaultViewCapability' => 'applications/project/capability/ProjectDefaultViewCapability.php',
     'ProjectQueryConduitAPIMethod' => 'applications/project/conduit/ProjectQueryConduitAPIMethod.php',
     'ProjectRemarkupRule' => 'applications/project/remarkup/ProjectRemarkupRule.php',
     'ProjectRemarkupRuleTestCase' => 'applications/project/remarkup/__tests__/ProjectRemarkupRuleTestCase.php',
@@ -6090,6 +6093,9 @@
     'ProjectConduitAPIMethod' => 'ConduitAPIMethod',
     'ProjectCreateConduitAPIMethod' => 'ProjectConduitAPIMethod',
     'ProjectCreateProjectsCapability' => 'PhabricatorPolicyCapability',
+    'ProjectDefaultEditCapability' => 'PhabricatorPolicyCapability',
+    'ProjectDefaultJoinCapability' => 'PhabricatorPolicyCapability',
+    'ProjectDefaultViewCapability' => 'PhabricatorPolicyCapability',
     'ProjectQueryConduitAPIMethod' => 'ProjectConduitAPIMethod',
     'ProjectRemarkupRule' => 'PhabricatorObjectRemarkupRule',
     'ProjectRemarkupRuleTestCase' => 'PhabricatorTestCase',
diff --git a/src/applications/project/application/PhabricatorProjectApplication.php b/src/applications/project/application/PhabricatorProjectApplication.php
--- a/src/applications/project/application/PhabricatorProjectApplication.php
+++ b/src/applications/project/application/PhabricatorProjectApplication.php
@@ -98,6 +98,18 @@
       ProjectCanLockProjectsCapability::CAPABILITY => array(
         'default' => PhabricatorPolicies::POLICY_ADMIN,
       ),
+      ProjectDefaultViewCapability::CAPABILITY => array(
+        'caption' => pht(
+          'Default view policy for newly created projects.'),
+      ),
+      ProjectDefaultEditCapability::CAPABILITY => array(
+        'caption' => pht(
+          'Default edit policy for newly created projects.'),
+      ),
+      ProjectDefaultJoinCapability::CAPABILITY => array(
+        'caption' => pht(
+          'Default join policy for newly created projects.'),
+      ),
     );
   }
 
diff --git a/src/applications/project/capability/ProjectDefaultEditCapability.php b/src/applications/project/capability/ProjectDefaultEditCapability.php
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/applications/project/capability/ProjectDefaultEditCapability.php
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+<?php
+
+final class ProjectDefaultEditCapability
+  extends PhabricatorPolicyCapability {
+
+  const CAPABILITY = 'project.default.edit';
+
+  public function getCapabilityName() {
+    return pht('Default Edit Policy');
+  }
+
+}
diff --git a/src/applications/project/capability/ProjectDefaultJoinCapability.php b/src/applications/project/capability/ProjectDefaultJoinCapability.php
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/applications/project/capability/ProjectDefaultJoinCapability.php
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+<?php
+
+final class ProjectDefaultJoinCapability
+  extends PhabricatorPolicyCapability {
+
+  const CAPABILITY = 'project.default.join';
+
+  public function getCapabilityName() {
+    return pht('Default Join Policy');
+  }
+
+}
diff --git a/src/applications/project/capability/ProjectDefaultViewCapability.php b/src/applications/project/capability/ProjectDefaultViewCapability.php
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/applications/project/capability/ProjectDefaultViewCapability.php
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+<?php
+
+final class ProjectDefaultViewCapability
+  extends PhabricatorPolicyCapability {
+
+  const CAPABILITY = 'project.default.view';
+
+  public function getCapabilityName() {
+    return pht('Default View Policy');
+  }
+
+  public function shouldAllowPublicPolicySetting() {
+    return true;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/applications/project/storage/PhabricatorProject.php b/src/applications/project/storage/PhabricatorProject.php
--- a/src/applications/project/storage/PhabricatorProject.php
+++ b/src/applications/project/storage/PhabricatorProject.php
@@ -36,14 +36,26 @@
   const TABLE_DATASOURCE_TOKEN = 'project_datasourcetoken';
 
   public static function initializeNewProject(PhabricatorUser $actor) {
+    $app = id(new PhabricatorApplicationQuery())
+      ->setViewer(PhabricatorUser::getOmnipotentUser())
+      ->withClasses(array('PhabricatorProjectApplication'))
+      ->executeOne();
+
+    $view_policy = $app->getPolicy(
+      ProjectDefaultViewCapability::CAPABILITY);
+    $edit_policy = $app->getPolicy(
+      ProjectDefaultEditCapability::CAPABILITY);
+    $join_policy = $app->getPolicy(
+      ProjectDefaultJoinCapability::CAPABILITY);
+
     return id(new PhabricatorProject())
       ->setName('')
       ->setAuthorPHID($actor->getPHID())
       ->setIcon(self::DEFAULT_ICON)
       ->setColor(self::DEFAULT_COLOR)
-      ->setViewPolicy(PhabricatorPolicies::POLICY_USER)
-      ->setEditPolicy(PhabricatorPolicies::POLICY_USER)
-      ->setJoinPolicy(PhabricatorPolicies::POLICY_USER)
+      ->setViewPolicy($view_policy)
+      ->setEditPolicy($edit_policy)
+      ->setJoinPolicy($join_policy)
       ->setIsMembershipLocked(0)
       ->attachMemberPHIDs(array())
       ->attachSlugs(array());