diff --git a/src/applications/base/PhabricatorApplication.php b/src/applications/base/PhabricatorApplication.php
--- a/src/applications/base/PhabricatorApplication.php
+++ b/src/applications/base/PhabricatorApplication.php
@@ -442,6 +442,11 @@
       return null;
     }
 
+    $policy_locked = PhabricatorEnv::getEnvConfig('policy.locked');
+    if (isset($policy_locked[$capability])) {
+      return $policy_locked[$capability];
+    }
+
     $config = PhabricatorEnv::getEnvConfig('phabricator.application-settings');
 
     $app = idx($config, $this->getPHID());
@@ -454,11 +459,6 @@
       return null;
     }
 
-    $policy_locked = PhabricatorEnv::getEnvConfig('policy.locked');
-    if (isset($policy_locked[$capability])) {
-      return $policy_locked[$capability];
-    }
-
     return idx($policy, $capability);
   }