diff --git a/src/ServiceControl.Audit/Infrastructure/Settings/Settings.cs b/src/ServiceControl.Audit/Infrastructure/Settings/Settings.cs
index c0b1dfb892..b651804505 100644
--- a/src/ServiceControl.Audit/Infrastructure/Settings/Settings.cs
+++ b/src/ServiceControl.Audit/Infrastructure/Settings/Settings.cs
@@ -63,7 +63,14 @@ void LoadAuditQueueInformation()
                 throw new Exception("ServiceBus/AuditQueue value is required to start the instance");
             }
 
-            IngestAuditMessages = SettingsReader.Read(new SettingsRootNamespace("ServiceControl"), "IngestAuditMessages", true);
+            if (!SettingsReader.TryRead(SettingsRootNamespace, "IngestAuditMessages", out bool ingestAuditMessages))
+            {
+                // Backwards compatibility
+                var serviceControlNamespace = new SettingsRootNamespace("ServiceControl");
+                ingestAuditMessages = SettingsReader.Read(serviceControlNamespace, "IngestAuditMessages", true);
+            }
+
+            IngestAuditMessages = ingestAuditMessages;
 
             if (IngestAuditMessages == false)
             {