diff --git a/options/locale/locale_en-US.ini b/options/locale/locale_en-US.ini
index b7237711d..6fa4e6d78 100644
--- a/options/locale/locale_en-US.ini
+++ b/options/locale/locale_en-US.ini
@@ -703,6 +703,7 @@ website = Website
 location = Location
 pronouns = Pronouns
 pronouns_custom = Custom
+pronouns_unspecified = Unspecified
 update_theme = Change theme
 update_profile = Update profile
 update_language = Change language
diff --git a/routers/web/user/setting/profile.go b/routers/web/user/setting/profile.go
index 6843340fe..1b1cdb54d 100644
--- a/routers/web/user/setting/profile.go
+++ b/routers/web/user/setting/profile.go
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ func Profile(ctx *context.Context) {
 	ctx.Data["PageIsSettingsProfile"] = true
 	ctx.Data["AllowedUserVisibilityModes"] = setting.Service.AllowedUserVisibilityModesSlice.ToVisibleTypeSlice()
 	ctx.Data["DisableGravatar"] = setting.Config().Picture.DisableGravatar.Value(ctx)
-	ctx.Data["PronounsAreCustom"] = ctx.Doer.Pronouns != "he/him" && ctx.Doer.Pronouns != "she/her" && ctx.Doer.Pronouns != "they/them" && ctx.Doer.Pronouns != "it/its"
+	ctx.Data["PronounsAreCustom"] = ctx.Doer.Pronouns != "" && ctx.Doer.Pronouns != "he/him" && ctx.Doer.Pronouns != "she/her" && ctx.Doer.Pronouns != "they/them" && ctx.Doer.Pronouns != "it/its"
 
 	ctx.HTML(http.StatusOK, tplSettingsProfile)
 }
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ func ProfilePost(ctx *context.Context) {
 	ctx.Data["PageIsSettingsProfile"] = true
 	ctx.Data["AllowedUserVisibilityModes"] = setting.Service.AllowedUserVisibilityModesSlice.ToVisibleTypeSlice()
 	ctx.Data["DisableGravatar"] = setting.Config().Picture.DisableGravatar.Value(ctx)
-	ctx.Data["PronounsAreCustom"] = ctx.Doer.Pronouns != "he/him" && ctx.Doer.Pronouns != "she/her" && ctx.Doer.Pronouns != "they/them" && ctx.Doer.Pronouns != "it/its"
+	ctx.Data["PronounsAreCustom"] = ctx.Doer.Pronouns != "" && ctx.Doer.Pronouns != "he/him" && ctx.Doer.Pronouns != "she/her" && ctx.Doer.Pronouns != "they/them" && ctx.Doer.Pronouns != "it/its"
 
 	if ctx.HasError() {
 		ctx.HTML(http.StatusOK, tplSettingsProfile)
diff --git a/templates/user/settings/profile.tmpl b/templates/user/settings/profile.tmpl
index 822651a9d..9d279f23a 100644
--- a/templates/user/settings/profile.tmpl
+++ b/templates/user/settings/profile.tmpl
@@ -44,12 +44,15 @@
 						<div class="text">
 							{{if .PronounsAreCustom}}
 								{{.locale.Tr "settings.pronouns_custom"}}
+							{{else if eq "" .SignedUser.Pronouns}}
+								{{.locale.Tr "settings.pronouns_unspecified"}}
 							{{else}}
 								{{.SignedUser.Pronouns}}
 							{{end}}
 						</div>
 						{{svg "octicon-triangle-down" 14 "dropdown icon"}}
 						<div class="menu">
+							<div class="item{{if eq "" .SignedUser.Pronouns}} active selected{{end}}" data-value=""><i>{{.locale.Tr "settings.pronouns_unspecified"}}</i></div>
 							<div class="item{{if eq "he/him" .SignedUser.Pronouns}} active selected{{end}}" data-value="he/him">he/him</div>
 							<div class="item{{if eq "she/her" .SignedUser.Pronouns}} active selected{{end}}" data-value="she/her">she/her</div>
 							<div class="item{{if eq "they/them" .SignedUser.Pronouns}} active selected{{end}}" data-value="they/them">they/them</div>
@@ -57,7 +60,7 @@
 							{{if .PronounsAreCustom}}
 								<div class="item active selected" data-value="{{.SignedUser.Pronouns}}">{{.locale.Tr "settings.pronouns_custom"}}</div>
 							{{else}}
-								<div class="item" data-value="">{{.locale.Tr "settings.pronouns_custom"}}</div>
+								<div class="item" data-value="!">{{.locale.Tr "settings.pronouns_custom"}}</div>
 							{{end}}
 						</div>
 					</div>
diff --git a/web_src/js/features/user-settings.js b/web_src/js/features/user-settings.js
index d2617dda6..ec99f168f 100644
--- a/web_src/js/features/user-settings.js
+++ b/web_src/js/features/user-settings.js
@@ -2,15 +2,21 @@ import {hideElem, showElem} from '../utils/dom.js';
 
 function onPronounsDropdownUpdate() {
   const pronounsCustom = document.getElementById('pronouns-custom');
-  const pronounsInput = document.querySelector('#pronouns-dropdown input');
+  const pronounsDropdown = document.getElementById('pronouns-dropdown');
+  const pronounsInput = pronounsDropdown.querySelector('input');
   const isCustom = !(
+    pronounsInput.value === '' ||
     pronounsInput.value === 'he/him' ||
     pronounsInput.value === 'she/her' ||
     pronounsInput.value === 'they/them' ||
     pronounsInput.value === 'it/its'
   );
   if (isCustom) {
-    pronounsCustom.value = pronounsInput.value;
+    if (pronounsInput.value === '!') {
+      pronounsCustom.value = '';
+    } else {
+      pronounsCustom.value = pronounsInput.value;
+    }
     pronounsCustom.style.display = '';
   } else {
     pronounsCustom.style.display = 'none';