diff --git a/api/handler/api.go b/api/handler/api.go
index 76a6151f2..1040746fd 100644
--- a/api/handler/api.go
+++ b/api/handler/api.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package handler
 import (
 	"errors"
 
+	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-api-go/pkg/netmap"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-s3-gw/api"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-s3-gw/api/layer"
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
@@ -12,13 +13,22 @@ type (
 	handler struct {
 		log *zap.Logger
 		obj layer.Client
+		cfg *Config
+	}
+
+	// Config contains data which handler need to keep.
+	Config struct {
+		DefaultPolicy *netmap.PlacementPolicy
 	}
 )
 
+// DefaultPolicy is a default policy of placing container in NeoFS if it's not set at the request.
+const DefaultPolicy = "REP 3"
+
 var _ api.Handler = (*handler)(nil)
 
 // New creates new api.Handler using given logger and client.
-func New(log *zap.Logger, obj layer.Client) (api.Handler, error) {
+func New(log *zap.Logger, obj layer.Client, cfg *Config) (api.Handler, error) {
 	switch {
 	case obj == nil:
 		return nil, errors.New("empty NeoFS Object Layer")
@@ -29,5 +39,6 @@ func New(log *zap.Logger, obj layer.Client) (api.Handler, error) {
 	return &handler{
 		log: log,
 		obj: obj,
+		cfg: cfg,
 	}, nil
 }
diff --git a/api/handler/put.go b/api/handler/put.go
index e4a89a51f..368c9e642 100644
--- a/api/handler/put.go
+++ b/api/handler/put.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-api-go/pkg/acl/eacl"
-	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-node/pkg/policy"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-s3-gw/api"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-s3-gw/api/errors"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-s3-gw/api/layer"
@@ -20,7 +19,6 @@ const (
 	basicACLReadOnly  = "public-read"
 	basicACLPublic    = "public-read-write"
 	cannedACLAuthRead = "authenticated-read"
-	defaultPolicy     = "REP 3"
 
 	publicBasicRule = 0x0FFFFFFF
 )
@@ -181,11 +179,7 @@ func (h *handler) CreateBucketHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		}
 	}
 	if p.Policy == nil {
-		p.Policy, err = policy.Parse(defaultPolicy)
-		if err != nil {
-			h.logAndSendError(w, "could not parse policy", reqInfo, err)
-			return
-		}
+		p.Policy = h.cfg.DefaultPolicy
 	}
 
 	cid, err := h.obj.CreateBucket(r.Context(), &p)
diff --git a/cmd/s3-gw/app.go b/cmd/s3-gw/app.go
index 0e22d0084..2fea7a901 100644
--- a/cmd/s3-gw/app.go
+++ b/cmd/s3-gw/app.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/crypto/keys"
+	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-node/pkg/policy"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-s3-gw/api"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-s3-gw/api/auth"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-s3-gw/api/cache"
@@ -117,7 +118,9 @@ func newApp(ctx context.Context, l *zap.Logger, v *viper.Viper) *App {
 	// prepare auth center
 	ctr = auth.New(conns, key)
 
-	if caller, err = handler.New(l, obj); err != nil {
+	handlerOptions := getHandlerOptions(v, l)
+
+	if caller, err = handler.New(l, obj, handlerOptions); err != nil {
 		l.Fatal("could not initialize API handler", zap.Error(err))
 	}
 
@@ -252,3 +255,22 @@ func getCacheOptions(v *viper.Viper, l *zap.Logger) *layer.CacheConfig {
 	}
 	return &cacheCfg
 }
+
+func getHandlerOptions(v *viper.Viper, l *zap.Logger) *handler.Config {
+	var (
+		cfg       handler.Config
+		err       error
+		policyStr = handler.DefaultPolicy
+	)
+
+	if v.IsSet(cfgDefaultPolicy) {
+		policyStr = v.GetString(cfgDefaultPolicy)
+	}
+
+	if cfg.DefaultPolicy, err = policy.Parse(policyStr); err != nil {
+		l.Fatal("couldn't parse container default policy",
+			zap.Error(err))
+	}
+
+	return &cfg
+}
diff --git a/cmd/s3-gw/app_settings.go b/cmd/s3-gw/app_settings.go
index 85c75bf51..9fd899f4e 100644
--- a/cmd/s3-gw/app_settings.go
+++ b/cmd/s3-gw/app_settings.go
@@ -59,6 +59,9 @@ const ( // Settings.
 	cfgCacheSize                = "cache.size"
 	cfgListObjectsCacheLifetime = "cache.list_objects_lifetime"
 
+	// Policy.
+	cfgDefaultPolicy = "default_policy"
+
 	// MaxClients.
 	cfgMaxClientsCount    = "max_clients_count"
 	cfgMaxClientsDeadline = "max_clients_deadline"