diff --git a/playbooks/roles/gitea-git-repos/library/gitea_create_repos.py b/playbooks/roles/gitea-git-repos/library/gitea_create_repos.py
index c323538eb5..3936a442bc 100755
--- a/playbooks/roles/gitea-git-repos/library/gitea_create_repos.py
+++ b/playbooks/roles/gitea-git-repos/library/gitea_create_repos.py
@@ -83,6 +83,9 @@ class Gitea(object):
             gitea_data = self.get(endpoint, *args, params=params, **kwargs).json()
         return results
 
+    def patch(self, endpoint, *args, **kwargs):
+        return self.request('PATCH', endpoint, *args, **kwargs)
+
     def post(self, endpoint, *args, **kwargs):
         return self.request('POST', endpoint, *args, **kwargs)
 
@@ -200,6 +203,20 @@ class Gitea(object):
                 time.sleep(3)
         raise Exception("Could not update branch settings")
 
+    def update_gitea_project_description(self, project, csrf_token):
+        org, repo = project['project'].split('/', 1)
+        description = project.get('description', '')[:255]
+        if description:
+            description_update = {
+                'description': description,
+            }
+            resp = self.patch(
+                '/api/v1/repos/{org}/{repo}'.format(org=org, repo=repo),
+                json=description_update)
+            # Commented out as there is no good way to log only those projects
+            # which have an updated description and as a result this is noisy.
+            #self.log("Set description for:", project['project'])
+
     def make_projects(self, projects, gitea_repos, csrf_token,
                       settings_thread_pool, branches_thread_pool, futures):
         for project in projects:
@@ -219,6 +236,12 @@ class Gitea(object):
                 # TODO: use threadpool when we're running with
                 # https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/pull/7493
                 self.make_gitea_project(project, csrf_token)
+            else:
+                # We don't need to create it but lets update descriptions
+                # since humans like that.
+                futures.append(settings_thread_pool.submit(
+                    self.update_gitea_project_description,
+                    project, csrf_token))
             if create or self.always_update:
                 futures.append(settings_thread_pool.submit(
                     self.update_gitea_project_settings,
diff --git a/playbooks/test-gitea.yaml b/playbooks/test-gitea.yaml
index 54e48b1aea..3d496f6b0c 100644
--- a/playbooks/test-gitea.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/test-gitea.yaml
@@ -10,3 +10,9 @@
         url: "https://localhost:3000/zuul/zuul"
         validate_certs: false
         status_code: 200
+        return_content: yes
+      register: zuul_content
+    - name: Assert description updated
+      fail:
+        msg: Zuul description was not updated
+      when: '"Zuuls new description" not in zuul_content.content'
diff --git a/playbooks/test-update-zuul-description.yaml b/playbooks/test-update-zuul-description.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b5c4ee95cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playbooks/test-update-zuul-description.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+- hosts: "bridge.openstack.org:!disabled"
+  tasks:
+    - name: Modify Zuuls description
+      lineinfile:
+        path: "{{ project_config_src }}/gerrit/projects.yaml"
+        regexp: "^  description: The Gatekeeper, or a project gating system"
+        line: "  description: Zuuls new description"
diff --git a/zuul.d/system-config-run.yaml b/zuul.d/system-config-run.yaml
index 8cb8205b5b..78112673f0 100644
--- a/zuul.d/system-config-run.yaml
+++ b/zuul.d/system-config-run.yaml
@@ -507,8 +507,11 @@
         - playbooks/service-gitea-lb.yaml
         - playbooks/service-gitea.yaml
         - playbooks/manage-projects.yaml
+        - playbooks/test-update-zuul-description.yaml
         # Run twice to ensure that we noop properly when
-        # all projects are created in gitea.
+        # all projects are created in gitea. We also update
+        # zuul's description to ensure that descriptions are
+        # updated
         - playbooks/manage-projects.yaml
       run_test_playbook: playbooks/test-gitea.yaml
     host-vars: