diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/storage/rdbms/DatabaseRegistryUpdater.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/storage/rdbms/DatabaseRegistryUpdater.java
index 0f4e92fdda..c9e126f8fa 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/storage/rdbms/DatabaseRegistryUpdater.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/storage/rdbms/DatabaseRegistryUpdater.java
@@ -8,10 +8,17 @@
 package org.dspace.storage.rdbms;
 
 import java.io.File;
+import java.io.IOException;
 import java.sql.Connection;
+import java.sql.SQLException;
+import javax.xml.parsers.ParserConfigurationException;
+import javax.xml.transform.TransformerException;
 
 import org.dspace.administer.MetadataImporter;
+import org.dspace.administer.RegistryImportException;
 import org.dspace.administer.RegistryLoader;
+import org.dspace.authorize.AuthorizeException;
+import org.dspace.content.NonUniqueMetadataException;
 import org.dspace.core.Context;
 import org.dspace.services.ConfigurationService;
 import org.dspace.services.factory.DSpaceServicesFactory;
@@ -21,6 +28,7 @@ import org.flywaydb.core.api.MigrationInfo;
 import org.flywaydb.core.api.callback.FlywayCallback;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
+import org.xml.sax.SAXException;
 
 /**
  * This is a FlywayCallback class which automatically updates the
@@ -49,7 +57,7 @@ public class DatabaseRegistryUpdater implements FlywayCallback {
     private static final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(DatabaseRegistryUpdater.class);
 
     /**
-     * Method to actually update our registries from latest configs
+     * Method to actually update our registries from latest configuration files.
      */
     private void updateRegistries() {
         ConfigurationService config = DSpaceServicesFactory.getInstance().getConfigurationService();
@@ -63,35 +71,32 @@ public class DatabaseRegistryUpdater implements FlywayCallback {
                 + "registries" + File.separator;
 
             // Load updates to Bitstream format registry (if any)
-            log.info("Updating Bitstream Format Registry based on " + base + "bitstream-formats.xml");
+            log.info("Updating Bitstream Format Registry based on {}bitstream-formats.xml", base);
             RegistryLoader.loadBitstreamFormats(context, base + "bitstream-formats.xml");
 
             // Load updates to Metadata schema registries (if any)
-            log.info("Updating Metadata Registries based on metadata type configs in " + base);
-            MetadataImporter.loadRegistry(base + "dublin-core-types.xml", true);
-            MetadataImporter.loadRegistry(base + "dcterms-types.xml", true);
-            MetadataImporter.loadRegistry(base + "local-types.xml", true);
-            MetadataImporter.loadRegistry(base + "relationship-formats.xml", true);
-            MetadataImporter.loadRegistry(base + "person-types.xml", true);
-            MetadataImporter.loadRegistry(base + "project-types.xml", true);
-            MetadataImporter.loadRegistry(base + "orgunit-types.xml", true);
-            MetadataImporter.loadRegistry(base + "journal-types.xml", true);
-            MetadataImporter.loadRegistry(base + "journalissue-types.xml", true);
-            MetadataImporter.loadRegistry(base + "journalvolume-types.xml", true);
-            MetadataImporter.loadRegistry(base + "eperson-types.xml", true);
-            MetadataImporter.loadRegistry(base + "sword-metadata.xml", true);
+            log.info("Updating Metadata Registries based on metadata type configs in {}", base);
+            for (String namespaceFile: config.getArrayProperty("registry.metadata.load")) {
+                log.info("Reading {}", namespaceFile);
+                MetadataImporter.loadRegistry(base + namespaceFile, true);
+            }
 
             // Check if XML Workflow is enabled in workflow.cfg
             if (WorkflowServiceFactory.getInstance().getWorkflowService() instanceof XmlWorkflowService) {
                 // If so, load in the workflow metadata types as well
-                MetadataImporter.loadRegistry(base + "workflow-types.xml", true);
+                String workflowTypes = "workflow-types.xml";
+                log.info("Reading {}", workflowTypes);
+                MetadataImporter.loadRegistry(base + workflowTypes, true);
             }
 
             context.restoreAuthSystemState();
             // Commit changes and close context
             context.complete();
             log.info("All Bitstream Format Regitry and Metadata Registry updates were completed.");
-        } catch (Exception e) {
+        } catch (IOException | SQLException | ParserConfigurationException
+                | TransformerException | RegistryImportException
+                | AuthorizeException | NonUniqueMetadataException
+                | SAXException e) {
             log.error("Error attempting to update Bitstream Format and/or Metadata Registries", e);
             throw new RuntimeException("Error attempting to update Bitstream Format and/or Metadata Registries", e);
         } finally {
diff --git a/dspace/config/dspace.cfg b/dspace/config/dspace.cfg
index 6b2581a497..2f3646b386 100644
--- a/dspace/config/dspace.cfg
+++ b/dspace/config/dspace.cfg
@@ -766,6 +766,24 @@ org.dspace.app.batchitemimport.work.dir = ${dspace.dir}/imports
 # XSL file configured by: crosswalk.dissemination.DataCite.stylesheet file.)
 #identifier.doi.ezid.publisher = a publisher
 
+##### Registry Loader #####
+# Metadata namespaces.  These files are loaded from
+# ${dspace.dir}/config/registries/ into the database during installation
+# and upgrade.
+registry.metadata.load = dublin-core-types.xml
+registry.metadata.load = dcterms-types.xml
+registry.metadata.load = local-types.xml
+registry.metadata.load = eperson-types.xml
+registry.metadata.load = sword-metadata.xml
+registry.metadata.load = relationship-formats.xml
+registry.metadata.load = person-types.xml
+registry.metadata.load = project-types.xml
+registry.metadata.load = orgunit-types.xml
+registry.metadata.load = journal-types.xml
+registry.metadata.load = journalissue-types.xml
+registry.metadata.load = journalvolume-types.xml
+
+
 
 #---------------------------------------------------------------#
 #--------------JSPUI & XMLUI CONFIGURATIONS---------------------#