diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index e6c6c37be..cb39c2ff8 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -41,5 +41,6 @@ dist
 
 public/uploads/*
 !public/uploads/.gitkeep
+!public/.gitkeep
 uploads
 test_uploads
diff --git a/public/.gitkeep b/public/.gitkeep
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/src/frontend-config/frontend-config.dto.ts b/src/frontend-config/frontend-config.dto.ts
index bb67a4c09..057dacb32 100644
--- a/src/frontend-config/frontend-config.dto.ts
+++ b/src/frontend-config/frontend-config.dto.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 import {
   IsArray,
   IsBoolean,
-  IsDate,
   IsNumber,
   IsOptional,
   IsString,
@@ -78,22 +77,6 @@ export class AuthProviders {
   internal: boolean;
 }
 
-export class BannerDto {
-  /**
-   * The text that is shown in the banner
-   * @example This is a test banner
-   */
-  @IsString()
-  text: string;
-
-  /**
-   * When the banner was last changed
-   * @example "2020-12-01 12:23:34"
-   */
-  @IsDate()
-  updateTime: Date;
-}
-
 export class BrandingDto {
   /**
    * The name to be displayed next to the HedgeDoc logo
@@ -227,12 +210,6 @@ export class FrontendConfigDto {
   @ValidateNested()
   branding: BrandingDto;
 
-  /**
-   * An optional banner that will be shown
-   */
-  @ValidateNested()
-  banner: BannerDto;
-
   /**
    * The custom names of auth providers, which can be specified multiple times
    */
diff --git a/src/frontend-config/frontend-config.service.spec.ts b/src/frontend-config/frontend-config.service.spec.ts
index d2e90a7e0..83bc38b9f 100644
--- a/src/frontend-config/frontend-config.service.spec.ts
+++ b/src/frontend-config/frontend-config.service.spec.ts
@@ -276,10 +276,6 @@ describe('FrontendConfigService', () => {
                               authConfig.oauth2.length !== 0,
                             );
                             expect(config.allowAnonymous).toEqual(false);
-                            expect(config.banner.text).toEqual('');
-                            expect(config.banner.updateTime).toEqual(
-                              new Date(0),
-                            );
                             expect(config.branding.name).toEqual(customName);
                             expect(config.branding.logo).toEqual(
                               customLogo ? new URL(customLogo) : undefined,
diff --git a/src/frontend-config/frontend-config.service.ts b/src/frontend-config/frontend-config.service.ts
index 6bb39e4b1..1236ce1ff 100644
--- a/src/frontend-config/frontend-config.service.ts
+++ b/src/frontend-config/frontend-config.service.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import { Inject, Injectable } from '@nestjs/common';
 import { ConsoleLoggerService } from '../logger/console-logger.service';
 import {
   AuthProviders,
-  BannerDto,
   BrandingDto,
   CustomAuthNamesDto,
   FrontendConfigDto,
@@ -24,8 +23,6 @@ import externalServicesConfiguration, {
   ExternalServicesConfig,
 } from '../config/external-services.config';
 import { getServerVersionFromPackageJson } from '../utils/serverVersion';
-import { promises as fs, Stats } from 'fs';
-import { join } from 'path';
 
 @Injectable()
 export class FrontendConfigService {
@@ -49,7 +46,6 @@ export class FrontendConfigService {
       allowAnonymous: false,
       allowRegister: this.authConfig.email.enableRegister,
       authProviders: this.getAuthProviders(),
-      banner: await FrontendConfigService.getBanner(),
       branding: this.getBranding(),
       customAuthNames: this.getCustomAuthNames(),
       iframeCommunication: this.getIframeCommunication(),
@@ -138,23 +134,4 @@ export class FrontendConfigService {
         : new URL(this.appConfig.domain),
     };
   }
-
-  private static async getBanner(): Promise<BannerDto> {
-    const path = join(__dirname, '../../banner.md');
-    try {
-      const bannerContent: string = await fs.readFile(path, {
-        encoding: 'utf8',
-      });
-      const fileStats: Stats = await fs.stat(path);
-      return {
-        text: bannerContent,
-        updateTime: fileStats.mtime,
-      };
-    } catch (e) {
-      return {
-        text: '',
-        updateTime: new Date(0),
-      };
-    }
-  }
 }
diff --git a/src/main.ts b/src/main.ts
index 7b5cf6e3f..212922f91 100644
--- a/src/main.ts
+++ b/src/main.ts
@@ -55,6 +55,13 @@ async function bootstrap(): Promise<void> {
       prefix: '/uploads/',
     });
   }
+  logger.log(
+    `Serving the local folder 'public' under '/public'`,
+    'AppBootstrap',
+  );
+  app.useStaticAssets('public', {
+    prefix: '/public/',
+  });
   await app.listen(appConfig.port);
   logger.log(`Listening on port ${appConfig.port}`, 'AppBootstrap');
 }