diff --git a/pelican/settings.py b/pelican/settings.py
index 6907051c..b94859a6 100644
--- a/pelican/settings.py
+++ b/pelican/settings.py
@@ -323,6 +323,11 @@ def handle_deprecated_settings(settings):
             'PAGINATED_DIRECT_TEMPLATES', 'PAGINATED_TEMPLATES')
         logger.warning(message)
 
+        # set PAGINATED_TEMPLATES
+        if 'PAGINATED_TEMPLATES' not in settings:
+            settings['PAGINATED_TEMPLATES'] = {
+                'tag': None, 'category': None, 'author': None}
+
         for t in settings['PAGINATED_DIRECT_TEMPLATES']:
             if t not in settings['PAGINATED_TEMPLATES']:
                 settings['PAGINATED_TEMPLATES'][t] = None