diff --git a/templates/openwisp2/settings.py b/templates/openwisp2/settings.py
index 8b182517..fe4b84f4 100644
--- a/templates/openwisp2/settings.py
+++ b/templates/openwisp2/settings.py
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@
     'openwisp_utils.staticfiles.DependencyFinder',
 ]
 
-MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES = [
+MIDDLEWARE = [
     'django.middleware.security.SecurityMiddleware',
     'django.contrib.sessions.middleware.SessionMiddleware',
     'django.middleware.common.CommonMiddleware',
@@ -89,7 +89,6 @@
     'django.contrib.messages.middleware.MessageMiddleware',
     'django.middleware.clickjacking.XFrameOptionsMiddleware',
 ]
-MIDDLEWARE = MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES
 
 ROOT_URLCONF = 'openwisp2.urls'