diff --git a/modules/setting/storage.go b/modules/setting/storage.go
index c28f2be4ed714..7011f93224bbb 100644
--- a/modules/setting/storage.go
+++ b/modules/setting/storage.go
@@ -84,6 +84,8 @@ func getDefaultStorageSection(rootCfg ConfigProvider) ConfigSection {
 	return storageSec
 }
 
+var storagePaths = make(map[string]string)
+
 // getStorage will find target section and extra special section first and then read override
 // items from extra section
 func getStorage(rootCfg ConfigProvider, name, typ string, sec ConfigSection) (*Storage, error) {
@@ -206,6 +208,11 @@ func getStorage(rootCfg ConfigProvider, name, typ string, sec ConfigSection) (*S
 			}
 		}
 
+		if storageTarget, ok := storagePaths[storage.Path]; ok && storageTarget != name {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("storage path %q is being used by %q and %q and all storage paths must be unique to prevent data loss. Please set [storage.%s].PATH and [storage.%s].PATH to unique paths. For more information, see https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/pull/26380", storage.Path, storageTarget, name, storageTarget, name)
+		}
+		storagePaths[storage.Path] = name
+
 	case string(MinioStorageType):
 		if err := targetSec.MapTo(&storage.MinioConfig); err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("map minio config failed: %v", err)