diff --git a/instances/test_template_flag.py b/instances/test_template_flag.py
index 8d9b3e62..82bc2200 100644
--- a/instances/test_template_flag.py
+++ b/instances/test_template_flag.py
@@ -38,7 +38,11 @@ class TemplateFlagTestCase(TestCase):
 
     def _change_options(self, user, data):
         self.client.force_login(user)
-        with patch("instances.models.wvmInstance"):
+        with patch("instances.models.wvmInstance") as wvm:
+            # unmarking a template checks the owner's quota with the VM's size
+            wvm.return_value.get_vcpu.return_value = 1
+            wvm.return_value.get_memory.return_value = 1024
+            wvm.return_value.get_disk_devices.return_value = []
             res = self.client.post(
                 reverse("instances:change_options", args=[self.instance.id]), data
             )
diff --git a/instances/test_template_quota.py b/instances/test_template_quota.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0472e3be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/instances/test_template_quota.py
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+"""Templates do not count towards the quota and cannot be started. Turning a
+template back into a VM adds it to its owner's usage, so for users with a
+quota it is checked like any other increase."""
+
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+from accounts.models import UserInstance
+from computes.models import Compute
+from django.contrib.auth import get_user_model
+from django.contrib.messages import get_messages
+from django.test import TestCase
+from django.urls import reverse
+from instances.models import Instance
+from instances.utils import QUOTA_UNVERIFIED
+
+
+class TemplateFlagQuotaTests(TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        User = get_user_model()
+        self.staff = User.objects.create_user("tq-staff", password="pw", is_staff=True)
+        compute = Compute.objects.create(name="tq", hostname="10.0.0.5", login="u", password="p", type=1)
+        self.vm = Instance.objects.create(compute=compute, name="tq-vm", uuid="12345678-0000-0000-0000-00000000aaaa")
+        UserInstance.objects.create(user=self.staff, instance=self.vm, is_change=True)
+
+    def post(self, user, is_template, quota=""):
+        self.client.force_login(user)
+        data = {"title": "", "description": ""}
+        if is_template:
+            data["is_template"] = "on"
+        with patch("instances.models.wvmInstance") as wvm, patch(
+            "instances.views.utils.check_user_quota", return_value=quota
+        ) as check:
+            wvm.return_value.get_vcpu.return_value = 2
+            wvm.return_value.get_memory.return_value = 2048
+            wvm.return_value.get_disk_devices.return_value = [{"size": 10 << 30}]
+            response = self.client.post(reverse("instances:change_options", args=[self.vm.id]), data)
+        self.vm.refresh_from_db()
+        return check, [str(m) for m in get_messages(response.wsgi_request)]
+
+    def test_making_a_template_needs_no_quota(self):
+        check, _ = self.post(self.staff, is_template=True)
+        self.assertTrue(self.vm.is_template)
+        check.assert_not_called()
+
+    def test_turning_a_template_into_a_vm_is_checked(self):
+        Instance.objects.filter(pk=self.vm.pk).update(is_template=True)
+        check, _ = self.post(self.staff, is_template=False)
+        self.assertFalse(self.vm.is_template)
+        check.assert_called_once_with(self.staff, 1, 2, 2048, 10)
+
+    def test_over_quota_the_template_stays_a_template(self):
+        Instance.objects.filter(pk=self.vm.pk).update(is_template=True)
+        _, messages = self.post(self.staff, is_template=False, quota="cpu")
+        self.assertTrue(self.vm.is_template)
+        self.assertTrue(any("quota" in m for m in messages), messages)
+
+    def test_an_unverifiable_quota_keeps_it_a_template(self):
+        Instance.objects.filter(pk=self.vm.pk).update(is_template=True)
+        _, messages = self.post(self.staff, is_template=False, quota=QUOTA_UNVERIFIED)
+        self.assertTrue(self.vm.is_template)
+        self.assertTrue(any("cannot be reached" in m for m in messages), messages)
+
+    def test_superusers_have_no_quota(self):
+        Instance.objects.filter(pk=self.vm.pk).update(is_template=True)
+        admin = get_user_model().objects.create_superuser("tq-admin", "tq@example.com", "pw")
+        check, _ = self.post(admin, is_template=False, quota="cpu")
+        self.assertFalse(self.vm.is_template)
+        check.assert_not_called()
diff --git a/instances/views.py b/instances/views.py
index 118a94be..f441386a 100755
--- a/instances/views.py
+++ b/instances/views.py
@@ -1957,6 +1957,7 @@ def update_console(request, pk):
 
 
 @require_POST
+@serialize_user_quota
 @serialize_instance_mutation
 def change_options(request, pk):
     instance = get_instance(request.user, pk, perm_type="change")
@@ -1970,7 +1971,18 @@ def change_options(request, pk):
         # checkbox is disabled for everyone else, and a disabled checkbox is
         # not submitted, so for them the flag must be left alone.
         if request.user.is_superuser or request.user.is_staff:
-            instance.is_template = bool(request.POST.get("is_template", False))
+            is_template = bool(request.POST.get("is_template", False))
+            # A template is not counted and cannot be started: making it a
+            # VM again adds it to the owner's usage, so the quota applies.
+            if instance.is_template and not is_template and not request.user.is_superuser:
+                disk_sum = sum(int(disk.get("size") or 0) >> 30 for disk in instance.disks)
+                quota_msg = utils.check_user_quota(request.user, 1, instance.vcpu, instance.memory, disk_sum)
+                if quota_msg:
+                    messages.error(request, quota_refused(quota_msg, _(
+                        "User %(quota_msg)s quota reached, '%(instance_name)s' stays a template!"
+                    ) % {"quota_msg": quota_msg, "instance_name": instance.name}))
+                    is_template = True
+            instance.is_template = is_template
             instance.save(update_fields=["is_template"])
 
         options = {}