diff --git a/Documentation/config/core.txt b/Documentation/config/core.txt
index 75538d27e7..e66d79fd76 100644
--- a/Documentation/config/core.txt
+++ b/Documentation/config/core.txt
@@ -577,7 +577,7 @@ the `GIT_NOTES_REF` environment variable.  See linkgit:git-notes[1].
 
 core.commitGraph::
 	If true, then git will read the commit-graph file (if it exists)
-	to parse the graph structure of commits. Defaults to false. See
+	to parse the graph structure of commits. Defaults to true. See
 	linkgit:git-commit-graph[1] for more information.
 
 core.useReplaceRefs::
diff --git a/Documentation/config/gc.txt b/Documentation/config/gc.txt
index 02b92b18b5..00ea0a678e 100644
--- a/Documentation/config/gc.txt
+++ b/Documentation/config/gc.txt
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ gc.writeCommitGraph::
 	If true, then gc will rewrite the commit-graph file when
 	linkgit:git-gc[1] is run. When using `git gc --auto`
 	the commit-graph will be updated if housekeeping is
-	required. Default is false. See linkgit:git-commit-graph[1]
+	required. Default is true. See linkgit:git-commit-graph[1]
 	for details.
 
 gc.logExpiry::
diff --git a/repo-settings.c b/repo-settings.c
index 309577f6bc..d00b675687 100644
--- a/repo-settings.c
+++ b/repo-settings.c
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 #include "config.h"
 #include "repository.h"
 
+#define UPDATE_DEFAULT_BOOL(s,v) do { if (s == -1) { s = v; } } while(0)
+
 void prepare_repo_settings(struct repository *r)
 {
 	int value;
@@ -16,6 +18,8 @@ void prepare_repo_settings(struct repository *r)
 		r->settings.core_commit_graph = value;
 	if (!repo_config_get_bool(r, "gc.writecommitgraph", &value))
 		r->settings.gc_write_commit_graph = value;
+	UPDATE_DEFAULT_BOOL(r->settings.core_commit_graph, 1);
+	UPDATE_DEFAULT_BOOL(r->settings.gc_write_commit_graph, 1);
 
 	if (!repo_config_get_bool(r, "index.version", &value))
 		r->settings.index_version = value;
diff --git a/t/t0410-partial-clone.sh b/t/t0410-partial-clone.sh
index 5bd892f2f7..181ffa44e9 100755
--- a/t/t0410-partial-clone.sh
+++ b/t/t0410-partial-clone.sh
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ test_expect_success 'rev-list stops traversal at missing and promised commit' '
 
 	git -C repo config core.repositoryformatversion 1 &&
 	git -C repo config extensions.partialclone "arbitrary string" &&
-	GIT_TEST_COMMIT_GRAPH=0 git -C repo rev-list --exclude-promisor-objects --objects bar >out &&
+	GIT_TEST_COMMIT_GRAPH=0 git -C repo -c core.commitGraph=false rev-list --exclude-promisor-objects --objects bar >out &&
 	grep $(git -C repo rev-parse bar) out &&
 	! grep $FOO out
 '
diff --git a/t/t5307-pack-missing-commit.sh b/t/t5307-pack-missing-commit.sh
index dacb440b27..f4338abb78 100755
--- a/t/t5307-pack-missing-commit.sh
+++ b/t/t5307-pack-missing-commit.sh
@@ -24,11 +24,11 @@ test_expect_success 'check corruption' '
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'rev-list notices corruption (1)' '
-	test_must_fail env GIT_TEST_COMMIT_GRAPH=0 git rev-list HEAD
+	test_must_fail env GIT_TEST_COMMIT_GRAPH=0 git -c core.commitGraph=false rev-list HEAD
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'rev-list notices corruption (2)' '
-	test_must_fail env GIT_TEST_COMMIT_GRAPH=0 git rev-list --objects HEAD
+	test_must_fail env GIT_TEST_COMMIT_GRAPH=0 git -c core.commitGraph=false rev-list --objects HEAD
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'pack-objects notices corruption' '
diff --git a/t/t5324-split-commit-graph.sh b/t/t5324-split-commit-graph.sh
index 03f45a1ed9..19aa40de15 100755
--- a/t/t5324-split-commit-graph.sh
+++ b/t/t5324-split-commit-graph.sh
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ GIT_TEST_COMMIT_GRAPH=0
 test_expect_success 'setup repo' '
 	git init &&
 	git config core.commitGraph true &&
+	git config gc.writeCommitGraph false &&
 	infodir=".git/objects/info" &&
 	graphdir="$infodir/commit-graphs" &&
 	test_oid_init
@@ -332,6 +333,7 @@ test_expect_success 'split across alternate where alternate is not split' '
 	git clone --no-hardlinks . alt-split &&
 	(
 		cd alt-split &&
+		rm -f .git/objects/info/commit-graph &&
 		echo "$(pwd)"/../.git/objects >.git/objects/info/alternates &&
 		test_commit 18 &&
 		git commit-graph write --reachable --split &&
diff --git a/t/t6011-rev-list-with-bad-commit.sh b/t/t6011-rev-list-with-bad-commit.sh
index 545b461e51..bad02cf5b8 100755
--- a/t/t6011-rev-list-with-bad-commit.sh
+++ b/t/t6011-rev-list-with-bad-commit.sh
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ test_expect_success 'corrupt second commit object' \
    '
 
 test_expect_success 'rev-list should fail' '
-	test_must_fail env GIT_TEST_COMMIT_GRAPH=0 git rev-list --all > /dev/null
+	test_must_fail env GIT_TEST_COMMIT_GRAPH=0 git -c core.commitGraph=false rev-list --all > /dev/null
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'git repack _MUST_ fail' \