diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/config.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/config.sgml
index e02b0c8..0b9e300 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/config.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/config.sgml
@@ -3227,7 +3227,7 @@ ANY <replaceable class="parameter">num_sync</replaceable> ( <replaceable class="
        <para>
         Specifies whether or not you can connect and run queries during
         recovery, as described in <xref linkend="hot-standby">.
-        The default value is <literal>off</literal>.
+        The default value is <literal>on</literal>.
         This parameter can only be set at server start. It only has effect
         during archive recovery or in standby mode.
        </para>
diff --git a/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c b/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c
index a414fb2..587fbce 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c
+++ b/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c
@@ -1571,7 +1571,7 @@ static struct config_bool ConfigureNamesBool[] =
 			NULL
 		},
 		&EnableHotStandby,
-		false,
+		true,
 		NULL, NULL, NULL
 	},
 
diff --git a/src/backend/utils/misc/postgresql.conf.sample b/src/backend/utils/misc/postgresql.conf.sample
index c02f7f3..fceef14 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/misc/postgresql.conf.sample
+++ b/src/backend/utils/misc/postgresql.conf.sample
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@
 
 # These settings are ignored on a master server.
 
-#hot_standby = off			# "on" allows queries during recovery
+#hot_standby = on			# "off" disallows queries during recovery
 					# (change requires restart)
 #max_standby_archive_delay = 30s	# max delay before canceling queries
 					# when reading WAL from archive;
diff --git a/src/test/perl/PostgresNode.pm b/src/test/perl/PostgresNode.pm
index 51cbec8..16f7181 100644
--- a/src/test/perl/PostgresNode.pm
+++ b/src/test/perl/PostgresNode.pm
@@ -17,10 +17,6 @@ PostgresNode - class representing PostgreSQL server instance
   # Start the PostgreSQL server
   $node->start();
 
-  # Change a setting and restart
-  $node->append_conf('postgresql.conf', 'hot_standby = on');
-  $node->restart();
-
   # run a query with psql, like:
   #   echo 'SELECT 1' | psql -qAXt postgres -v ON_ERROR_STOP=1
   $psql_stdout = $node->safe_psql('postgres', 'SELECT 1');
@@ -432,7 +428,6 @@ sub init
 		print $conf "max_wal_size = 128MB\n";
 		print $conf "shared_buffers = 1MB\n";
 		print $conf "wal_log_hints = on\n";
-		print $conf "hot_standby = on\n";
 		print $conf "max_connections = 10\n";
 	}
 	else