diff --git a/Documentation/git-merge.txt b/Documentation/git-merge.txt
index a3c1fa332a..cf2c374b71 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-merge.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-merge.txt
@@ -101,9 +101,8 @@ commit or stash your changes before running 'git merge'.
 	Specifying more than one commit will create a merge with
 	more than two parents (affectionately called an Octopus merge).
 +
-If no commit is given from the command line, and if `merge.defaultToUpstream`
-configuration variable is set, merge the remote-tracking branches
-that the current branch is configured to use as its upstream.
+If no commit is given from the command line, merge the remote-tracking
+branches that the current branch is configured to use as its upstream.
 See also the configuration section of this manual page.
 
 
diff --git a/builtin/merge.c b/builtin/merge.c
index 7c9d8f2432..428ca247bd 100644
--- a/builtin/merge.c
+++ b/builtin/merge.c
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ static int verbosity;
 static int allow_rerere_auto;
 static int abort_current_merge;
 static int show_progress = -1;
-static int default_to_upstream;
+static int default_to_upstream = 1;
 static const char *sign_commit;
 
 static struct strategy all_strategy[] = {