diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Configuration/Legacy/ModelsBuilderConfig.cs b/src/Umbraco.Configuration/Legacy/ModelsBuilderConfig.cs
index 164b15c728..f6395b23b4 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Configuration/Legacy/ModelsBuilderConfig.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Configuration/Legacy/ModelsBuilderConfig.cs
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Configuration.Legacy
         {
             // giant kill switch, default: false
             // must be explicitely set to true for anything else to happen
-            Enable = true;
+            Enable = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings[Prefix + "Enable"] == "true";
 
             // ensure defaults are initialized for tests
             ModelsNamespace = Constants.ModelsBuilder.DefaultModelsNamespace;
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Configuration/Models/ModelsBuilderConfig.cs b/src/Umbraco.Configuration/Models/ModelsBuilderConfig.cs
index eb2047d4db..4d35e3fa95 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Configuration/Models/ModelsBuilderConfig.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Configuration/Models/ModelsBuilderConfig.cs
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Configuration.Models
         ///     <para>If this is false then absolutely nothing happens.</para>
         ///     <para>Default value is <c>false</c> which means that unless we have this setting, nothing happens.</para>
         /// </remarks>
-        public bool Enable => _configuration.GetValue(Prefix+"Enable", true);
+        public bool Enable => _configuration.GetValue(Prefix+"Enable", false);
 
         /// <summary>
         ///     Gets the models mode.