diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/UmbracoSettings/ContentElement.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/UmbracoSettings/ContentElement.cs
index 4a00aeb3ee..612437a688 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/UmbracoSettings/ContentElement.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/UmbracoSettings/ContentElement.cs
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Configuration.UmbracoSettings
         [ConfigurationProperty("UploadAllowDirectories")]
         internal InnerTextConfigurationElement<bool> UploadAllowDirectories => GetOptionalTextElement("UploadAllowDirectories", true);
 
+        [ConfigurationProperty("UseTheNewMediaPathScheme")]
+        internal InnerTextConfigurationElement<bool> UseTheNewMediaPathScheme => GetOptionalTextElement("UseTheNewMediaPathScheme", true);
+
         public IEnumerable<IContentErrorPage> Error404Collection => Errors.Error404Collection;
 
         [ConfigurationProperty("errors", IsRequired = true)]
@@ -105,6 +108,8 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Configuration.UmbracoSettings
 
         bool IContentSection.UploadAllowDirectories => UploadAllowDirectories;
 
+        bool IContentSection.UseTheNewMediaPathScheme => UseTheNewMediaPathScheme;
+
         bool IContentSection.EnsureUniqueNaming => EnsureUniqueNaming;
 
         bool IContentSection.XmlCacheEnabled => XmlCacheEnabled;
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/UmbracoSettings/IContentSection.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/UmbracoSettings/IContentSection.cs
index 879afd65bf..df0a39ad39 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/UmbracoSettings/IContentSection.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/UmbracoSettings/IContentSection.cs
@@ -23,7 +23,9 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Configuration.UmbracoSettings
 
         bool ResolveUrlsFromTextString { get; }
 
-        bool UploadAllowDirectories { get; }
+        bool UploadAllowDirectories { get; }
+
+        bool UseTheNewMediaPathScheme { get; }
 
         IEnumerable<IContentErrorPage> Error404Collection { get; }
 
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/IO/MediaFileSystem.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/IO/MediaFileSystem.cs
index 2c9773a9cb..b1404121e5 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/IO/MediaFileSystem.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/IO/MediaFileSystem.cs
@@ -28,13 +28,6 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.IO
         private long _folderCounter;
         private bool _folderCounterInitialized;
 
-        // fixme - remove
-        //private static readonly Dictionary<int, string> DefaultSizes = new Dictionary<int, string>
-        //{
-        //    { 100, "thumb" },
-        //    { 500, "big-thumb" }
-        //};
-
         public MediaFileSystem(IFileSystem wrapped)
             : base(wrapped)
         {
@@ -52,10 +45,14 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.IO
         internal ILogger Logger { get; set; }
 
         internal UploadAutoFillProperties UploadAutoFillProperties { get; }
-
-        // note - this is currently experimental / being developed
-        //public static bool UseTheNewMediaPathScheme { get; set; }
-        public const bool UseTheNewMediaPathScheme = false;
+
+        // fixme - work-in-progress
+        // the new scheme is now the default scheme - media items with old paths will still
+        // work, but whenever a file is uploaded, the new scheme is used. we have a temp.
+        // option to let people opt-out of the new scheme. eventually, the media filesystem
+        // will only support the new scheme - but it should be an interface, and it should
+        // be possible to switch its implementation to whatever people want to use
+        public bool UseTheNewMediaPathScheme => ContentConfig.UseTheNewMediaPathScheme;
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Deletes all files passed in.
@@ -116,7 +113,6 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.IO
                     DeleteFile(file);
 
 #pragma warning disable 162 // unreachable code
-                    // Not implemented yet, so need to disable warnings
                     // ReSharper disable once ConditionIsAlwaysTrueOrFalse
                     if (UseTheNewMediaPathScheme == false)
                     {
@@ -160,7 +156,6 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.IO
 
             string folder;
 #pragma warning disable 162 // unreachable code
-            // Not implemented yet, so need to disable warnings
             // ReSharper disable once ConditionIsAlwaysTrueOrFalse
             if (UseTheNewMediaPathScheme == false)
             {
@@ -207,6 +202,8 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.IO
         /// specified by <paramref name="prevpath"/>. Else, we CREATE a new one. Each time we are invoked.</remarks>
         public string GetMediaPath(string filename, string prevpath, Guid cuid, Guid puid)
         {
+#pragma warning disable 162 // unreachable code
+            // ReSharper disable once ConditionIsAlwaysTrueOrFalse
             if (UseTheNewMediaPathScheme || string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(prevpath))
                 return GetMediaPath(filename, cuid, puid);
 
@@ -230,6 +227,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.IO
                 : folder + "-" + filename;
 
             return filepath;
+#pragma warning restore 162 // unreachable code
         }
 
         /// <summary>