diff --git a/DOCS/man/options.rst b/DOCS/man/options.rst
index 21ff76708f..d650b6a62f 100644
--- a/DOCS/man/options.rst
+++ b/DOCS/man/options.rst
@@ -6904,8 +6904,8 @@ Miscellaneous
     (which are not marked as cover art), external cover art will not be loaded.
 
     :no:    Don't automatically load cover art.
-    :exact: Load the media filename with an image file extension.
-    :fuzzy: Load all cover art containing the media filename (default).
+    :exact: Load the media filename with an image file extension (default).
+    :fuzzy: Load all cover art containing the media filename.
     :all:   Load all images in the current directory.
 
     See ``--cover-art-files`` for details about what constitutes cover art.
diff --git a/options/options.c b/options/options.c
index 650ba00b46..6d38af53b4 100644
--- a/options/options.c
+++ b/options/options.c
@@ -1033,7 +1033,7 @@ static const struct MPOpts mp_default_opts = {
     .pitch_correction = 1,
     .sub_auto = 0,
     .audiofile_auto = -1,
-    .coverart_auto = 1,
+    .coverart_auto = 0,
     .coverart_whitelist = true,
     .osd_bar_visible = 1,
     .screenshot_template = "mpv-shot%n",