diff --git a/docs/ares_init_options.3 b/docs/ares_init_options.3
index 8052e5d5..6955c884 100644
--- a/docs/ares_init_options.3
+++ b/docs/ares_init_options.3
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ The receive buffer size to set for the socket.
 .br
 The message size to be advertized in EDNS; only takes effect if the
 .B ARES_FLAG_EDNS
-flag is set.
+flag is set.  Defaults to 1280, the recommended size.
 .TP 18
 .B ARES_OPT_RESOLVCONF
 .B char *\fIresolvconf_path\fP;
@@ -270,7 +270,8 @@ in the request.  Primarily useful for writing clients which might be
 used to test or debug name servers.
 .TP 23
 .B ARES_FLAG_EDNS
-Include an EDNS pseudo-resource record (RFC 2671) in generated requests.
+Include an EDNS pseudo-resource record (RFC 2671) in generated requests.  As of
+v1.22, this is on by default if flags are otherwise not set.
 .SH RETURN VALUES
 \fBares_init_options(3)\fP can return any of the following values:
 .TP 14
diff --git a/src/lib/ares_init.c b/src/lib/ares_init.c
index 6b43ce5f..6fee5f31 100644
--- a/src/lib/ares_init.c
+++ b/src/lib/ares_init.c
@@ -134,6 +134,14 @@ static ares_status_t init_by_defaults(ares_channel_t *channel)
   const char *dot;
 #endif
 
+  /* Enable EDNS by default */
+  if (!(channel->optmask & ARES_OPT_FLAGS)) {
+    channel->flags = ARES_FLAG_EDNS;
+  }
+  if (channel->ednspsz == 0) {
+    channel->ednspsz = EDNSPACKETSZ;
+  }
+
   if (channel->timeout == 0) {
     channel->timeout = DEFAULT_TIMEOUT;
   }
@@ -146,10 +154,6 @@ static ares_status_t init_by_defaults(ares_channel_t *channel)
     channel->ndots = 1;
   }
 
-  if (channel->ednspsz == 0) {
-    channel->ednspsz = EDNSPACKETSZ;
-  }
-
   if (ares__slist_len(channel->servers) == 0) {
     struct ares_addr addr;
     ares__llist_t   *sconfig = NULL;