diff --git a/src/configure b/src/configure
index ba19c543..f54bf26c 100755
--- a/src/configure
+++ b/src/configure
@@ -1354,7 +1354,7 @@ Optional Features:
   --disable-FEATURE       do not include FEATURE (same as --enable-FEATURE=no)
   --enable-FEATURE[=ARG]  include FEATURE [ARG=yes]
   --disable-largefile     omit support for large files
-  --enable-xattr          Enable fetching metadata from file extended
+  --disable-xattr         Enable fetching metadata from file extended
                           attributes. This is only useful if some application
                           creates them on (part of) your data set. You also
                           need to set up appropriate mappings in the
@@ -4349,7 +4349,7 @@ fi
 if test "${enable_xattr+set}" = set; then :
   enableval=$enable_xattr; xattrEnabled=$enableval
 else
-  xattrEnabled=no
+  xattrEnabled=yes
 fi
 
 
diff --git a/src/configure.ac b/src/configure.ac
index 0d147322..92af8904 100644
--- a/src/configure.ac
+++ b/src/configure.ac
@@ -168,11 +168,11 @@ fi
 # completely trivial: we have to use ctime instead of mtime to detect
 # changes.
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(xattr,
-    AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-xattr],
+    AC_HELP_STRING([--disable-xattr],
    [Enable fetching metadata from file extended attributes. This is only
    useful if some application creates them on (part of) your data set. You also 
    need to set up appropriate mappings in the configuration.]),
-        xattrEnabled=$enableval, xattrEnabled=no)
+        xattrEnabled=$enableval, xattrEnabled=yes)
 
 if test X$xattrEnabled = Xyes ; then
   AC_DEFINE(RCL_USE_XATTR, 1, [Use file extended attributes])