diff --git a/packages/eslint-plugin/docs/rules/prefer-nullish-coalescing.mdx b/packages/eslint-plugin/docs/rules/prefer-nullish-coalescing.mdx
index 3215b83dc832..6748b58873ba 100644
--- a/packages/eslint-plugin/docs/rules/prefer-nullish-coalescing.mdx
+++ b/packages/eslint-plugin/docs/rules/prefer-nullish-coalescing.mdx
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ foo ?? 'a string';
 
 ### `ignoreConditionalTests`
 
-Setting this option to `true` will cause the rule to ignore any cases that are located within a conditional test. This is set to `false` by default.
+Setting this option to `false` will cause the rule to also check cases that are located within a conditional test. This is set to `true` by default.
 
 Generally expressions within conditional tests intentionally use the falsy fallthrough behavior of the logical or operator, meaning that fixing the operator to the nullish coalesce operator could cause bugs.
 
diff --git a/packages/eslint-plugin/src/rules/prefer-nullish-coalescing.ts b/packages/eslint-plugin/src/rules/prefer-nullish-coalescing.ts
index 8a9bfae1928e..725bd115bbe0 100644
--- a/packages/eslint-plugin/src/rules/prefer-nullish-coalescing.ts
+++ b/packages/eslint-plugin/src/rules/prefer-nullish-coalescing.ts
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ export default createRule<Options, MessageIds>({
   defaultOptions: [
     {
       allowRuleToRunWithoutStrictNullChecksIKnowWhatIAmDoing: false,
-      ignoreConditionalTests: false,
+      ignoreConditionalTests: true,
       ignoreTernaryTests: false,
       ignoreMixedLogicalExpressions: false,
       ignorePrimitives: {
diff --git a/packages/eslint-plugin/tests/rules/prefer-nullish-coalescing.test.ts b/packages/eslint-plugin/tests/rules/prefer-nullish-coalescing.test.ts
index c37a9431dae7..3259a8b6b2ea 100644
--- a/packages/eslint-plugin/tests/rules/prefer-nullish-coalescing.test.ts
+++ b/packages/eslint-plugin/tests/rules/prefer-nullish-coalescing.test.ts
@@ -147,35 +147,30 @@ x === null ? x : y;
 declare const x: ${type} | ${nullish};
 x || 'foo' ? null : null;
       `,
-      options: [{ ignoreConditionalTests: true }],
     })),
     ...nullishTypeValidTest((nullish, type) => ({
       code: `
 declare const x: ${type} | ${nullish};
 if (x || 'foo') {}
       `,
-      options: [{ ignoreConditionalTests: true }],
     })),
     ...nullishTypeValidTest((nullish, type) => ({
       code: `
 declare const x: ${type} | ${nullish};
 do {} while (x || 'foo')
       `,
-      options: [{ ignoreConditionalTests: true }],
     })),
     ...nullishTypeValidTest((nullish, type) => ({
       code: `
 declare const x: ${type} | ${nullish};
 for (;x || 'foo';) {}
       `,
-      options: [{ ignoreConditionalTests: true }],
     })),
     ...nullishTypeValidTest((nullish, type) => ({
       code: `
 declare const x: ${type} | ${nullish};
 while (x || 'foo') {}
       `,
-      options: [{ ignoreConditionalTests: true }],
     })),
 
     // ignoreMixedLogicalExpressions
@@ -706,7 +701,6 @@ declare const x: ${type} | ${nullish};
 if (() => x || 'foo') {}
       `,
       output: null,
-      options: [{ ignoreConditionalTests: true }],
       errors: [
         {
           messageId: 'preferNullishOverOr',
@@ -732,7 +726,6 @@ declare const x: ${type} | ${nullish};
 if (function werid() { return x || 'foo' }) {}
       `,
       output: null,
-      options: [{ ignoreConditionalTests: true }],
       errors: [
         {
           messageId: 'preferNullishOverOr',