diff --git a/config.def.h b/config.def.h
index dd2b90ee0c..89efe7335b 100644
--- a/config.def.h
+++ b/config.def.h
@@ -864,7 +864,7 @@ static const unsigned playlist_entry_remove_enable = PLAYLIST_ENTRY_REMOVE_ENABL
 
 static const bool scan_without_core_match      = false;
 
-static const bool playlist_show_sublabels      = false;
+#define DEFAULT_PLAYLIST_SHOW_SUBLABELS true
 
 static const bool playlist_fuzzy_archive_match = false;
 
diff --git a/configuration.c b/configuration.c
index e3626635ad..e5686a8ec8 100644
--- a/configuration.c
+++ b/configuration.c
@@ -1637,7 +1637,7 @@ static struct config_bool_setting *populate_settings_bool(settings_t *settings,
    SETTING_BOOL("playlist_use_old_format",       &settings->bools.playlist_use_old_format, true, playlist_use_old_format, false);
    SETTING_BOOL("content_runtime_log",           &settings->bools.content_runtime_log, true, DEFAULT_CONTENT_RUNTIME_LOG, false);
    SETTING_BOOL("content_runtime_log_aggregate", &settings->bools.content_runtime_log_aggregate, true, content_runtime_log_aggregate, false);
-   SETTING_BOOL("playlist_show_sublabels",       &settings->bools.playlist_show_sublabels, true, playlist_show_sublabels, false);
+   SETTING_BOOL("playlist_show_sublabels",       &settings->bools.playlist_show_sublabels, true, DEFAULT_PLAYLIST_SHOW_SUBLABELS, false);
    SETTING_BOOL("playlist_sort_alphabetical",    &settings->bools.playlist_sort_alphabetical, true, playlist_sort_alphabetical, false);
    SETTING_BOOL("playlist_fuzzy_archive_match",  &settings->bools.playlist_fuzzy_archive_match, true, playlist_fuzzy_archive_match, false);
 
diff --git a/menu/menu_setting.c b/menu/menu_setting.c
index 7719541118..bbdb73f281 100644
--- a/menu/menu_setting.c
+++ b/menu/menu_setting.c
@@ -14145,7 +14145,7 @@ static bool setting_append_list(
                &settings->bools.playlist_show_sublabels,
                MENU_ENUM_LABEL_PLAYLIST_SHOW_SUBLABELS,
                MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VALUE_PLAYLIST_SHOW_SUBLABELS,
-               playlist_show_sublabels,
+               DEFAULT_PLAYLIST_SHOW_SUBLABELS,
                MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VALUE_OFF,
                MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VALUE_ON,
                &group_info,