diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index af0702264..cdef7640e 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ Misc:
  - Qt: Allow passing multiple games on command line for multiplayer (closes mgba.io/i/3061)
  - Qt: Support building against Qt 6
  - Qt: Add shortcuts to increment fast forward speed (mgba.io/i/2903)
+ - Qt: Enable ROM preloading by default
  - Res: Port hq2x and OmniScale shaders from SameBoy
  - Res: Port NSO-gba-colors shader (closes mgba.io/i/2834)
  - Res: Update gba-colors shader (closes mgba.io/i/2976)
diff --git a/src/platform/qt/ConfigController.cpp b/src/platform/qt/ConfigController.cpp
index a12768709..eae75fea4 100644
--- a/src/platform/qt/ConfigController.cpp
+++ b/src/platform/qt/ConfigController.cpp
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ ConfigController::ConfigController(QObject* parent)
 	mCoreConfigSetDefaultIntValue(&m_config, "sgb.borders", 1);
 	mCoreConfigSetDefaultIntValue(&m_config, "gb.colors", GB_COLORS_CGB);
 #endif
+	mCoreConfigSetDefaultIntValue(&m_config, "preload", true);
 	mCoreConfigMap(&m_config, &m_opts);
 
 	mSubParserGraphicsInit(&m_subparsers[0], &m_graphicsOpts);
diff --git a/src/platform/qt/CoreController.cpp b/src/platform/qt/CoreController.cpp
index 53d5b3892..7cd6c58d5 100644
--- a/src/platform/qt/CoreController.cpp
+++ b/src/platform/qt/CoreController.cpp
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ void CoreController::loadConfig(ConfigController* config) {
 	m_fastForwardMute = config->getOption("fastForwardMute", -1).toInt();
 	mCoreConfigCopyValue(&m_threadContext.core->config, config->config(), "volume");
 	mCoreConfigCopyValue(&m_threadContext.core->config, config->config(), "mute");
-	m_preload = config->getOption("preload").toInt();
+	m_preload = config->getOption("preload", true).toInt();
 
 	QSize sizeBefore = screenDimensions();
 	m_activeBuffer.resize(256 * 224 * sizeof(mColor));
diff --git a/src/platform/qt/CoreController.h b/src/platform/qt/CoreController.h
index 4de454d4b..a6b6a03ca 100644
--- a/src/platform/qt/CoreController.h
+++ b/src/platform/qt/CoreController.h
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ private:
 	QString m_savePath;
 
 	bool m_patched = false;
-	bool m_preload = false;
+	bool m_preload = true;
 	bool m_saveBlocked = false;
 
 	uint32_t m_crc32;
diff --git a/src/platform/qt/CoreManager.h b/src/platform/qt/CoreManager.h
index da7460f22..e910886f6 100644
--- a/src/platform/qt/CoreManager.h
+++ b/src/platform/qt/CoreManager.h
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ signals:
 private:
 	const mCoreConfig* m_config = nullptr;
 	MultiplayerController* m_multiplayer = nullptr;
-	bool m_preload = false;
+	bool m_preload = true;
 };
 
 }
diff --git a/src/platform/qt/SettingsView.cpp b/src/platform/qt/SettingsView.cpp
index f4eea01db..195fe0441 100644
--- a/src/platform/qt/SettingsView.cpp
+++ b/src/platform/qt/SettingsView.cpp
@@ -747,7 +747,7 @@ void SettingsView::reloadConfig() {
 	loadSetting("patchPath", m_ui.patchPath);
 	loadSetting("cheatsPath", m_ui.cheatsPath);
 	loadSetting("showLibrary", m_ui.showLibrary);
-	loadSetting("preload", m_ui.preload);
+	loadSetting("preload", m_ui.preload, true);
 	loadSetting("showFps", m_ui.showFps, true);
 	loadSetting("cheatAutoload", m_ui.cheatAutoload, true);
 	loadSetting("cheatAutosave", m_ui.cheatAutosave, true);
diff --git a/src/platform/qt/SettingsView.ui b/src/platform/qt/SettingsView.ui
index 8539e6bdb..bce56f730 100644
--- a/src/platform/qt/SettingsView.ui
+++ b/src/platform/qt/SettingsView.ui
@@ -1263,6 +1263,9 @@
          <property name="text">
           <string>Preload entire ROM into memory</string>
          </property>
+         <property name="checked">
+          <bool>true</bool>
+         </property>
         </widget>
        </item>
        <item row="10" column="1">