diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 10d9b589..1e080c37 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ Version 56:
 * Add provisional IANA header field names
 * Add string_view_body
 * Call on_chunk when the extension is empty
+* HTTP/1.1 is the default version
 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
diff --git a/include/beast/http/message.hpp b/include/beast/http/message.hpp
index 4d34bb2c..a92adee7 100644
--- a/include/beast/http/message.hpp
+++ b/include/beast/http/message.hpp
@@ -64,8 +64,10 @@ struct header<true, Fields> : Fields
             int major = version / 10;
             int minor = version % 10;
         @endcode
+
+        Newly constructed headers will use HTTP/1.1 by default.
     */
-    int version;
+    int version = 11;
 
     /// Default constructor
     header() = default;
@@ -211,8 +213,10 @@ struct header<false, Fields> : Fields
             major = version / 10;
             minor = version % 10;
         @endcode
+
+        Newly constructed headers will use HTTP/1.1 by default.
     */
-    int version;
+    int version = 11;
 
     /// Default constructor.
     header() = default;