diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projecttreewidget.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projecttreewidget.cpp
index 372dbdb7576..2a98fbe86e7 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projecttreewidget.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projecttreewidget.cpp
@@ -489,5 +489,5 @@ void ProjectTreeWidgetFactory::restoreSettings(QSettings *settings, int position
     const QString baseKey = QLatin1String("ProjectTreeWidget.") + QString::number(position);
     ptw->setProjectFilter(settings->value(baseKey + QLatin1String(".ProjectFilter"), false).toBool());
     ptw->setGeneratedFilesFilter(settings->value(baseKey + QLatin1String(".GeneratedFilter"), true).toBool());
-    ptw->setAutoSynchronization(settings->value(baseKey +  QLatin1String(".SyncWithEditor")).toBool());
+    ptw->setAutoSynchronization(settings->value(baseKey +  QLatin1String(".SyncWithEditor"), true).toBool());
 }
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projecttreewidget.h b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projecttreewidget.h
index 072cc1f1ab2..69102fedb0d 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projecttreewidget.h
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projecttreewidget.h
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ private:
     QToolButton *m_toggleSync;
 
     QString m_modelId;
-    bool m_autoSync = false;
+    bool m_autoSync = true;
     Utils::FileName m_delayedRename;
 
     static QList<ProjectTreeWidget *> m_projectTreeWidgets;