diff --git a/pkg/sql/opt/bench/BUILD.bazel b/pkg/sql/opt/bench/BUILD.bazel
index ae81217d5eb9..c1d6184347d7 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/opt/bench/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/pkg/sql/opt/bench/BUILD.bazel
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ go_test(
         "//pkg/server",
         "//pkg/settings/cluster",
         "//pkg/sql/catalog/schemaexpr",
+        "//pkg/sql/catalog/tabledesc",
+        "//pkg/sql/opt",
         "//pkg/sql/opt/exec",
         "//pkg/sql/opt/exec/execbuilder",
         "//pkg/sql/opt/exec/explain",
diff --git a/pkg/sql/opt/bench/bench_test.go b/pkg/sql/opt/bench/bench_test.go
index fbedc0896e1f..79c457a2300e 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/opt/bench/bench_test.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/opt/bench/bench_test.go
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/server"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/settings/cluster"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql/catalog/schemaexpr"
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql/catalog/tabledesc"
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql/opt"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql/opt/exec"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql/opt/exec/execbuilder"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql/opt/exec/explain"
@@ -591,6 +593,18 @@ func newHarness(tb testing.TB, query benchQuery, schemas []string) *harness {
 		evalCtx: eval.MakeTestingEvalContext(cluster.MakeTestingClusterSettings()),
 	}
 
+	// Setup the default session settings.
+	h.evalCtx.SessionData().ReorderJoinsLimit = opt.DefaultJoinOrderLimit
+	h.evalCtx.SessionData().OptimizerUseMultiColStats = true
+	h.evalCtx.SessionData().ZigzagJoinEnabled = true
+	h.evalCtx.SessionData().OptimizerUseForecasts = true
+	h.evalCtx.SessionData().OptimizerUseHistograms = true
+	h.evalCtx.SessionData().LocalityOptimizedSearch = true
+	h.evalCtx.SessionData().ReorderJoinsLimit = opt.DefaultJoinOrderLimit
+	h.evalCtx.SessionData().InsertFastPath = true
+	h.evalCtx.SessionData().OptSplitScanLimit = tabledesc.MaxBucketAllowed
+	h.evalCtx.SessionData().VariableInequalityLookupJoinEnabled = true
+
 	// Set up the test catalog.
 	h.testCat = testcat.New()
 	for _, schema := range schemas {