diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/config/ScalaSettings.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/config/ScalaSettings.scala
index ffec33242a71..efee841c3a34 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/config/ScalaSettings.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/config/ScalaSettings.scala
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ class ScalaSettings extends Settings.SettingGroup {
     helpArg = "mode",
     descr   = "Generate forwarder methods in classes inhering concrete methods from traits.",
     choices = List("true", "junit", "false"),
-    default = "junit")
+    default = "true")
 
   object mixinForwarderChoices {
     def isTruthy(implicit ctx: Context) = XmixinForceForwarders.value == "true"
diff --git a/compiler/test/dotty/tools/dotc/CompilationTests.scala b/compiler/test/dotty/tools/dotc/CompilationTests.scala
index 6bdb708e58f6..9eb7f58303c8 100644
--- a/compiler/test/dotty/tools/dotc/CompilationTests.scala
+++ b/compiler/test/dotty/tools/dotc/CompilationTests.scala
@@ -185,6 +185,7 @@ class CompilationTests extends ParallelTesting {
     compileFilesInDir("tests/run-custom-args/Yretain-trees", defaultOptions and "-Yretain-trees") +
     compileFile("tests/run-custom-args/tuple-cons.scala", allowDeepSubtypes) +
     compileFile("tests/run-custom-args/i5256.scala", allowDeepSubtypes) +
+    compileFile("tests/run-custom-args/no-useless-forwarders.scala", defaultOptions and "-Xmixin-force-forwarders:false") +
     compileFilesInDir("tests/run", defaultOptions)
   }.checkRuns()
 
diff --git a/tests/run/no-useless-forwarders.scala b/tests/run-custom-args/no-useless-forwarders.scala
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/run/no-useless-forwarders.scala
rename to tests/run-custom-args/no-useless-forwarders.scala