diff --git a/metapackages/auto-instrumentations-node/README.md b/metapackages/auto-instrumentations-node/README.md
index 2674dfd4fe..b41c31fa3c 100644
--- a/metapackages/auto-instrumentations-node/README.md
+++ b/metapackages/auto-instrumentations-node/README.md
@@ -77,8 +77,8 @@ For example, to enable only the `env`, `host` detectors:
 export OTEL_NODE_RESOURCE_DETECTORS="env,host"
 ```
 
-By default, all [Supported Instrumentations](#supported-instrumentations) are enabled.
-You can use the environment variable `OTEL_NODE_ENABLED_INSTRUMENTATIONS` to enable only certain instrumentations,
+By default, all [Supported Instrumentations](#supported-instrumentations) are enabled, unless they are annotated with "default disabled".
+You can use the environment variable `OTEL_NODE_ENABLED_INSTRUMENTATIONS` to enable only certain instrumentations, including "default disabled" ones
 OR the environment variable `OTEL_NODE_DISABLED_INSTRUMENTATIONS` to disable only certain instrumentations,
 by providing a comma-separated list of the instrumentation package names without the `@opentelemetry/instrumentation-` prefix.
 
@@ -91,10 +91,10 @@ instrumentations:
 export OTEL_NODE_ENABLED_INSTRUMENTATIONS="http,nestjs-core"
 ```
 
-To disable only [@opentelemetry/instrumentation-fs](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-js-contrib/tree/main/plugins/node/instrumentation-fs):
+To disable only [@opentelemetry/instrumentation-net](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-js-contrib/tree/main/plugins/node/instrumentation-net):
 
 ```shell
-export OTEL_NODE_DISABLED_INSTRUMENTATIONS="fs"
+export OTEL_NODE_DISABLED_INSTRUMENTATIONS="net"
 ```
 
 If both environment variables are set, `OTEL_NODE_ENABLED_INSTRUMENTATIONS` is applied first, and then `OTEL_NODE_DISABLED_INSTRUMENTATIONS` is applied to that list.
@@ -170,6 +170,7 @@ registerInstrumentations({
 - [@opentelemetry/instrumentation-dns](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-js-contrib/tree/main/plugins/node/opentelemetry-instrumentation-dns)
 - [@opentelemetry/instrumentation-express](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-js-contrib/tree/main/plugins/node/opentelemetry-instrumentation-express)
 - [@opentelemetry/instrumentation-fastify](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-js-contrib/tree/main/plugins/node/opentelemetry-instrumentation-fastify)
+- [@opentelemetry/instrumentation-fs](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-js-contrib/tree/main/plugins/node/instrumentation-fs) (default disabled)
 - [@opentelemetry/instrumentation-generic-pool](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-js-contrib/tree/main/plugins/node/opentelemetry-instrumentation-generic-pool)
 - [@opentelemetry/instrumentation-graphql](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-js-contrib/tree/main/plugins/node/opentelemetry-instrumentation-graphql)
 - [@opentelemetry/instrumentation-grpc](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-js/tree/main/experimental/packages/opentelemetry-instrumentation-grpc)
diff --git a/metapackages/auto-instrumentations-node/src/utils.ts b/metapackages/auto-instrumentations-node/src/utils.ts
index b0417115a5..d7e6a0cd6b 100644
--- a/metapackages/auto-instrumentations-node/src/utils.ts
+++ b/metapackages/auto-instrumentations-node/src/utils.ts
@@ -136,6 +136,8 @@ const InstrumentationMap = {
   '@opentelemetry/instrumentation-winston': WinstonInstrumentation,
 };
 
+const defaultExcludedInstrumentations = ['@opentelemetry/instrumentation-fs'];
+
 // Config types inferred automatically from the first argument of the constructor
 type ConfigArg<T> = T extends new (...args: infer U) => unknown ? U[0] : never;
 export type InstrumentationConfigMap = {
@@ -208,10 +210,14 @@ function getInstrumentationsFromEnv(envVar: string): string[] {
 
 /**
  * Returns the list of instrumentations that are enabled based on the environment variable.
+ * If the environment variable is unset, returns all instrumentation that are enabled by default.
  */
 function getEnabledInstrumentationsFromEnv() {
   if (!process.env.OTEL_NODE_ENABLED_INSTRUMENTATIONS) {
-    return Object.keys(InstrumentationMap);
+    // all keys in the InstrumentationMap except for everything that is not enabled by default.
+    return Object.keys(InstrumentationMap).filter(
+      key => !defaultExcludedInstrumentations.includes(key)
+    );
   }
 
   const instrumentationsFromEnv = getInstrumentationsFromEnv(
diff --git a/metapackages/auto-instrumentations-node/test/utils.test.ts b/metapackages/auto-instrumentations-node/test/utils.test.ts
index cc7cb24c68..d2959b6ddd 100644
--- a/metapackages/auto-instrumentations-node/test/utils.test.ts
+++ b/metapackages/auto-instrumentations-node/test/utils.test.ts
@@ -23,12 +23,15 @@ import { getResourceDetectorsFromEnv } from '../src/utils';
 
 describe('utils', () => {
   describe('getNodeAutoInstrumentations', () => {
-    it('should include all installed instrumentations', () => {
+    it('should include all default instrumentations', () => {
       const instrumentations = getNodeAutoInstrumentations();
       const installedInstrumentations = Object.keys(
         require('../package.json').dependencies
       ).filter(depName => {
-        return depName.startsWith('@opentelemetry/instrumentation-');
+        return (
+          depName.startsWith('@opentelemetry/instrumentation-') &&
+          depName !== '@opentelemetry/instrumentation-fs'
+        );
       });
 
       assert.deepStrictEqual(
@@ -89,6 +92,20 @@ describe('utils', () => {
       }
     });
 
+    it('should allow enabling non-default instrumentations via OTEL_NODE_ENABLED_INSTRUMENTATIONS environment variable', () => {
+      process.env.OTEL_NODE_ENABLED_INSTRUMENTATIONS = 'fs'; // separator with and without whitespaces should be allowed
+      try {
+        const instrumentations = getNodeAutoInstrumentations();
+
+        assert.deepStrictEqual(
+          new Set(instrumentations.map(i => i.instrumentationName)),
+          new Set(['@opentelemetry/instrumentation-fs'])
+        );
+      } finally {
+        delete process.env.OTEL_NODE_ENABLED_INSTRUMENTATIONS;
+      }
+    });
+
     it('should include all instrumentations except those disabled via OTEL_NODE_DISABLED_INSTRUMENTATIONS environment variable', () => {
       process.env.OTEL_NODE_DISABLED_INSTRUMENTATIONS =
         'fs,aws-sdk, aws-lambda'; // separator with and without whitespaces should be allowed