diff --git a/embed/config.go b/embed/config.go
index 05f58231110a..5fd0691e72dc 100644
--- a/embed/config.go
+++ b/embed/config.go
@@ -323,7 +323,8 @@ type Config struct {
 	loggerCore        zapcore.Core
 	loggerWriteSyncer zapcore.WriteSyncer
 
-	// EnableGRPCGateway is false to disable grpc gateway.
+	// EnableGRPCGateway enables grpc gateway.
+	// The gateway translates a RESTful HTTP API into gRPC.
 	EnableGRPCGateway bool `json:"enable-grpc-gateway"`
 
 	// UnsafeNoFsync disables all uses of fsync.
@@ -411,6 +412,7 @@ func NewConfig() *Config {
 		Logger:     "zap",
 		LogOutputs: []string{DefaultLogOutput},
 		LogLevel:   logutil.DefaultLogLevel,
+		EnableGRPCGateway: true,
 	}
 	cfg.InitialCluster = cfg.InitialClusterFromName(cfg.Name)
 	return cfg
diff --git a/etcdmain/config.go b/etcdmain/config.go
index 7d0c7d7b2c83..d576d70b91c3 100644
--- a/etcdmain/config.go
+++ b/etcdmain/config.go
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ func newConfig() *config {
 	fs.UintVar(&cfg.ec.AuthTokenTTL, "auth-token-ttl", cfg.ec.AuthTokenTTL, "The lifetime in seconds of the auth token.")
 
 	// gateway
-	fs.BoolVar(&cfg.ec.EnableGRPCGateway, "enable-grpc-gateway", true, "Enable GRPC gateway.")
+	fs.BoolVar(&cfg.ec.EnableGRPCGateway, "enable-grpc-gateway", cfg.ec.EnableGRPCGateway, "Enable GRPC gateway.")
 
 	// experimental
 	fs.BoolVar(&cfg.ec.ExperimentalInitialCorruptCheck, "experimental-initial-corrupt-check", cfg.ec.ExperimentalInitialCorruptCheck, "Enable to check data corruption before serving any client/peer traffic.")