diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/acceptance/hashtags-test.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/acceptance/hashtags-test.js
index 611a513601..17111f3395 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/acceptance/hashtags-test.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/acceptance/hashtags-test.js
@@ -8,7 +8,10 @@ import { test } from "qunit";
 
 acceptance("Category and Tag Hashtags", function (needs) {
   needs.user();
-  needs.settings({ tagging_enabled: true });
+  needs.settings({
+    tagging_enabled: true,
+    enable_experimental_hashtag_autocomplete: false,
+  });
   needs.pretender((server, helper) => {
     server.get("/hashtags", () => {
       return helper.response({
diff --git a/config/site_settings.yml b/config/site_settings.yml
index be95ec23c9..6c7e37640b 100644
--- a/config/site_settings.yml
+++ b/config/site_settings.yml
@@ -2035,7 +2035,7 @@ developer:
     default: true
     client: true
   enable_experimental_hashtag_autocomplete:
-    default: false
+    default: true
     client: true
   experimental_hashtag_search_result_limit:
     default: 20
diff --git a/db/migrate/20230103004613_make_experimental_hashtag_feature_default_for_new_sites.rb b/db/migrate/20230103004613_make_experimental_hashtag_feature_default_for_new_sites.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e0047fdb3c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20230103004613_make_experimental_hashtag_feature_default_for_new_sites.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+class MakeExperimentalHashtagFeatureDefaultForNewSites < ActiveRecord::Migration[7.0]
+  def up
+    execute(<<~SQL)
+      INSERT INTO site_settings (name, data_type, value, created_at, updated_at)
+      VALUES ('enable_experimental_hashtag_autocomplete', 5, 'f', now(), now())
+      ON CONFLICT DO NOTHING
+    SQL
+  end
+
+  def down
+    raise ActiveRecord::IrreversibleMigration
+  end
+end