diff --git a/src/client/cl_screen.c b/src/client/cl_screen.c
index 85f2083b..3ba8020b 100644
--- a/src/client/cl_screen.c
+++ b/src/client/cl_screen.c
@@ -435,8 +435,8 @@ SCR_Init(void)
 	scr_graphshift = Cvar_Get("graphshift", "0", 0);
 	scr_drawall = Cvar_Get("scr_drawall", "0", 0);
 	gl_hudscale = Cvar_Get("gl_hudscale", "-1", CVAR_ARCHIVE);
-	gl_consolescale = Cvar_Get("gl_consolescale", "1", CVAR_ARCHIVE);
-	gl_menuscale = Cvar_Get("gl_menuscale", "1", CVAR_ARCHIVE);
+	gl_consolescale = Cvar_Get("gl_consolescale", "-1", CVAR_ARCHIVE);
+	gl_menuscale = Cvar_Get("gl_menuscale", "-1", CVAR_ARCHIVE);
 
 	/* register our commands */
 	Cmd_AddCommand("timerefresh", SCR_TimeRefresh_f);
diff --git a/src/client/menu/videomenu.c b/src/client/menu/videomenu.c
index f118841b..37aa168f 100644
--- a/src/client/menu/videomenu.c
+++ b/src/client/menu/videomenu.c
@@ -312,11 +312,11 @@ VID_MenuInit(void)
 	}
 	if (!gl_consolescale)
 	{
-		gl_consolescale = Cvar_Get("gl_consolescale", "1", CVAR_ARCHIVE);
+		gl_consolescale = Cvar_Get("gl_consolescale", "-1", CVAR_ARCHIVE);
 	}
 	if (!gl_menuscale)
 	{
-		gl_menuscale = Cvar_Get("gl_menuscale", "1", CVAR_ARCHIVE);
+		gl_menuscale = Cvar_Get("gl_menuscale", "-1", CVAR_ARCHIVE);
 	}
 
 	if (!horplus)