diff --git a/doc/040_cvarlist.md b/doc/040_cvarlist.md
index 54e77c2c..c8380c9a 100644
--- a/doc/040_cvarlist.md
+++ b/doc/040_cvarlist.md
@@ -415,10 +415,12 @@ Set `0` by default.
   scaling factor of the underlying display. Example: The displays
   scaling factor is 1.25 and the user requests 1920x1080. The client
   will render at 1920\*1.25x1080\*1.25=2400x1350.  
-  When set to `0` (the default) the client leaves the decision if the
-  window should be scaled to the underlying compositor. Scaling applied
-  by the compositor may introduce blur and sluggishness.  
-  Currently high dpi awareness is only supported under Wayland.
+  When set to `0` the client leaves the decision if the window should
+  be scaled to the underlying compositor. Scaling applied by the
+  compositor may introduce blur and sluggishness.  
+  Currently high dpi awareness is only supported under Wayland.  
+  Defaults to `0` when build against SDL2 and to `1` when build against
+  SDL3.
 
 * **vid_maxfps**: The maximum framerate. *Note* that vsync (`r_vsync`) 
   also restricts the framerate to the monitor refresh rate, so if vsync
diff --git a/src/client/vid/glimp_sdl3.c b/src/client/vid/glimp_sdl3.c
index 8c5ab122..3ab93389 100644
--- a/src/client/vid/glimp_sdl3.c
+++ b/src/client/vid/glimp_sdl3.c
@@ -402,7 +402,7 @@ GLimp_Init(void)
 {
 	vid_displayrefreshrate = Cvar_Get("vid_displayrefreshrate", "-1", CVAR_ARCHIVE);
 	vid_displayindex = Cvar_Get("vid_displayindex", "0", CVAR_ARCHIVE);
-	vid_highdpiaware = Cvar_Get("vid_highdpiaware", "0", CVAR_ARCHIVE);
+	vid_highdpiaware = Cvar_Get("vid_highdpiaware", "1", CVAR_ARCHIVE);
 	vid_rate = Cvar_Get("vid_rate", "-1", CVAR_ARCHIVE);
 
 	if (!SDL_WasInit(SDL_INIT_VIDEO))