diff --git a/configure.ac.in b/configure.ac.in
index afc53c6dd5ca2ac3ed5abe75e4d033f41ba8dc64..7b943b9f57f9785c28449bf9a262bcb7464b2775 100644
--- a/configure.ac.in
+++ b/configure.ac.in
@@ -113,9 +113,9 @@ dnl
 build_compositor="no"
 ENABLE_COMPOSITOR=""
 AC_ARG_ENABLE([compositor],
-AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-compositor], [enable compositor in xfwm4])
-AC_HELP_STRING([--disable-compositor], [disable compositor in xfwm4 (default)]),
-  [], [enable_compositor=no])
+AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-compositor], [enable compositor in xfwm4 (default)])
+AC_HELP_STRING([--disable-compositor], [disable compositor in xfwm4]),
+  [], [enable_compositor=yes])
 
 if test x"$enable_compositor" = x"yes"; then
   if test x"$have_render" = x"yes"; then
diff --git a/defaults/defaults b/defaults/defaults
index ff63391929a9050a64c912b6d4e506582745ecd1..ddf330c8d0d6df9e0ff1537c7bd2e857ffeb7179 100644
--- a/defaults/defaults
+++ b/defaults/defaults
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@ shadow_delta_width=0
 shadow_delta_x=0
 shadow_delta_y=0
 show_app_icon=false
-show_frame_shadow=true
-show_popup_shadow=true
+show_frame_shadow=false
+show_popup_shadow=false
 snap_resist=false
 snap_to_border=true
 snap_to_windows=false
diff --git a/mcs-plugin/wmtweaks_plugin.c b/mcs-plugin/wmtweaks_plugin.c
index 3c8be73a9a234695c9e038ec7c9e74c6b5c53751..43a50c325e71cea632e07d1426e3364384876c21 100644
--- a/mcs-plugin/wmtweaks_plugin.c
+++ b/mcs-plugin/wmtweaks_plugin.c
@@ -59,8 +59,8 @@ static gboolean cycle_minimum          = TRUE;
 static gboolean cycle_hidden           = TRUE;
 static gboolean cycle_workspaces       = FALSE;
 static gboolean focus_hint             = TRUE;
-static gboolean show_frame_shadow      = TRUE;
-static gboolean show_popup_shadow      = TRUE;
+static gboolean show_frame_shadow      = FALSE;
+static gboolean show_popup_shadow      = FALSE;
 static gboolean prevent_focus_stealing = FALSE;
 static gboolean raise_with_any_button  = FALSE;
 static gboolean restore_on_move        = TRUE;