diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 7435f2e8da3..33d725c8046 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -461,7 +461,7 @@ OPTION_DEFAULT_ON([gsettings],[don't compile with GSettings support])
 OPTION_DEFAULT_ON([selinux],[don't compile with SELinux support])
 OPTION_DEFAULT_ON([gnutls],[don't use -lgnutls for SSL/TLS support])
 OPTION_DEFAULT_ON([zlib],[don't compile with zlib decompression support])
-OPTION_DEFAULT_OFF([modules],[compile with dynamic modules support])
+OPTION_DEFAULT_ON([modules],[compile with dynamic modules support])
 OPTION_DEFAULT_ON([threads],[don't compile with elisp threading support])
 
 AC_ARG_WITH([file-notification],[AS_HELP_STRING([--with-file-notification=LIB],
diff --git a/etc/NEWS b/etc/NEWS
index 59237267f09..c48184aec27 100644
--- a/etc/NEWS
+++ b/etc/NEWS
@@ -131,6 +131,9 @@ builds respectively.
 
 ** New make target 'help' shows a summary of common make targets.
 
+** Emacs now builds with dynamic module support by default.  Pass
+'--without-modules' to 'configure' to disable dynamic module support.
+
 
 * Startup Changes in Emacs 27.1