diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 49ef003ca..7d0d9cd7f 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -49,6 +49,11 @@ Added a new function `spdk_nvme_ns_cmd_copy` to submit a Simple Copy Command to
 Update the spdk_nvme_generic_command_status_code structure with new status code
 according to the definition in nvme 1.4 spec.
 
+spdk_nvme_ctrlr_get_default_ctrlr_opts now sets use_cmb_sqs to false. This means
+that is a controller has a CMB and supports SQs in the CMB, SPDK will not use
+the CMB for SQs by default - the user must set use_cmb_sqs to true in
+the spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts structure prior to controller attach.
+
 ### rpc
 
 New RPC `bdev_rbd_register_cluster` and `bdev_rbd_unregister_cluster` was added, it allows to create
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
index 4f8175575..f9534175c 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ spdk_nvme_ctrlr_get_default_ctrlr_opts(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr_opts *opts, size_t
 	} \
 
 	SET_FIELD(num_io_queues, DEFAULT_MAX_IO_QUEUES);
-	SET_FIELD(use_cmb_sqs, true);
+	SET_FIELD(use_cmb_sqs, false);
 	SET_FIELD(no_shn_notification, false);
 	SET_FIELD(arb_mechanism, SPDK_NVME_CC_AMS_RR);
 	SET_FIELD(arbitration_burst, 0);
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c/nvme_ctrlr_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c/nvme_ctrlr_ut.c
index 41a2b92ca..75a69a2cb 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c/nvme_ctrlr_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c/nvme_ctrlr_ut.c
@@ -1785,7 +1785,7 @@ test_ctrlr_get_default_ctrlr_opts(void)
 	CU_ASSERT(sizeof(opts) > 8);
 	spdk_nvme_ctrlr_get_default_ctrlr_opts(&opts, 8);
 	CU_ASSERT_EQUAL(opts.num_io_queues, DEFAULT_MAX_IO_QUEUES);
-	CU_ASSERT_TRUE(opts.use_cmb_sqs);
+	CU_ASSERT_FALSE(opts.use_cmb_sqs);
 	/* check below fields are not initialized by default value */
 	CU_ASSERT_EQUAL(opts.arb_mechanism, 0);
 	CU_ASSERT_EQUAL(opts.keep_alive_timeout_ms, 0);
@@ -1805,7 +1805,7 @@ test_ctrlr_get_default_ctrlr_opts(void)
 	/* set a consistent opts_size */
 	spdk_nvme_ctrlr_get_default_ctrlr_opts(&opts, sizeof(opts));
 	CU_ASSERT_EQUAL(opts.num_io_queues, DEFAULT_MAX_IO_QUEUES);
-	CU_ASSERT_TRUE(opts.use_cmb_sqs);
+	CU_ASSERT_FALSE(opts.use_cmb_sqs);
 	CU_ASSERT_EQUAL(opts.arb_mechanism, SPDK_NVME_CC_AMS_RR);
 	CU_ASSERT_EQUAL(opts.keep_alive_timeout_ms, 10 * 1000);
 	CU_ASSERT_EQUAL(opts.io_queue_size, DEFAULT_IO_QUEUE_SIZE);