diff --git a/.github/workflows/linux.yml b/.github/workflows/linux.yml
index ff88c08d..565e906f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/linux.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/linux.yml
@@ -56,14 +56,14 @@ jobs:
         cmake --build merge/build --parallel
     - name: Library (cmake)
       run: |
-        cmake -B build -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
+        cmake -B build -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DTRACY_ENABLE=ON
         cmake --build build
         cmake --install build
       env:
         CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX: ${{ github.workspace }}/bin
     - name: Library (meson)
       run: |
-        meson setup -Dprefix=$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/bin/lib build-meson
+        meson setup -Dprefix=$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/bin/lib -Dtracy_enable=true build-meson
         meson compile -C build-meson
     - name: Test application
       run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/macos.yml b/.github/workflows/macos.yml
index 48f80211..ca92092c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/macos.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/macos.yml
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ jobs:
         cmake -B merge/build -S merge -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DGIT_REV=${{ github.sha }}
         cmake --build merge/build --parallel --config Release
     - name: Build library
-      run: meson setup -Dprefix=$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/bin/lib build && meson compile -C build && meson install -C build
+      run: meson setup -Dprefix=$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/bin/lib -Dtracy_enable=true build && meson compile -C build && meson install -C build
     - name: Package artifacts
       run: |
         mkdir -p bin
diff --git a/.github/workflows/mingw.yml b/.github/workflows/mingw.yml
index 15e5ebad..793452f8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/mingw.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/mingw.yml
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ jobs:
         restore-keys: ${{ runner.os }}-cpm-
     - name: Build TracyClient
       run: |
-        cmake -B build -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
+        cmake -B build -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DTRACY_ENABLE=ON \
           -DCMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME=Windows \
           -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER=x86_64-w64-mingw32-gcc \
           -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=x86_64-w64-mingw32-g++
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ jobs:
         cpu = 'x86_64'
         endian = 'little'
         EOF
-        meson setup build-meson --cross-file mingw-cross.txt -Ddefault_library=static
+        meson setup build-meson --cross-file mingw-cross.txt -Ddefault_library=static -Dtracy_enable=true
         meson compile -C build-meson
     - name: Test application
       run: |
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index d3bc0f1c..b7a37c4d 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ macro(tracy_set_option_value var help default)
     endif()
 endmacro()
 
-tracy_set_option(TRACY_ENABLE "Enable profiling" ON)
+tracy_set_option(TRACY_ENABLE "Enable profiling" OFF)
 tracy_set_option(TRACY_ON_DEMAND "On-demand profiling" OFF)
 tracy_set_option_value(TRACY_CALLSTACK "Override the callstack collection depth for tracy zones" "")
 tracy_set_option(TRACY_NO_CALLSTACK "Disable all callstack related functionality" OFF)
diff --git a/meson.options b/meson.options
index d8025055..2802db73 100644
--- a/meson.options
+++ b/meson.options
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-option('tracy_enable', type : 'boolean', value : true, description : 'Enable profiling', yield: true)
+option('tracy_enable', type : 'boolean', value : false, description : 'Enable profiling', yield: true)
 option('on_demand', type : 'boolean', value : false, description : 'On-demand profiling')
 option('callstack', type : 'integer', value : 0, description : 'Enforce callstack collection for tracy zones x frames deep')
 option('no_callstack', type : 'boolean', value : false, description : 'Disable all callstack related functionality')
diff --git a/test/CMakeLists.txt b/test/CMakeLists.txt
index d23da172..9030e031 100644
--- a/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ project(
 file(GENERATE OUTPUT .gitignore CONTENT "*")
 set(CMAKE_COLOR_DIAGNOSTICS ON)
 
+option(TRACY_ENABLE "Enable profiling" ON)
+
 # a bit weird but works: include the client cmake config coming from top-level
 # cmake needs us to specify the build subfolder -> client/ this way we can
 # simply link the test executable against TracyClient