diff --git a/INSTALL b/INSTALL
index 88ffe7748f..263e8ce75a 100644
--- a/INSTALL
+++ b/INSTALL
@@ -229,12 +229,12 @@ if ‘CFLAGS’ is specified it must enable optimization.  For example:
      By default for x86_64, the GNU C Library is built with the vector
      math library.  Use this option to disable the vector math library.
 
-‘--disable-crypt’
-     Do not install the passphrase-hashing library ‘libcrypt’ or the
-     header file ‘crypt.h’.  ‘unistd.h’ will still declare the function
-     ‘crypt’.  Using this option does not change the set of programs
-     that may need to be linked with ‘-lcrypt’; it only means that the
-     GNU C Library will not provide that library.
+‘--enable-crypt’
+     Install the passphrase-hashing library ‘libcrypt’ and the header
+     file ‘crypt.h’.  ‘unistd.h’ will declare the function ‘crypt’
+     regardless of this option.  Using this option does not change the
+     set of programs that may need to be linked with ‘-lcrypt’; it only
+     means that the GNU C Library will not provide that library.
 
      This option is for hackers and distributions experimenting with
      independently-maintained implementations of libcrypt.  It may
diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 264fad5d86..9d82c5ba62 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -55,6 +55,11 @@ Major new features:
 * Lazy binding is now disabled by default and can be overridden with the
   --disable-bind-now configure flag.
 
+* libcrypt is no longer built by default, one may use the --enable-crypt
+  option to build libcrypt.  It is recommended that applications port
+  away from the GNU C Library implementation of libcrypt since it will
+  likely be removed in a future release.
+
 Deprecated and removed features, and other changes affecting compatibility:
 
 * In the Linux kernel for the hppa/parisc architecture some of the
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 6d4b05df18..4d924c4c21 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -1480,8 +1480,8 @@ Optional Features:
                           architectures
   --enable-memory-tagging enable memory tagging if supported by the
                           architecture [default=no]
-  --disable-crypt         do not build nor install the passphrase hashing
-                          library, libcrypt
+  --enable-crypt          build and install the passphrase hashing library,
+                          libcrypt
   --enable-nss-crypt      enable libcrypt to use nss
   --enable-systemtap      enable systemtap static probe points [default=no]
   --disable-build-nscd    disable building and installing the nscd daemon
@@ -4569,7 +4569,7 @@ if test ${enable_crypt+y}
 then :
   enableval=$enable_crypt; build_crypt=$enableval
 else $as_nop
-  build_crypt=yes
+  build_crypt=no
 fi
 
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 6fc72df700..8d9ab7d0b6 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -316,10 +316,10 @@ fi
 AC_SUBST(memory_tagging)
 
 AC_ARG_ENABLE([crypt],
-              AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-crypt],
-                             [do not build nor install the passphrase hashing library, libcrypt]),
+              AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-crypt],
+                             [build and install the passphrase hashing library, libcrypt]),
               [build_crypt=$enableval],
-              [build_crypt=yes])
+              [build_crypt=no])
 AC_SUBST(build_crypt)
 
 AC_ARG_ENABLE([nss-crypt],
diff --git a/manual/install.texi b/manual/install.texi
index ae43dc51ac..db7a0346b2 100644
--- a/manual/install.texi
+++ b/manual/install.texi
@@ -256,12 +256,13 @@ configure with @option{--disable-werror}.
 By default for x86_64, @theglibc{} is built with the vector math library.
 Use this option to disable the vector math library.
 
-@item --disable-crypt
-Do not install the passphrase-hashing library @file{libcrypt} or the
-header file @file{crypt.h}.  @file{unistd.h} will still declare the
-function @code{crypt}.  Using this option does not change the set of
-programs that may need to be linked with @option{-lcrypt}; it only
-means that @theglibc{} will not provide that library.
+@item --enable-crypt
+Install the passphrase-hashing library @file{libcrypt} and the
+header file @file{crypt.h}.  @file{unistd.h} will declare the
+function @code{crypt} regardless of this option.  Using this option does
+not change the set of programs that may need to be linked with
+@option{-lcrypt}; it only means that @theglibc{} will not provide that
+library.
 
 This option is for hackers and distributions experimenting with
 independently-maintained implementations of libcrypt.  It may become
