diff --git a/shared/featureconfig/config.go b/shared/featureconfig/config.go
index 8deed6fad..6fd936460 100644
--- a/shared/featureconfig/config.go
+++ b/shared/featureconfig/config.go
@@ -264,8 +264,9 @@ func ConfigureValidator(ctx *cli.Context) {
 		cfg.AltonaTestnet = true
 	}
 	if ctx.Bool(enableLocalProtectionFlag.Name) {
-		log.Warn("Enabled validator slashing protection.")
 		cfg.LocalProtection = true
+	} else {
+		log.Warn("Validator slashing protection not enabled!")
 	}
 	if ctx.Bool(enableAccountsV2.Name) {
 		log.Warn("Enabling v2 of Prysm validator accounts")
diff --git a/shared/featureconfig/flags.go b/shared/featureconfig/flags.go
index dc6af7362..67cd2a198 100644
--- a/shared/featureconfig/flags.go
+++ b/shared/featureconfig/flags.go
@@ -61,11 +61,11 @@ var (
 		Usage: "Cache filtered block tree by maintaining it rather than continually recalculating on the fly, " +
 			"this is used for fork choice.",
 	}
-
 	enableLocalProtectionFlag = &cli.BoolFlag{
 		Name: "enable-local-protection",
 		Usage: "Enables functionality to prevent the validator client from signing and " +
 			"broadcasting any messages that could be considered slashable according to its own history.",
+		Value: true,
 	}
 	enableExternalSlasherProtectionFlag = &cli.BoolFlag{
 		Name: "enable-external-slasher-protection",