diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 0118d7be7..456875f90 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ set(LLAMA_CUDA_DMMV_X      "32" CACHE STRING "llama: x stride for dmmv CUDA kern
 set(LLAMA_CUDA_DMMV_Y       "1" CACHE STRING "llama: y block size for dmmv CUDA kernels")
 option(LLAMA_CLBLAST                         "llama: use CLBlast"                               OFF)
 option(LLAMA_METAL                           "llama: use Metal"                                 OFF)
-option(LLAMA_K_QUANTS                        "llama: use k-quants"                              OFF)
+option(LLAMA_K_QUANTS                        "llama: use k-quants"                              ON)
 
 option(LLAMA_BUILD_TESTS                "llama: build tests"    ${LLAMA_STANDALONE})
 option(LLAMA_BUILD_EXAMPLES             "llama: build examples" ${LLAMA_STANDALONE})
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 21a228cbe..39265164b 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ ifneq ($(filter ppc64%,$(UNAME_M)),)
 	endif
 endif
 
-ifdef LLAMA_K_QUANTS
+ifndef LLAMA_NO_K_QUANTS
 	CFLAGS   += -DGGML_USE_K_QUANTS
 	OBJS     += k_quants.o
 endif
@@ -217,10 +217,10 @@ ifneq ($(filter armv8%,$(UNAME_M)),)
 	CFLAGS += -mfp16-format=ieee -mno-unaligned-access
 endif
 
-ifdef LLAMA_K_QUANTS
+ifdef LLAMA_NO_K_QUANTS
 k_quants.o: k_quants.c k_quants.h
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
-endif # LLAMA_K_QUANTS
+endif # LLAMA_NO_K_QUANTS
 
 #
 # Print build information