diff --git a/tabby-local/src/cli.ts b/tabby-local/src/cli.ts
index 49fa50ed41..53573b2238 100644
--- a/tabby-local/src/cli.ts
+++ b/tabby-local/src/cli.ts
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ export class AutoOpenTabCLIHandler extends CLIHandler {
     }
 
     async handle (event: CLIEvent): Promise<boolean> {
-        if (!event.secondInstance && this.config.store.terminal.autoOpen) {
+        if (!event.secondInstance && this.config.store.terminal.autoOpen && !this.config.store.enableWelcomeTab) {
             this.app.ready$.subscribe(() => {
                 this.terminal.openTab()
             })
diff --git a/tabby-local/src/config.ts b/tabby-local/src/config.ts
index c7f02b15ff..e6dbc2e138 100644
--- a/tabby-local/src/config.ts
+++ b/tabby-local/src/config.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { ConfigProvider, Platform } from 'tabby-core'
 export class TerminalConfigProvider extends ConfigProvider {
     defaults = {
         terminal: {
-            autoOpen: false,
+            autoOpen: true,
             useConPTY: true,
             environment: {},
             setComSpec: false,