diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/build.js b/packages/cli/src/commands/build.js
index 1f7e8d23321e..745310dcbc18 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/build.js
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/build.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import Listr from 'listr'
 import VerboseRenderer from 'listr-verbose-renderer'
 import terminalLink from 'terminal-link'
 
+import { getConfig } from '@redwoodjs/internal'
 import { detectPrerenderRoutes } from '@redwoodjs/prerender'
 
 import { getPaths } from 'src/lib'
@@ -64,6 +65,7 @@ export const builder = (yargs) => {
     .option('esbuild', {
       type: 'boolean',
       required: false,
+      default: getConfig().experimental.esbuild,
       description: 'Use ESBuild for api side [experimental]',
     })
     .epilogue(
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/dev.js b/packages/cli/src/commands/dev.js
index 44dd571cdbc7..b2116537ca29 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/dev.js
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/dev.js
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ export const builder = (yargs) => {
     .option('esbuild', {
       type: 'boolean',
       required: false,
+      default: getConfig().experimental.esbuild,
       description: 'Use ESBuild [experimental]',
     })
     .option('generate', {
diff --git a/packages/create-redwood-app/template/redwood.toml b/packages/create-redwood-app/template/redwood.toml
index 568e730dc050..c68d72573c06 100644
--- a/packages/create-redwood-app/template/redwood.toml
+++ b/packages/create-redwood-app/template/redwood.toml
@@ -13,3 +13,5 @@
   schemaPath = "./api/db/schema.prisma"
 [browser]
   open = true
+[experimental]
+  esbuild = false
diff --git a/packages/internal/src/__tests__/config.test.ts b/packages/internal/src/__tests__/config.test.ts
index 306567425afd..988323337b40 100644
--- a/packages/internal/src/__tests__/config.test.ts
+++ b/packages/internal/src/__tests__/config.test.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ describe('getConfig', () => {
         "browser": Object {
           "open": false,
         },
+        "experimental": Object {
+          "esbuild": false,
+        },
         "generate": Object {
           "stories": true,
           "tests": true,
diff --git a/packages/internal/src/config.ts b/packages/internal/src/config.ts
index 7ac14cd854ff..4d3609e9b0a5 100644
--- a/packages/internal/src/config.ts
+++ b/packages/internal/src/config.ts
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ export interface Config {
     tests: boolean
     stories: boolean
   }
+  experimental: {
+    esbuild: boolean
+  }
 }
 
 // Note that web's includeEnvironmentVariables is handled in `webpack.common.js`
@@ -73,6 +76,9 @@ const DEFAULT_CONFIG: Config = {
     tests: true,
     stories: true,
   },
+  experimental: {
+    esbuild: false,
+  }
 }
 
 /**