diff --git a/src/common/config.py b/src/common/config.py
index 1ce28ee6f..2e3730916 100644
--- a/src/common/config.py
+++ b/src/common/config.py
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ class Config:
 			'password': [ opt_str, '' ],
 			'resource': [ opt_str, 'gajim' ],
 			'priority': [ opt_int, 5 ],
-			'autoconnect': [ opt_bool, True ],
+			'autoconnect': [ opt_bool, False ],
 			'proxy': [ opt_str, '' ],
 			'keyid': [ opt_str, '' ],
 			'keyname': [ opt_str, '' ],
diff --git a/src/config.py b/src/config.py
index f3a4c23fd..30ec6b62c 100644
--- a/src/config.py
+++ b/src/config.py
@@ -962,8 +962,11 @@ class AccountModificationWindow:
 			self.xml.get_widget('save_button').grab_focus()
 		else: # we create a new account
 			if len(gajim.connections) == 0: # is it the first accound we're creating?
-				# the first account *has* to sync
-				self.xml.get_widget('sync_with_global_status_checkbutton').set_active(True)
+				# the first account *has* to sync by default
+				self.xml.get_widget('sync_with_global_status_checkbutton')\
+					.set_active(True)
+				# the first account *has* to autoconnect by default
+				self.xml.get_widget('autoconnect_checkbutton').set_active(True)
 				self.xml.get_widget('name_entry').set_text('Main')
 				self.xml.get_widget('jid_entry').grab_focus()
 		self.window.show_all()
@@ -1062,11 +1065,14 @@ class AccountModificationWindow:
 		self.xml.get_widget('autoconnect_checkbutton').set_active(gajim.config.\
 			get_per('accounts', self.account, 'autoconnect'))
 
-		if len(gajim.connections) != 0: # only if we already have one account already
+		if len(gajim.connections) != 0:
+			# only if we already have one account already
 			# we check that so we avoid the first account to have sync=False
 			self.xml.get_widget('sync_with_global_status_checkbutton').set_active(
 				gajim.config.get_per('accounts', self.account,
 					'sync_with_global_status'))
+			self.xml.get_widget('autoconnect_checkbutton').set_active(
+				gajim.config.get_per('accounts', self.account, 'autoconnect'))
 		list_no_log_for = gajim.config.get_per('accounts', self.account,
 			'no_log_for').split()
 		if self.account in list_no_log_for: