diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/52581-change-default-behaviour-of-retry_files_enabled.yaml b/changelogs/fragments/52581-change-default-behaviour-of-retry_files_enabled.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d5c1a22e284
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/52581-change-default-behaviour-of-retry_files_enabled.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+---
+minor_changes:
+  - retry_files_enabled now defaults to False instead of True.
diff --git a/docs/docsite/rst/porting_guides/porting_guide_2.8.rst b/docs/docsite/rst/porting_guides/porting_guide_2.8.rst
index 89c467991e2..7d7bac4f2d0 100644
--- a/docs/docsite/rst/porting_guides/porting_guide_2.8.rst
+++ b/docs/docsite/rst/porting_guides/porting_guide_2.8.rst
@@ -141,6 +141,12 @@ options:
   #. Use ``auto_legacy``. This setting lets Ansible find and use the workaround Python on hosts that have it, while also finding the correct default Python on newer hosts. But remember, the default will change in 4 releases.
 
 
+Retry File Creation default
+---------------------------
+
+In Ansible 2.8, ``retry_files_enabled`` now defaults to ``False`` instead of ``True``.  The behavior can be
+modified to previous version by editing the default ``ansible.cfg`` file and setting the value to ``True``.
+
 Command Line
 ============
 
diff --git a/examples/ansible.cfg b/examples/ansible.cfg
index 05adf391493..3291156b2c2 100644
--- a/examples/ansible.cfg
+++ b/examples/ansible.cfg
@@ -251,8 +251,8 @@
 
 
 # retry files
-# When a playbook fails by default a .retry file will be created in ~/
-# You can disable this feature by setting retry_files_enabled to False
+# When a playbook fails a .retry file can be created that will be placed in ~/
+# You can enable this feature by setting retry_files_enabled to True
 # and you can change the location of the files by setting retry_files_save_path
 
 #retry_files_enabled = False
diff --git a/lib/ansible/config/base.yml b/lib/ansible/config/base.yml
index 0f8c779527c..b8f099fd42d 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/config/base.yml
+++ b/lib/ansible/config/base.yml
@@ -1663,7 +1663,7 @@ PYTHON_MODULE_RLIMIT_NOFILE:
   version_added: '2.8'
 RETRY_FILES_ENABLED:
   name: Retry files
-  default: True
+  default: False
   description: This controls whether a failed Ansible playbook should create a .retry file.
   env: [{name: ANSIBLE_RETRY_FILES_ENABLED}]
   ini: