diff --git a/src/com/android/settings/development/AllowBackgroundActivityStartsPreferenceController.java b/src/com/android/settings/development/AllowBackgroundActivityStartsPreferenceController.java
index d26517a0283..4aaa4906335 100644
--- a/src/com/android/settings/development/AllowBackgroundActivityStartsPreferenceController.java
+++ b/src/com/android/settings/development/AllowBackgroundActivityStartsPreferenceController.java
@@ -17,11 +17,13 @@
 package com.android.settings.development;
 
 import android.content.Context;
+import android.provider.DeviceConfig;
 import android.provider.Settings;
 
 import androidx.preference.Preference;
 import androidx.preference.SwitchPreference;
 
+import com.android.internal.annotations.VisibleForTesting;
 import com.android.settings.core.PreferenceControllerMixin;
 import com.android.settingslib.development.DeveloperOptionsPreferenceController;
 
@@ -32,6 +34,11 @@ public class AllowBackgroundActivityStartsPreferenceController
     private static final String BACKGROUND_ACTIVITY_STARTS_ENABLED_KEY
             = "allow_background_activity_starts";
 
+    /** Key in DeviceConfig that stores the default for the preference (as a boolean). */
+    @VisibleForTesting
+    static final String KEY_DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_ACTIVITY_STARTS_ENABLED =
+            "default_background_activity_starts_enabled";
+
     public AllowBackgroundActivityStartsPreferenceController(Context context) {
         super(context);
     }
@@ -47,22 +54,38 @@ public class AllowBackgroundActivityStartsPreferenceController
         return true;
     }
 
-    private void writeSetting(boolean isEnabled) {
-        Settings.Global.putInt(mContext.getContentResolver(),
-                Settings.Global.BACKGROUND_ACTIVITY_STARTS_ENABLED, isEnabled ? 1 : 0);
-    }
-
     @Override
     public void updateState(Preference preference) {
         final int mode = Settings.Global.getInt(mContext.getContentResolver(),
-                Settings.Global.BACKGROUND_ACTIVITY_STARTS_ENABLED, 1);
-        ((SwitchPreference) mPreference).setChecked(mode != 0);
+                Settings.Global.BACKGROUND_ACTIVITY_STARTS_ENABLED, -1);
+
+        boolean isEnabled = mode < 0 ? isDefaultEnabled() : mode != 0;
+        ((SwitchPreference) mPreference).setChecked(isEnabled);
     }
 
     @Override
     protected void onDeveloperOptionsSwitchDisabled() {
         super.onDeveloperOptionsSwitchDisabled();
-        writeSetting(true);
-        ((SwitchPreference) mPreference).setChecked(true);
+        clearSetting();
+        updateState(mPreference);
+    }
+
+    private void writeSetting(boolean isEnabled) {
+        Settings.Global.putInt(mContext.getContentResolver(),
+                Settings.Global.BACKGROUND_ACTIVITY_STARTS_ENABLED, isEnabled ? 1 : 0);
+    }
+
+    private void clearSetting() {
+        Settings.Global.putInt(mContext.getContentResolver(),
+                Settings.Global.BACKGROUND_ACTIVITY_STARTS_ENABLED, -1);
+    }
+
+    private boolean isDefaultEnabled() {
+        // The default in the absence of user preference is settable via DeviceConfig.
+        // Note that the default default is enabled.
+        return DeviceConfig.getBoolean(
+                DeviceConfig.NAMESPACE_ACTIVITY_MANAGER,
+                KEY_DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_ACTIVITY_STARTS_ENABLED,
+                /*defaultValue*/ true);
     }
 }
diff --git a/tests/robotests/src/com/android/settings/development/AllowBackgroundActivityStartsPreferenceControllerTest.java b/tests/robotests/src/com/android/settings/development/AllowBackgroundActivityStartsPreferenceControllerTest.java
index 8e95aa109c6..afe08489503 100644
--- a/tests/robotests/src/com/android/settings/development/AllowBackgroundActivityStartsPreferenceControllerTest.java
+++ b/tests/robotests/src/com/android/settings/development/AllowBackgroundActivityStartsPreferenceControllerTest.java
@@ -16,17 +16,22 @@
 
 package com.android.settings.development;
 
+import static com.android.settings.development.AllowBackgroundActivityStartsPreferenceController.KEY_DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_ACTIVITY_STARTS_ENABLED;
+
 import static com.google.common.truth.Truth.assertThat;
 
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.verify;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
 
 import android.content.Context;
+import android.provider.DeviceConfig;
 import android.provider.Settings;
 
 import androidx.preference.PreferenceScreen;
 import androidx.preference.SwitchPreference;
 
+import com.android.settings.testutils.shadow.ShadowDeviceConfig;
+
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
@@ -34,8 +39,10 @@ import org.mockito.Mock;
 import org.mockito.MockitoAnnotations;
 import org.robolectric.RobolectricTestRunner;
 import org.robolectric.RuntimeEnvironment;
+import org.robolectric.annotation.Config;
 
 @RunWith(RobolectricTestRunner.class)
+@Config(shadows = {ShadowDeviceConfig.class})
 public class AllowBackgroundActivityStartsPreferenceControllerTest {
 
     @Mock
@@ -60,20 +67,14 @@ public class AllowBackgroundActivityStartsPreferenceControllerTest {
     public void onPreferenceChange_settingEnabled_allowBackgroundActivityStartsShouldBeOn() {
         mController.onPreferenceChange(mPreference, true /* new value */);
 
-        final int mode = Settings.Global.getInt(mContext.getContentResolver(),
-                Settings.Global.BACKGROUND_ACTIVITY_STARTS_ENABLED, 1 /* default */);
-
-        assertThat(mode).isEqualTo(1);
+        assertThat(getModeFroMSettings()).isEqualTo(1);
     }
 
     @Test
     public void onPreferenceChange_settingDisabled_allowBackgroundActivityStartsShouldBeOff() {
         mController.onPreferenceChange(mPreference, false /* new value */);
 
-        final int mode = Settings.Global.getInt(mContext.getContentResolver(),
-                Settings.Global.BACKGROUND_ACTIVITY_STARTS_ENABLED, 1 /* default */);
-
-        assertThat(mode).isEqualTo(0);
+        assertThat(getModeFroMSettings()).isEqualTo(0);
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -83,7 +84,7 @@ public class AllowBackgroundActivityStartsPreferenceControllerTest {
         mController.updateState(mPreference);
 
         verify(mPreference).setChecked(false);
-    }
+   }
 
     @Test
     public void updateState_settingEnabled_preferenceShouldBeChecked() {
@@ -95,11 +96,64 @@ public class AllowBackgroundActivityStartsPreferenceControllerTest {
     }
 
     @Test
-    public void onDeveloperOptionsSwitchDisabled_shouldDisablePreference() {
+    public void updateState_settingReset_defaultDisabled_preferenceShouldNotBeChecked() {
+        setDefault(false);
+        mController.updateState(mPreference);
+
+        verify(mPreference).setChecked(false);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void updateState_settingReset_defaultEnabled_preferenceShouldBeChecked() {
+        setDefault(true);
+        mController.updateState(mPreference);
+
+        verify(mPreference).setChecked(true);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void onDeveloperOptionsSwitchDisabled_noDefault_shouldResetPreference() {
         mController.onDeveloperOptionsSwitchDisabled();
 
         verify(mPreference).setChecked(true);
         verify(mPreference).setEnabled(false);
+
+        assertThat(getModeFroMSettings()).isEqualTo(-1);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void onDeveloperOptionsSwitchDisabled_defaultDisabled_shouldResetPreference() {
+        setDefault(false);
+        mController.onDeveloperOptionsSwitchDisabled();
+
+        verify(mPreference).setChecked(false);
+        verify(mPreference).setEnabled(false);
+
+        assertThat(getModeFroMSettings()).isEqualTo(-1);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void onDeveloperOptionsSwitchDisabled_defaultEnabled_shouldResetPreference() {
+        setDefault(true);
+        mController.onDeveloperOptionsSwitchDisabled();
+
+        verify(mPreference).setChecked(true);
+        verify(mPreference).setEnabled(false);
+
+        assertThat(getModeFroMSettings()).isEqualTo(-1);
+    }
+
+    private int getModeFroMSettings() {
+        return Settings.Global.getInt(mContext.getContentResolver(),
+                Settings.Global.BACKGROUND_ACTIVITY_STARTS_ENABLED, 999 /* default */);
+    }
+
+    private void setDefault(boolean defaultEnabled) {
+        DeviceConfig.setProperty(
+                DeviceConfig.NAMESPACE_ACTIVITY_MANAGER,
+                KEY_DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_ACTIVITY_STARTS_ENABLED,
+                Boolean.toString(defaultEnabled),
+                false /* makeDefault */);
     }
 }