diff --git a/rhodecode/templates/forks/fork.html b/rhodecode/templates/forks/fork.html
--- a/rhodecode/templates/forks/fork.html
+++ b/rhodecode/templates/forks/fork.html
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@
                     <label for="private">${_('Copy permissions')}:</label>
                 </div>
                 <div class="checkboxes">
-                    ${h.checkbox('copy_permissions',value="True")}
+                    ${h.checkbox('copy_permissions',value="True", checked="checked")}
                 </div>
              </div>
             <div class="field">