diff --git a/mercurial/configitems.py b/mercurial/configitems.py
--- a/mercurial/configitems.py
+++ b/mercurial/configitems.py
@@ -2123,7 +2123,7 @@ coreconfigitem(
 coreconfigitem(
     b'server',
     b'pullbundle',
-    default=False,
+    default=True,
 )
 coreconfigitem(
     b'server',
diff --git a/relnotes/next b/relnotes/next
--- a/relnotes/next
+++ b/relnotes/next
@@ -22,3 +22,7 @@ Mercurial XXX.
 == Internal API Changes ==
 
 == Miscellaneous ==
+
+ * pullbundle support no longer requires setting a server-side option,
+   providing a .hg/pullbundles.manifest according to the syntax specified in
+   'hg help -e clonebundles' is enough.
diff --git a/tests/test-pull-bundle.t b/tests/test-pull-bundle.t
--- a/tests/test-pull-bundle.t
+++ b/tests/test-pull-bundle.t
@@ -33,8 +33,6 @@ Test pullbundle functionality
 
   $ cd repo
   $ cat <<EOF > .hg/hgrc
-  > [server]
-  > pullbundle = True
   > [experimental]
   > evolution = True
   > [extensions]