diff --git a/src/vs/editor/common/config/defaultConfig.ts b/src/vs/editor/common/config/defaultConfig.ts
index 28748ec48681545e2092e8dc0f9c4c5de05feffc..51361684a405abd52baa1fe1927898c105fd859c 100644
--- a/src/vs/editor/common/config/defaultConfig.ts
+++ b/src/vs/editor/common/config/defaultConfig.ts
@@ -63,8 +63,8 @@ class ConfigClass implements IConfiguration {
 			referenceInfos: true,
 			renderWhitespace: false,
 
-			tabSize: 'auto',
-			insertSpaces: 'auto',
+			tabSize: 4,
+			insertSpaces: true,
 			fontFamily: '',
 			fontSize: 0,
 			lineHeight: 0
diff --git a/src/vs/editor/common/editorCommon.ts b/src/vs/editor/common/editorCommon.ts
index da54897c2e23917697ea46f8d03f5b23ba371294..599213e39029e60d9283303a97e7f52add9b6db0 100644
--- a/src/vs/editor/common/editorCommon.ts
+++ b/src/vs/editor/common/editorCommon.ts
@@ -490,12 +490,14 @@ export interface ICommonEditorOptions {
 export interface IEditorOptions extends ICommonEditorOptions {
 	/**
 	 * Tab size in spaces. This is used for rendering and for editing.
-	 * Defaults to 'auto', meaning the model attached to the editor will be scanned and this property will be guessed.
+	 * 'auto' means the model attached to the editor will be scanned and this property will be guessed.
+	 * Defaults to 4.
 	 */
 	tabSize?:any;
 	/**
 	 * Insert spaces instead of tabs when indenting or when auto-indenting.
-	 * Defaults to 'auto', meaning the model attached to the editor will be scanned and this property will be guessed.
+	 * 'auto' means the model attached to the editor will be scanned and this property will be guessed.
+	 * Defaults to true.
 	 */
 	insertSpaces?:any;
 	/**
diff --git a/src/vs/editor/test/common/controller/cursor.test.ts b/src/vs/editor/test/common/controller/cursor.test.ts
index b65cb9d01691b65023167fc915cd91b8ff2dcfc6..77cad786f5535b10864451de896b4df11dede0f4 100644
--- a/src/vs/editor/test/common/controller/cursor.test.ts
+++ b/src/vs/editor/test/common/controller/cursor.test.ts
@@ -756,7 +756,10 @@ suite('Editor Controller - Cursor', () => {
 
 	test('Bug 9121: Auto indent + undo + redo is funky', () => {
 		var model = new Model.Model('', thisHighlighter);
-		var cursor = new Cursor.Cursor(1, new MockConfiguration(null), model, null, false);
+		var cursor = new Cursor.Cursor(1, new MockConfiguration({
+			tabSize: 4,
+			insertSpaces: false
+		}), model, null, false);
 		cursorCommand(cursor, H.Type, { text: '\n' }, null, 'keyboard');
 		assert.equal(model.getValue(EditorCommon.EndOfLinePreference.LF), '\n', 'assert1');