diff --git a/sentry-android-core/src/test/java/io/sentry/android/core/ManifestMetadataReaderTest.kt b/sentry-android-core/src/test/java/io/sentry/android/core/ManifestMetadataReaderTest.kt
index aebc78a1a..08b8ca85d 100644
--- a/sentry-android-core/src/test/java/io/sentry/android/core/ManifestMetadataReaderTest.kt
+++ b/sentry-android-core/src/test/java/io/sentry/android/core/ManifestMetadataReaderTest.kt
@@ -97,13 +97,13 @@ class ManifestMetadataReaderTest {
         val options = SentryAndroidOptions()
         val bundle = Bundle()
         val mockContext = ContextUtilsTest.mockMetaData(metaData = bundle)
-        bundle.putBoolean(ManifestMetadataReader.SESSION_TRACKING_ENABLE, true)
+        bundle.putBoolean(ManifestMetadataReader.SESSION_TRACKING_ENABLE, false)
 
         // Act
         ManifestMetadataReader.applyMetadata(mockContext, options)
 
         // Assert
-        assertTrue(options.isEnableSessionTracking)
+        assertFalse(options.isEnableSessionTracking)
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ class ManifestMetadataReaderTest {
         ManifestMetadataReader.applyMetadata(mockContext, options)
 
         // Assert
-        assertFalse(options.isEnableSessionTracking)
+        assertTrue(options.isEnableSessionTracking)
     }
 
     @Test
diff --git a/sentry-core/src/main/java/io/sentry/core/SentryOptions.java b/sentry-core/src/main/java/io/sentry/core/SentryOptions.java
index c3246f8d3..f3310859e 100644
--- a/sentry-core/src/main/java/io/sentry/core/SentryOptions.java
+++ b/sentry-core/src/main/java/io/sentry/core/SentryOptions.java
@@ -169,8 +169,8 @@ public class SentryOptions {
    */
   private boolean attachStacktrace;
 
-  /** Whether to enable automatic session tracking. */
-  private boolean enableSessionTracking;
+  /** Whether to enable or disable automatic session tracking. */
+  private boolean enableSessionTracking = true;
 
   /**
    * The session tracking interval in millis. This is the interval to end a session if the App goes
diff --git a/sentry-samples/sentry-samples-android/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml b/sentry-samples/sentry-samples-android/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
index 8920c9db0..dc9962982 100644
--- a/sentry-samples/sentry-samples-android/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
+++ b/sentry-samples/sentry-samples-android/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
@@ -59,8 +59,8 @@
         <!--    how to set a custom release-->
         <!--    <meta-data android:name="io.sentry.release" android:value="io.sentry.sample@1.0.0+10001" />-->
 
-        <!--    how to enable automatic session tracking-->
-        <meta-data android:name="io.sentry.session-tracking.enable" android:value="true" />
+        <!--    how to disable automatic session tracking-->
+        <meta-data android:name="io.sentry.session-tracking.enable" android:value="false" />
 
         <!--    how to set an environment-->
         <!--    <meta-data android:name="io.sentry.environment" android:value="debug" />-->