diff --git a/config/gateway.go b/config/gateway.go
index 92811ee49..944abcc36 100644
--- a/config/gateway.go
+++ b/config/gateway.go
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ const (
 	DefaultInlineDNSLink         = false
 	DefaultDeserializedResponses = true
 	DefaultDisableHTMLErrors     = false
-	DefaultExposeRoutingAPI      = false
+	DefaultExposeRoutingAPI      = true
 	DefaultDiagnosticServiceURL  = "https://check.ipfs.network"
 
 	// Gateway limit defaults from boxo
diff --git a/docs/changelogs/v0.39.md b/docs/changelogs/v0.39.md
index b35a6ecae..9a25cc20f 100644
--- a/docs/changelogs/v0.39.md
+++ b/docs/changelogs/v0.39.md
@@ -28,6 +28,10 @@ Existing users should switch to:
 
 For Docker users, the legacy `ipfs/go-ipfs` image name now shows a deprecation notice directing you to `ipfs/kubo`.
 
+#### Routing V1 HTTP API now exposed by default
+
+The [Routing V1 HTTP API](https://specs.ipfs.tech/routing/http-routing-v1/) is now exposed by default at `http://127.0.0.1:8080/routing/v1`. This allows light clients in browsers to use Kubo Gateway as a delegated routing backend instead of running a full DHT client. Support for [IPIP-476: Delegated Routing DHT Closest Peers API](https://github.com/ipfs/specs/pull/476) is included. Can be disabled via [`Gateway.ExposeRoutingAPI`](https://github.com/ipfs/kubo/blob/master/docs/config.md#gatewayexposeroutingapi).
+
 ### 📦️ Important dependency updates
 
 - update `go-ds-pebble` to [v0.5.3](https://github.com/ipfs/go-ds-pebble/releases/tag/v0.5.3)