diff --git a/core/commands/dns.go b/core/commands/dns.go
index 2c8e31ed4..534cf5565 100644
--- a/core/commands/dns.go
+++ b/core/commands/dns.go
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ The resolver can recursively resolve:
 		cmdkit.StringArg("domain-name", true, false, "The domain-name name to resolve.").EnableStdin(),
 	},
 	Options: []cmdkit.Option{
-		cmdkit.BoolOption(dnsRecursiveOptionName, "r", "Resolve until the result is not a DNS link."),
+		cmdkit.BoolOption(dnsRecursiveOptionName, "r", "Resolve until the result is not a DNS link.").WithDefault(true),
 	},
 	Run: func(req *cmds.Request, res cmds.ResponseEmitter, env cmds.Environment) error {
 		recursive, _ := req.Options[dnsRecursiveOptionName].(bool)
diff --git a/core/commands/name/ipns.go b/core/commands/name/ipns.go
index ed713347f..012d43fb0 100644
--- a/core/commands/name/ipns.go
+++ b/core/commands/name/ipns.go
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ Resolve the value of a dnslink:
 		cmdkit.StringArg("name", false, false, "The IPNS name to resolve. Defaults to your node's peerID."),
 	},
 	Options: []cmdkit.Option{
-		cmdkit.BoolOption(recursiveOptionName, "r", "Resolve until the result is not an IPNS name."),
+		cmdkit.BoolOption(recursiveOptionName, "r", "Resolve until the result is not an IPNS name.").WithDefault(true),
 		cmdkit.BoolOption(nocacheOptionName, "n", "Do not use cached entries."),
 		cmdkit.UintOption(dhtRecordCountOptionName, "dhtrc", "Number of records to request for DHT resolution."),
 		cmdkit.StringOption(dhtTimeoutOptionName, "dhtt", "Max time to collect values during DHT resolution eg \"30s\". Pass 0 for no timeout."),
diff --git a/core/commands/resolve.go b/core/commands/resolve.go
index 296deadbb..bc6f8850a 100644
--- a/core/commands/resolve.go
+++ b/core/commands/resolve.go
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ Resolve the value of an IPFS DAG path:
 		cmdkit.StringArg("name", true, false, "The name to resolve.").EnableStdin(),
 	},
 	Options: []cmdkit.Option{
-		cmdkit.BoolOption(resolveRecursiveOptionName, "r", "Resolve until the result is an IPFS name."),
+		cmdkit.BoolOption(resolveRecursiveOptionName, "r", "Resolve until the result is an IPFS name.").WithDefault(true),
 		cmdkit.IntOption(resolveDhtRecordCountOptionName, "dhtrc", "Number of records to request for DHT resolution."),
 		cmdkit.StringOption(resolveDhtTimeoutOptionName, "dhtt", "Max time to collect values during DHT resolution eg \"30s\". Pass 0 for no timeout."),
 	},