diff --git a/app/routes/users.py b/app/routes/users.py
index 0c6eaed..e19093b 100644
--- a/app/routes/users.py
+++ b/app/routes/users.py
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ def settings_form(username):
     status = request.form.get('status', default="")[:100]
     original_sig = request.form.get('signature', default='')
     rendered_sig = babycode_to_html(original_sig)
-    session['subscribe_by_default'] = request.form.get('subscribe_by_default', default='on') == 'on'
+    session['subscribe_by_default'] = request.form.get('subscribe_by_default', default='off') == 'on'
 
     user.update({
         'status': status,
diff --git a/app/templates/users/settings.html b/app/templates/users/settings.html
index ada346d..1410745 100644
--- a/app/templates/users/settings.html
+++ b/app/templates/users/settings.html
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
     <input type='text' id='status' name='status' value='{{ active_user.status }}' maxlength=100 placeholder='Will be shown under your name. Max 100 characters.'>
     <label for='babycode-content'>Signature</label>
     {{ babycode_editor_component(ta_name='signature', prefill=active_user.signature_original_markup, ta_placeholder='Will be shown under each of your posts', optional=true) }}
-    <input autocomplete='off' type='checkbox' id='subscribe_by_default' {{ 'checked' if session.get('subscribe_by_default', default=true) else '' }}>
+    <input autocomplete='off' type='checkbox' id='subscribe_by_default' name='subscribe_by_default' {{ 'checked' if session.get('subscribe_by_default', default=true) else '' }}>
     <label for='subscribe_by_default'>Subscribe to thread by default when responding</label><br>
     <input type='submit' value='Save settings'>
   </form>