diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.native/src/org/eclipse/cdt/utils/pty/PTY.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.native/src/org/eclipse/cdt/utils/pty/PTY.java
index 4b0537edbb4..ad169aadd22 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.native/src/org/eclipse/cdt/utils/pty/PTY.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.native/src/org/eclipse/cdt/utils/pty/PTY.java
@@ -292,10 +292,10 @@ public class PTY {
 			if (!isWindows) {
 				isConPTY = IS_CONPTY.CONPTY_NO;
 			}
-			// Force conpty off by default
-			// NOTE: to invert the default, the presence of the property must be checked too, not
-			// just the getBoolean return!
-			if (!Boolean.getBoolean("org.eclipse.cdt.core.conpty_enabled")) { //$NON-NLS-1$
+			// Disable ConPTY if the user needs to
+			boolean conPtyEnabled = Boolean
+					.parseBoolean(System.getProperty("org.eclipse.cdt.core.conpty_enabled", "true")); //$NON-NLS-1$ //$NON-NLS-2$
+			if (!conPtyEnabled) {
 				isConPTY = IS_CONPTY.CONPTY_NO;
 			}