diff --git a/man/systemd-system.conf.xml b/man/systemd-system.conf.xml
index 71d403db8d..829b4be0ed 100644
--- a/man/systemd-system.conf.xml
+++ b/man/systemd-system.conf.xml
@@ -444,11 +444,11 @@
         <varname>IPAccounting=</varname>. See
         <citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd.resource-control</refentrytitle><manvolnum>5</manvolnum></citerefentry>
         for details on the per-unit settings. <varname>DefaultTasksAccounting=</varname> defaults to yes,
-        <varname>DefaultMemoryAccounting=</varname> to
-        &MEMORY_ACCOUNTING_DEFAULT;. <varname>DefaultCPUAccounting=</varname> defaults to yes if enabling CPU
-        accounting doesn't require the CPU controller to be enabled (Linux 4.15+ using the unified hierarchy
-        for resource control), otherwise it defaults to no. The other three settings default to
-        no.</para></listitem>
+        <varname>DefaultMemoryAccounting=</varname> to &MEMORY_ACCOUNTING_DEFAULT;.
+        <varname>DefaultCPUAccounting=</varname> defaults to yes, but really has no effect if enabling CPU
+        accounting doesn't require the <option>cpu</option> controller to be enabled (Linux 4.15+ using the
+        unified hierarchy for resource control), otherwise it defaults to no. The other three settings
+        default to no.</para></listitem>
       </varlistentry>
 
       <varlistentry>
diff --git a/man/systemd.resource-control.xml b/man/systemd.resource-control.xml
index 45b006be57..d18fd9a94c 100644
--- a/man/systemd.resource-control.xml
+++ b/man/systemd.resource-control.xml
@@ -189,6 +189,9 @@ CPUWeight=20   DisableControllers=cpu              /          \
           setting may be controlled with
           <varname>DefaultCPUAccounting=</varname> in
           <citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd-system.conf</refentrytitle><manvolnum>5</manvolnum></citerefentry>.</para>
+
+          <para>Under the unified cgroup hierarchy, CPU accounting is available for all units and this
+          setting has no effect.</para>
         </listitem>
       </varlistentry>
 
diff --git a/src/core/system.conf.in b/src/core/system.conf.in
index 0c27586c46..9572b57f17 100644
--- a/src/core/system.conf.in
+++ b/src/core/system.conf.in
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
 #DefaultStartLimitIntervalSec=10s
 #DefaultStartLimitBurst=5
 #DefaultEnvironment=
-#DefaultCPUAccounting=no
+#DefaultCPUAccounting=yes
 #DefaultIOAccounting=no
 #DefaultIPAccounting=no
 #DefaultMemoryAccounting={{ 'yes' if MEMORY_ACCOUNTING_DEFAULT else 'no' }}