diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index caea4b1..171e337 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -90,9 +90,9 @@ optional:
   as **stream**.  This is used for detecting the width of the terminal and
   resizes. The width used is `tty.columns - 1`. If no tty is available then
   a width of `79` is assumed.
-* **enabled**: Defaults to true.  If true the gauge starts enabled.  If
-  disabled then all update commands are ignored and no gauge will be printed
-  until you call `.enable()`.
+* **enabled**: Defaults to true if `tty` is a TTY, false otherwise.  If true
+  the gauge starts enabled.  If disabled then all update commands are
+  ignored and no gauge will be printed until you call `.enable()`.
 * **Plumbing**: The class to use to actually generate the gauge for
   printing.  This defaults to `require('gauge/plumbing')` and ordinarly you
   shouldn't need to override this.
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 762434c..090a1bd 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ function Gauge (arg1, arg2) {
     onExit(callWith(this, this.disable))
   }
 
-  if (options.enabled || options.enabled == null) {
+  if (options.enabled || (options.enabled == null && this._tty && this._tty.isTTY)) {
     this.enable()
   } else {
     this.disable()
diff --git a/test/index.js b/test/index.js
index 7cc2da9..2ade787 100644
--- a/test/index.js
+++ b/test/index.js
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ function RecordCall (name) {
 
 test('defaults', function (t) {
   var gauge = new Gauge(process.stdout)
-  t.is(gauge._disabled, false, 'disabled')
+  t.is(gauge._disabled, !process.stdout.isTTY, 'disabled')
   t.is(gauge._updateInterval, 50, 'updateInterval')
   if (process.stdout.isTTY) {
     t.is(gauge._tty, process.stdout, 'tty')