diff --git a/docs/configuration.md b/docs/configuration.md
index d093b5756317e4c6412ca4eed613aa56609260a7..8f8f6c94c7e3c453d8c163e77dd4967a4d63acbf 100644
--- a/docs/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/configuration.md
@@ -768,7 +768,7 @@ location with this method.
   <td>`bazel`</td>
   <td>Configuration object for bazel WORKSPACE renovation</td>
   <td>json</td>
-  <td><pre>{"enabled": false}</pre></td>
+  <td><pre>{"enabled": true}</pre></td>
   <td>`RENOVATE_BAZEL`</td>
   <td>`--bazel`<td>
 </tr>
diff --git a/lib/config/definitions.js b/lib/config/definitions.js
index c518f6a5877b9105359d4ccc163098d41040634c..afc38f706971016b7eff924b0cd8c194c9c38356 100644
--- a/lib/config/definitions.js
+++ b/lib/config/definitions.js
@@ -653,7 +653,7 @@ const options = [
     description: 'Configuration object for bazel WORKSPACE renovation',
     stage: 'repository',
     type: 'json',
-    default: { enabled: false },
+    default: { enabled: true },
     mergeable: true,
   },
   {
diff --git a/test/manager/__snapshots__/resolve.spec.js.snap b/test/manager/__snapshots__/resolve.spec.js.snap
index d6246789deed71d61d3ba4b50960697f12d30145..565914a26e089601daef8d978f71ca7ab9a5238e 100644
--- a/test/manager/__snapshots__/resolve.spec.js.snap
+++ b/test/manager/__snapshots__/resolve.spec.js.snap
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ Object {
   "automergeType": "pr",
   "baseBranch": null,
   "bazel": Object {
-    "enabled": false,
+    "enabled": true,
   },
   "branchName": "{{branchPrefix}}{{depNameSanitized}}-{{newVersionMajor}}.x",
   "branchPrefix": "renovate/",
@@ -537,7 +537,7 @@ Object {
   "automergeType": "pr",
   "baseBranch": null,
   "bazel": Object {
-    "enabled": false,
+    "enabled": true,
   },
   "branchName": "{{branchPrefix}}{{depNameSanitized}}-{{newVersionMajor}}.x",
   "branchPrefix": "renovate/",
@@ -1073,7 +1073,7 @@ Object {
   "automergeType": "pr",
   "baseBranch": null,
   "bazel": Object {
-    "enabled": false,
+    "enabled": true,
   },
   "branchName": "{{branchPrefix}}{{depNameSanitized}}-{{newVersionMajor}}.x",
   "branchPrefix": "renovate/",
@@ -1867,7 +1867,7 @@ Object {
   "automergeType": "pr",
   "baseBranch": null,
   "bazel": Object {
-    "enabled": false,
+    "enabled": true,
   },
   "branchName": "{{branchPrefix}}{{depNameSanitized}}-{{newVersionMajor}}.x",
   "branchPrefix": "renovate/",
@@ -2400,7 +2400,7 @@ Object {
   "automergeType": "pr",
   "baseBranch": null,
   "bazel": Object {
-    "enabled": false,
+    "enabled": true,
   },
   "branchName": "{{branchPrefix}}{{depNameSanitized}}-{{newVersionMajor}}.x",
   "branchPrefix": "renovate/",
@@ -2924,7 +2924,7 @@ Object {
   "automergeType": "pr",
   "baseBranch": null,
   "bazel": Object {
-    "enabled": false,
+    "enabled": true,
   },
   "branchName": "{{branchPrefix}}{{depNameSanitized}}-{{newVersionMajor}}.x",
   "branchPrefix": "renovate/",
@@ -3448,7 +3448,7 @@ Object {
   "automergeType": "pr",
   "baseBranch": null,
   "bazel": Object {
-    "enabled": false,
+    "enabled": true,
   },
   "branchName": "{{branchPrefix}}{{depNameSanitized}}-{{newVersionMajor}}.x",
   "branchPrefix": "renovate/",
diff --git a/test/workers/repository/updates/__snapshots__/branchify.spec.js.snap b/test/workers/repository/updates/__snapshots__/branchify.spec.js.snap
index 905a646cbb864cb519562849337b73f457995657..9ea1b65b18cdd3e8e2d731586af5430b54ffe0c1 100644
--- a/test/workers/repository/updates/__snapshots__/branchify.spec.js.snap
+++ b/test/workers/repository/updates/__snapshots__/branchify.spec.js.snap
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ Object {
   "automergeType": "pr",
   "baseBranch": null,
   "bazel": Object {
-    "enabled": false,
+    "enabled": true,
   },
   "branchList": undefined,
   "branchName": "{{branchPrefix}}{{depNameSanitized}}-{{newVersionMajor}}.x",
@@ -577,7 +577,7 @@ Object {
   "automergeType": "pr",
   "baseBranch": null,
   "bazel": Object {
-    "enabled": false,
+    "enabled": true,
   },
   "branchList": undefined,
   "branchName": "{{branchPrefix}}{{depNameSanitized}}-{{newVersionMajor}}.x",
@@ -1138,7 +1138,7 @@ Object {
   "automergeType": "pr",
   "baseBranch": null,
   "bazel": Object {
-    "enabled": false,
+    "enabled": true,
   },
   "branchList": undefined,
   "branchName": "{{branchPrefix}}{{depNameSanitized}}-{{newVersionMajor}}.x",
@@ -1705,7 +1705,7 @@ Object {
   "automergeType": "pr",
   "baseBranch": null,
   "bazel": Object {
-    "enabled": false,
+    "enabled": true,
   },
   "branchList": undefined,
   "branchName": "{{branchPrefix}}{{depNameSanitized}}-{{newVersionMajor}}.x",
@@ -2267,7 +2267,7 @@ Object {
   "automergeType": "pr",
   "baseBranch": null,
   "bazel": Object {
-    "enabled": false,
+    "enabled": true,
   },
   "branchList": Array [
     "foo-1.1.0",