diff --git a/lib/config/__snapshots__/migration.spec.ts.snap b/lib/config/__snapshots__/migration.spec.ts.snap
index 5f313623084b535087619294ba13fdb159ec64b8..c9ddeae2f7c5ac38d2bd2638f92707e4b1398615 100644
--- a/lib/config/__snapshots__/migration.spec.ts.snap
+++ b/lib/config/__snapshots__/migration.spec.ts.snap
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ Object {
   "baseBranches": Array [
     "next",
   ],
+  "binarySource": "global",
   "branchName": "{{{branchPrefix}}}{{{additionalBranchPrefix}}}{{{branchTopic}}}",
   "branchPrefix": "renovate/",
   "commitMessage": "{{#if semanticCommitType}}{{semanticCommitType}}{{#if semanticCommitScope}}({{semanticCommitScope}}){{/if}}: {{/if}}some commit message",
diff --git a/lib/config/definitions.ts b/lib/config/definitions.ts
index ed47ba5713545d22100b131078250bd6390bd37d..0d05c1634201c3bdea47a5ab34c2d15547f9a672 100644
--- a/lib/config/definitions.ts
+++ b/lib/config/definitions.ts
@@ -281,11 +281,11 @@ const options: RenovateOptions[] = [
   {
     name: 'binarySource',
     description:
-      'Where to source binaries like `npm` and `yarn` from, choices are `auto`, `global` and `docker`.',
+      'Controls whether third party tools like npm or Gradle are called directly, or via Docker sidecar containers.',
     admin: true,
     type: 'string',
-    allowedValues: ['auto', 'global', 'docker'],
-    default: 'auto',
+    allowedValues: ['global', 'docker'],
+    default: 'global',
   },
   {
     name: 'redisUrl',
diff --git a/lib/config/migration.spec.ts b/lib/config/migration.spec.ts
index 7c1d16e4df9d51a8efdbab0dc0fc8ad32f615d2e..b100b13edad11e1e79276bf3e263d19c861a5425 100644
--- a/lib/config/migration.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/config/migration.spec.ts
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ describe('config/migration', () => {
         suppressNotifications: ['lockFileErrors', 'prEditNotification'],
         automerge: 'none' as never,
         automergeMajor: false,
+        binarySource: 'auto',
         automergeMinor: true,
         automergePatch: true,
         masterIssue: 'true',
diff --git a/lib/config/migration.ts b/lib/config/migration.ts
index 2ec9e9d5a95929c63fc02d4c853e5d4e908ca32f..82cd06f92f30ef1d9f0eb83db53a39040e14c91b 100644
--- a/lib/config/migration.ts
+++ b/lib/config/migration.ts
@@ -509,6 +509,8 @@ export function migrateConfig(
             migratedConfig.suppressNotifications || [];
           migratedConfig.suppressNotifications.push('deprecationWarningIssues');
         }
+      } else if (key === 'binarySource' && val === 'auto') {
+        migratedConfig.binarySource = 'global';
       }
     }
     if (migratedConfig.endpoints) {
diff --git a/lib/util/exec/common.ts b/lib/util/exec/common.ts
index b3a4e4ff9524cf6fced1d17a9e6205e0cb243951..987fe5e081292fb3c4ab7da97c959c4f840fac6d 100644
--- a/lib/util/exec/common.ts
+++ b/lib/util/exec/common.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import { promisify } from 'util';
 export type Opt<T> = T | null | undefined;
 
 export enum BinarySource {
-  Auto = 'auto',
   Docker = 'docker',
   Global = 'global',
 }