diff --git a/lib/config/config_settings.h b/lib/config/config_settings.h
index c8e629f4f..fc6611705 100644
--- a/lib/config/config_settings.h
+++ b/lib/config/config_settings.h
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ cfg(devices_external_device_info_source_CFG, "external_device_info_source", devi
 	"    compiled with udev support.\n"
 	"#\n")
 
-cfg(devices_hints_CFG, "hints", devices_CFG_SECTION, 0, CFG_TYPE_STRING, DEFAULT_HINTS, vsn(2, 3, 2), NULL, 0, NULL,
+cfg(devices_hints_CFG, "hints", devices_CFG_SECTION, CFG_DEFAULT_COMMENTED, CFG_TYPE_STRING, DEFAULT_HINTS, vsn(2, 3, 2), NULL, 0, NULL,
 	"Use a local file to remember which devices have PVs on them.\n"
 	"Some commands will use this as an optimization to reduce device\n"
 	"scanning, and will only scan the listed PVs. Removing the hint file\n"