diff --git a/sbin/newfs/newfs.8 b/sbin/newfs/newfs.8
--- a/sbin/newfs/newfs.8
+++ b/sbin/newfs/newfs.8
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 .\" OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
 .\" SUCH DAMAGE.
 .\"
-.Dd October 21, 2022
+.Dd May 18, 2024
 .Dt NEWFS 8
 .Os
 .Sh NAME
@@ -98,6 +98,10 @@
 For backward compatibility.
 .It Fl U
 Enable soft updates on the new file system.
+Soft updates are enabled by default for UFS2 format file systems.
+Use
+.Xr tunefs 8
+to disable soft updates if they are not wanted.
 .It Fl a Ar maxcontig
 Specify the maximum number of contiguous blocks that will be
 laid out before forcing a rotational delay.
diff --git a/sbin/newfs/newfs.c b/sbin/newfs/newfs.c
--- a/sbin/newfs/newfs.c
+++ b/sbin/newfs/newfs.c
@@ -383,6 +383,9 @@
 		fprintf(stderr, "because minfree is less than %d%%\n", MINFREE);
 		opt = FS_OPTSPACE;
 	}
+	/* Use soft updates by default for UFS2 and above */
+	if (Oflag > 1)
+		Uflag = 1;
 	realsectorsize = sectorsize;
 	if (sectorsize != DEV_BSIZE) {		/* XXX */
 		int secperblk = sectorsize / DEV_BSIZE;