diff --git a/docs/changelog/114337.yaml b/docs/changelog/114337.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..ec55be8bb179b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/changelog/114337.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+pr: 114337
+summary: "Enables cluster state role mapper, to include ECK operator-defined role mappings in role resolution"
+area: Authentication
+type: bug
+issues: []
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/security/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/integration/RoleMappingFileSettingsIT.java b/x-pack/plugin/security/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/integration/RoleMappingFileSettingsIT.java
index 38dd7116acce4..778d88d832887 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/security/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/integration/RoleMappingFileSettingsIT.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/security/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/integration/RoleMappingFileSettingsIT.java
@@ -148,15 +148,6 @@ public class RoleMappingFileSettingsIT extends NativeRealmIntegTestCase {
              }
         }""";
 
-    @Override
-    protected Settings nodeSettings(int nodeOrdinal, Settings otherSettings) {
-        Settings.Builder builder = Settings.builder()
-            .put(super.nodeSettings(nodeOrdinal, otherSettings))
-            // some tests make use of cluster-state based role mappings
-            .put("xpack.security.authc.cluster_state_role_mappings.enabled", true);
-        return builder.build();
-    }
-
     @After
     public void cleanUp() {
         updateClusterSettings(Settings.builder().putNull("indices.recovery.max_bytes_per_sec"));
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/security/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/authc/jwt/JwtRoleMappingsIntegTests.java b/x-pack/plugin/security/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/authc/jwt/JwtRoleMappingsIntegTests.java
index 0a4a379e3a060..77fe4a896eedb 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/security/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/authc/jwt/JwtRoleMappingsIntegTests.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/security/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/authc/jwt/JwtRoleMappingsIntegTests.java
@@ -78,8 +78,6 @@ private void clearRoleMappings() throws InterruptedException {
     protected Settings nodeSettings(int nodeOrdinal, Settings otherSettings) {
         Settings.Builder builder = Settings.builder()
             .put(super.nodeSettings(nodeOrdinal, otherSettings))
-            // some tests make use of cluster-state based role mappings
-            .put("xpack.security.authc.cluster_state_role_mappings.enabled", true)
             .put(XPackSettings.TOKEN_SERVICE_ENABLED_SETTING.getKey(), randomBoolean())
             // 1st JWT realm
             .put("xpack.security.authc.realms.jwt.jwt0.order", 10)
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/security/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/authc/support/mapper/ClusterStateRoleMapper.java b/x-pack/plugin/security/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/authc/support/mapper/ClusterStateRoleMapper.java
index 9a6e9e75c4685..5dea6a938263c 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/security/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/authc/support/mapper/ClusterStateRoleMapper.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/security/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/authc/support/mapper/ClusterStateRoleMapper.java
@@ -31,9 +31,9 @@
 public final class ClusterStateRoleMapper extends AbstractRoleMapperClearRealmCache implements ClusterStateListener {
 
     /**
-     * This setting is never registered by the xpack security plugin - in order to enable the
+     * This setting is never registered by the xpack security plugin - in order to disable the
      * cluster-state based role mapper another plugin must register it as a boolean setting
-     * and set it to `true`.
+     * and set it to `false`.
      * If this setting is set to <code>true</code> then:
      * <ul>
      *     <li>Realms that make use role mappings (all realms but file and native) will,
@@ -54,8 +54,8 @@ public final class ClusterStateRoleMapper extends AbstractRoleMapperClearRealmCa
     public ClusterStateRoleMapper(Settings settings, ScriptService scriptService, ClusterService clusterService) {
         this.scriptService = scriptService;
         this.clusterService = clusterService;
-        // this role mapper is disabled by default and only code in other plugins can enable it
-        this.enabled = settings.getAsBoolean(CLUSTER_STATE_ROLE_MAPPINGS_ENABLED, false);
+        // this role mapper is enabled by default and only code in other plugins can disable it
+        this.enabled = settings.getAsBoolean(CLUSTER_STATE_ROLE_MAPPINGS_ENABLED, true);
         if (this.enabled) {
             clusterService.addListener(this);
         }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/SecuritySettingsSource.java b/x-pack/plugin/security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/SecuritySettingsSource.java
index 6d7817db8ec05..ce5aaacdb92b9 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/SecuritySettingsSource.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/SecuritySettingsSource.java
@@ -403,7 +403,7 @@ public static class UnregisteredSecuritySettingsPlugin extends Plugin {
         );
         public static final Setting<Boolean> CLUSTER_STATE_ROLE_MAPPINGS_ENABLED = Setting.boolSetting(
             "xpack.security.authc.cluster_state_role_mappings.enabled",
-            false,
+            true,
             Setting.Property.NodeScope
         );
         public static final Setting<Boolean> NATIVE_ROLES_ENABLED = Setting.boolSetting(
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/authc/support/mapper/ClusterStateRoleMapperTests.java b/x-pack/plugin/security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/authc/support/mapper/ClusterStateRoleMapperTests.java
index 74221c1133271..cc6bc3a839fd2 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/authc/support/mapper/ClusterStateRoleMapperTests.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/authc/support/mapper/ClusterStateRoleMapperTests.java
@@ -56,12 +56,12 @@ public void setup() {
             () -> 1L
         );
         clusterService = mock(ClusterService.class);
-        enabledSettings = Settings.builder().put("xpack.security.authc.cluster_state_role_mappings.enabled", true).build();
+        disabledSettings = Settings.builder().put("xpack.security.authc.cluster_state_role_mappings.enabled", false).build();
         if (randomBoolean()) {
-            disabledSettings = Settings.builder().put("xpack.security.authc.cluster_state_role_mappings.enabled", false).build();
+            enabledSettings = Settings.builder().put("xpack.security.authc.cluster_state_role_mappings.enabled", true).build();
         } else {
-            // the cluster state role mapper is disabled by default
-            disabledSettings = Settings.EMPTY;
+            // the cluster state role mapper is enabled by default
+            enabledSettings = Settings.EMPTY;
         }
     }