diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/rules/objc/ObjcCommandLineOptions.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/rules/objc/ObjcCommandLineOptions.java
index e3ace8fe12a5ef..5312500b4c6115 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/rules/objc/ObjcCommandLineOptions.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/rules/objc/ObjcCommandLineOptions.java
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ public class ObjcCommandLineOptions extends FragmentOptions {
 
   @Option(
       name = "incompatible_avoid_hardcoded_objc_compilation_flags",
-      defaultValue = "false",
+      defaultValue = "true",
       documentationCategory = OptionDocumentationCategory.UNDOCUMENTED,
       effectTags = {
         OptionEffectTag.AFFECTS_OUTPUTS,
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/rules/objc/ObjcLibraryTest.java b/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/rules/objc/ObjcLibraryTest.java
index a996dcf63f9097..17dee7932f74fe 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/rules/objc/ObjcLibraryTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/rules/objc/ObjcLibraryTest.java
@@ -1131,9 +1131,14 @@ public void testPopulatesCompilationArtifacts() throws Exception {
     checkPopulatesCompilationArtifacts(RULE_TYPE);
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testCompilationActionsForDebugLegacyFlags() throws Exception {
+    checkClangCoptsForCompilationMode(RULE_TYPE, CompilationMode.DBG, true);
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void testCompilationActionsForDebug() throws Exception {
-    checkClangCoptsForCompilationMode(RULE_TYPE, CompilationMode.DBG);
+    checkClangCoptsForCompilationMode(RULE_TYPE, CompilationMode.DBG, false);
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -1169,9 +1174,14 @@ public void testClangCoptsForDebugModeWithoutGlibOrHardcoding() throws Exception
         .containsNoneOf("-D_GLIBCXX_DEBUG", "-DDEBUG=1");
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testCompilationActionsForOptimizedLegacyFlags() throws Exception {
+    checkClangCoptsForCompilationMode(RULE_TYPE, CompilationMode.OPT, true);
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void testCompilationActionsForOptimized() throws Exception {
-    checkClangCoptsForCompilationMode(RULE_TYPE, CompilationMode.OPT);
+    checkClangCoptsForCompilationMode(RULE_TYPE, CompilationMode.OPT, false);
   }
 
   @Test
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/rules/objc/ObjcRuleTestCase.java b/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/rules/objc/ObjcRuleTestCase.java
index ba4a073075a574..ce874922ff0c19 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/rules/objc/ObjcRuleTestCase.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/rules/objc/ObjcRuleTestCase.java
@@ -117,14 +117,12 @@ private static String compilationModeFlag(CompilationMode mode) {
     throw new AssertionError();
   }
 
-  protected static ImmutableList<String> compilationModeCopts(CompilationMode mode) {
+  protected static ImmutableList<String> legacyCompilationModeCopts(CompilationMode mode) {
     switch (mode) {
       case DBG:
         return ImmutableList.copyOf(ObjcConfiguration.DBG_COPTS);
       case OPT:
         return ObjcConfiguration.OPT_COPTS;
-      case FASTBUILD:
-        return FASTBUILD_COPTS;
     }
     throw new AssertionError();
   }
@@ -890,13 +888,18 @@ protected List<String> rootedIncludePaths(String... unrootedPaths) {
     return rootedPaths.build();
   }
 
-  protected void checkClangCoptsForCompilationMode(RuleType ruleType, CompilationMode mode)
+  protected void checkClangCoptsForCompilationMode(RuleType ruleType, CompilationMode mode, boolean includeLegacyFlags)
       throws Exception {
     ImmutableList.Builder<String> allExpectedCoptsBuilder =
         ImmutableList.<String>builder()
-            .addAll(CompilationSupport.DEFAULT_COMPILER_FLAGS)
-            .addAll(compilationModeCopts(mode));
+            .addAll(CompilationSupport.DEFAULT_COMPILER_FLAGS);
+
+    if (includeLegacyFlags) {
+      allExpectedCoptsBuilder.addAll(legacyCompilationModeCopts(mode));
+    }
+
     useConfiguration(
+        "--incompatible_avoid_hardcoded_objc_compilation_flags=" + !includeLegacyFlags,
         "--platforms=" + MockObjcSupport.IOS_X86_64,
         "--apple_platform_type=ios",
         "--compilation_mode=" + compilationModeFlag(mode));
@@ -913,8 +916,7 @@ protected void checkClangCoptsForCompilationMode(RuleType ruleType, CompilationM
   protected void checkClangCoptsForDebugModeWithoutGlib(RuleType ruleType) throws Exception {
     ImmutableList.Builder<String> allExpectedCoptsBuilder =
         ImmutableList.<String>builder()
-            .addAll(CompilationSupport.DEFAULT_COMPILER_FLAGS)
-            .addAll(ObjcConfiguration.DBG_COPTS);
+            .addAll(CompilationSupport.DEFAULT_COMPILER_FLAGS);
 
     useConfiguration(
         "--platforms=" + MockObjcSupport.IOS_X86_64,
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/rules/objc/ObjcStarlarkTest.java b/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/rules/objc/ObjcStarlarkTest.java
index 05307c0a4b8849..d02d09b2697cb2 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/rules/objc/ObjcStarlarkTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/rules/objc/ObjcStarlarkTest.java
@@ -832,6 +832,7 @@ def swift_binary_impl(ctx):
         """);
 
     useConfiguration(
+        "--incompatible_avoid_hardcoded_objc_compilation_flags=false",
         "--compilation_mode=opt",
         "--ios_simulator_device='iPhone 6'",
         "--ios_simulator_version=8.4",