diff --git a/crates/nu-cli/src/reedline_config.rs b/crates/nu-cli/src/reedline_config.rs
index 0f8159ad5f..e0598edfd9 100644
--- a/crates/nu-cli/src/reedline_config.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-cli/src/reedline_config.rs
@@ -402,7 +402,7 @@ pub(crate) fn add_ide_menu(
                 let max_completion_height = max_completion_height.as_int()?;
                 ide_menu.with_max_completion_height(max_completion_height as u16)
             }
-            Err(_) => ide_menu,
+            Err(_) => ide_menu.with_max_completion_height(10u16),
         };
 
         ide_menu = match extract_value("padding", val, span) {
@@ -447,7 +447,7 @@ pub(crate) fn add_ide_menu(
                     });
                 }
             }
-            Err(_) => ide_menu,
+            Err(_) => ide_menu.with_default_border(),
         };
 
         ide_menu = match extract_value("cursor_offset", val, span) {
diff --git a/crates/nu-protocol/src/config/mod.rs b/crates/nu-protocol/src/config/mod.rs
index eab75d1149..49855b430f 100644
--- a/crates/nu-protocol/src/config/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-protocol/src/config/mod.rs
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ impl Default for Config {
             enable_external_completion: true,
             max_external_completion_results: 100,
             external_completer: None,
-            use_ls_colors_completions: false,
+            use_ls_colors_completions: true,
 
             filesize_metric: false,
             filesize_format: "auto".into(),
diff --git a/crates/nu-utils/src/sample_config/default_config.nu b/crates/nu-utils/src/sample_config/default_config.nu
index 242e43ac73..05de4b2835 100644
--- a/crates/nu-utils/src/sample_config/default_config.nu
+++ b/crates/nu-utils/src/sample_config/default_config.nu
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ $env.config = {
             max_results: 100 # setting it lower can improve completion performance at the cost of omitting some options
             completer: null # check 'carapace_completer' above as an example
         }
-        use_ls_colors: false # set this to true to enable file/path/directory completions using LS_COLORS
+        use_ls_colors: true # set this to true to enable file/path/directory completions using LS_COLORS
     }
 
     filesize: {
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ $env.config = {
                 layout: ide
                 min_completion_width: 0,
                 max_completion_width: 50,
-                # max_completion_height: 10, # will be limited by the available lines in the terminal
+                max_completion_height: 10, # will be limited by the available lines in the terminal
                 padding: 0,
                 border: true,
                 cursor_offset: 0,