diff --git a/linkcheck/configuration/__init__.py b/linkcheck/configuration/__init__.py
index 70a10b98..3e1df93a 100644
--- a/linkcheck/configuration/__init__.py
+++ b/linkcheck/configuration/__init__.py
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ class Configuration(dict):
         self["warnings"] = True
         self["fileoutput"] = []
         self['output'] = 'text'
-        self["status"] = False
+        self["status"] = True
         self["status_wait_seconds"] = 5
         self['logger'] = None
         self.loggers = {}
diff --git a/linkchecker b/linkchecker
index a3896c38..555df4a6 100755
--- a/linkchecker
+++ b/linkchecker
@@ -337,8 +337,8 @@ group.add_argument(
 group.add_argument(
     "--no-status",
     action="store_false",
+    default=None,
     dest="status",
-    default=True,
     help=_("Do not print check status messages."),
 )
 group.add_argument(
@@ -656,7 +656,7 @@ if options.quiet:
     config["logger"] = config.logger_new("none")
 if options.recursionlevel is not None:
     config["recursionlevel"] = options.recursionlevel
-if options.status:
+if options.status is not None:
     config["status"] = options.status
 if options.threads is not None:
     if options.threads < 1: