diff --git a/RECIPE-API-CHANGELOG.md b/RECIPE-API-CHANGELOG.md
index deb1c4e1..f310553a 100644
--- a/RECIPE-API-CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/RECIPE-API-CHANGELOG.md
@@ -693,3 +693,12 @@ Previous implementation still can be selected by setting in local.conf:
 
 PREFERRED_PROVIDER_bootstrap-host ?= "isar-bootstrap-host"
 PREFERRED_PROVIDER_bootstrap-target ?= "isar-bootstrap-target"
+
+### Cross-compilation is enabled by default
+
+Default ISAR_CROSS_COMPILE value was changed to "1".
+There is no more need to set global ISAR_CROSS_COMPILE = "1" in local.conf to
+enable cross-compilation. Otherwize ISAR_CROSS_COMPILE = "0" now should be set
+in local.conf to disable cross-compilation for all the recipes.
+Sample local.conf from meta-isar used by isar-init-build-env is also changed
+to enable cross-compilation by default.
diff --git a/kas/opt/Kconfig b/kas/opt/Kconfig
index b1b1ff16..1ec4b112 100644
--- a/kas/opt/Kconfig
+++ b/kas/opt/Kconfig
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 # This software is a part of ISAR.
-# Copyright (C) 2023 ilbers GmbH
+# Copyright (C) 2023-2024 ilbers GmbH
+# Copyright (C) 2024 Siemens AG
 #
 # Authors:
 #  Uladzimir Bely <ubely@ilbers.de>
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
 
 menu "Mirror selection"
 	depends on DEBIAN_BUSTER || DEBIAN_BULLSEYE || DEBIAN_BOOKWORM || DEBIAN_TRIXIE || DEBIAN_SID || UBUNTU_FOCAL || UBUNTU_JAMMY
@@ -149,10 +152,14 @@ config ISAR_CROSS_COMPILE
 	bool "Enable cross compilation mode"
 	default y
 
+config KAS_ISAR_CROSS_COMPILE
+	string
+	default "1" if ISAR_CROSS_COMPILE
+	default "0" if !ISAR_CROSS_COMPILE
+
 config KAS_INCLUDE_ISAR_CROSS_COMPILE
 	string
 	default "kas/opt/crosscompile.yaml"
-	depends on ISAR_CROSS_COMPILE
 
 
 config USE_CCACHE
diff --git a/kas/opt/crosscompile.yaml b/kas/opt/crosscompile.yaml
index 1b927ebd..4ec26d92 100644
--- a/kas/opt/crosscompile.yaml
+++ b/kas/opt/crosscompile.yaml
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 # This software is a part of ISAR.
-# Copyright (C) 2023 ilbers GmbH
+# Copyright (C) 2023-2024 ilbers GmbH
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
 
 header:
   version: 14
 
 local_conf_header:
   crosscompile: |
-    ISAR_CROSS_COMPILE = "1"
+    ISAR_CROSS_COMPILE = "${KAS_ISAR_CROSS_COMPILE}"
diff --git a/meta-isar/conf/local.conf.sample b/meta-isar/conf/local.conf.sample
index 14cac313..b59f310b 100644
--- a/meta-isar/conf/local.conf.sample
+++ b/meta-isar/conf/local.conf.sample
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 # This software is a part of ISAR.
-# Copyright (C) 2023 ilbers GmbH
+# Copyright (C) 2016-2024 ilbers GmbH
+# Copyright (C) 2017-2024 Siemens AG
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
 
 #
 # This file is your local configuration file and is where all local user settings
@@ -157,8 +160,8 @@ IMAGE_INSTALL:remove:qemuamd64-sb = "example-module-${KERNEL_NAME}"
 IMAGE_INSTALL:append:qemuamd64-sb = " example-module-signed-${KERNEL_NAME}"
 
 #
-# Enable cross-compilation support
-ISAR_CROSS_COMPILE ?= "0"
+# Uncomment this to disable cross-compilation support
+#ISAR_CROSS_COMPILE ?= "0"
 
 #
 # Uncomment to enable 32-bit compat architecture support
diff --git a/meta/classes/crossvars.bbclass b/meta/classes/crossvars.bbclass
index 00326c9a..1a88d457 100644
--- a/meta/classes/crossvars.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/crossvars.bbclass
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 # This software is a part of ISAR.
-# Copyright (C) 2022 ilbers GmbH
+# Copyright (C) 2023-2024 ilbers GmbH
+# Copyright (C) 2023-2024 Siemens AG
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
 
-ISAR_CROSS_COMPILE ??= "0"
+ISAR_CROSS_COMPILE ??= "1"
 
 inherit compat
 
diff --git a/testsuite/cibuilder.py b/testsuite/cibuilder.py
index 9fa3d86c..b5b6a093 100755
--- a/testsuite/cibuilder.py
+++ b/testsuite/cibuilder.py
@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
+#
+# This software is a part of ISAR.
+# Copyright (C) 2022-2024 ilbers GmbH
+# Copyright (C) 2022-2024 Siemens AG
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
 
 import logging
 import os
@@ -168,7 +174,9 @@ class CIBuilder(Test):
                 f.write('ISAR_ENABLE_COMPAT_ARCH:arm64 = "1"\n')
                 f.write('IMAGE_INSTALL:remove:arm64 = "hello-isar"\n')
                 f.write('IMAGE_INSTALL:append:arm64 = " hello-isar-compat"\n')
-            if cross:
+            if not cross:
+                f.write('ISAR_CROSS_COMPILE = "0"\n')
+            else:
                 f.write('ISAR_CROSS_COMPILE = "1"\n')
                 f.write(
                     'IMAGE_INSTALL:append:hikey = '