diff --git a/cmd/skaffold/app/cmd/flags.go b/cmd/skaffold/app/cmd/flags.go
index b3d1ca0ae0d..38adfe04465 100644
--- a/cmd/skaffold/app/cmd/flags.go
+++ b/cmd/skaffold/app/cmd/flags.go
@@ -316,11 +316,10 @@ var flagRegistry = []Flag{
 		Name:          "status-check",
 		Usage:         "Wait for deployed resources to stabilize",
 		Value:         &opts.StatusCheck,
-		DefValue:      true,
+		DefValue:      nil,
 		FlagAddMethod: "Var",
 		DefinedOn:     []string{"dev", "debug", "deploy", "run", "apply"},
 		IsEnum:        true,
-		NoOptDefVal:   "true",
 	},
 	{
 		Name:          "iterative-status-check",
diff --git a/docs/content/en/docs/references/cli/_index.md b/docs/content/en/docs/references/cli/_index.md
index 64e0e394dad..01c1c30919a 100644
--- a/docs/content/en/docs/references/cli/_index.md
+++ b/docs/content/en/docs/references/cli/_index.md
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ Options:
   -n, --namespace='': Run deployments in the specified namespace
   -p, --profile=[]: Activate profiles by name (prefixed with `-` to disable a profile)
       --remote-cache-dir='': Specify the location of the git repositories cache (default $HOME/.skaffold/repos)
-      --status-check=true: Wait for deployed resources to stabilize
+      --status-check=: Wait for deployed resources to stabilize
       --sync-remote-cache='always': Controls how Skaffold manages the remote config cache (see `remote-cache-dir`). One of `always` (default), `missing`, or `never`. `always` syncs remote repositories to latest on access. `missing` only clones remote repositories if they do not exist locally. `never` means the user takes responsibility for updating remote repositories.
       --tail=false: Stream logs from deployed objects
       --wait-for-connection=false: Blocks ending execution of skaffold until the /v2/events gRPC/HTTP endpoint is hit
@@ -425,7 +425,7 @@ Options:
       --rpc-http-port=: tcp port to expose the Skaffold API over HTTP REST
       --rpc-port=: tcp port to expose the Skaffold API over gRPC
       --skip-tests=false: Whether to skip the tests after building
-      --status-check=true: Wait for deployed resources to stabilize
+      --status-check=: Wait for deployed resources to stabilize
       --sync-remote-cache='always': Controls how Skaffold manages the remote config cache (see `remote-cache-dir`). One of `always` (default), `missing`, or `never`. `always` syncs remote repositories to latest on access. `missing` only clones remote repositories if they do not exist locally. `never` means the user takes responsibility for updating remote repositories.
   -t, --tag='': The optional custom tag to use for images which overrides the current Tagger configuration
       --tail=true: Stream logs from deployed objects
@@ -591,7 +591,7 @@ Options:
       --rpc-http-port=: tcp port to expose the Skaffold API over HTTP REST
       --rpc-port=: tcp port to expose the Skaffold API over gRPC
       --skip-render=false: Don't render the manifests, just deploy them
-      --status-check=true: Wait for deployed resources to stabilize
+      --status-check=: Wait for deployed resources to stabilize
       --sync-remote-cache='always': Controls how Skaffold manages the remote config cache (see `remote-cache-dir`). One of `always` (default), `missing`, or `never`. `always` syncs remote repositories to latest on access. `missing` only clones remote repositories if they do not exist locally. `never` means the user takes responsibility for updating remote repositories.
   -t, --tag='': The optional custom tag to use for images which overrides the current Tagger configuration
       --tail=false: Stream logs from deployed objects
@@ -687,7 +687,7 @@ Options:
       --rpc-http-port=: tcp port to expose the Skaffold API over HTTP REST
       --rpc-port=: tcp port to expose the Skaffold API over gRPC
       --skip-tests=false: Whether to skip the tests after building
-      --status-check=true: Wait for deployed resources to stabilize
+      --status-check=: Wait for deployed resources to stabilize
       --sync-remote-cache='always': Controls how Skaffold manages the remote config cache (see `remote-cache-dir`). One of `always` (default), `missing`, or `never`. `always` syncs remote repositories to latest on access. `missing` only clones remote repositories if they do not exist locally. `never` means the user takes responsibility for updating remote repositories.
   -t, --tag='': The optional custom tag to use for images which overrides the current Tagger configuration
       --tail=true: Stream logs from deployed objects
@@ -1012,7 +1012,7 @@ Options:
       --rpc-http-port=: tcp port to expose the Skaffold API over HTTP REST
       --rpc-port=: tcp port to expose the Skaffold API over gRPC
       --skip-tests=false: Whether to skip the tests after building
-      --status-check=true: Wait for deployed resources to stabilize
+      --status-check=: Wait for deployed resources to stabilize
       --sync-remote-cache='always': Controls how Skaffold manages the remote config cache (see `remote-cache-dir`). One of `always` (default), `missing`, or `never`. `always` syncs remote repositories to latest on access. `missing` only clones remote repositories if they do not exist locally. `never` means the user takes responsibility for updating remote repositories.
   -t, --tag='': The optional custom tag to use for images which overrides the current Tagger configuration
       --tail=false: Stream logs from deployed objects