diff --git a/apic.go b/apic.go
index d2c2308f..acf71402 100644
--- a/apic.go
+++ b/apic.go
@@ -79,6 +79,8 @@ func yaml_parser_set_encoding(parser *yaml_parser_t, encoding yaml_encoding_t) {
 	parser.encoding = encoding
 }
 
+var disableLineWrapping = false
+
 // Create a new emitter object.
 func yaml_emitter_initialize(emitter *yaml_emitter_t) {
 	*emitter = yaml_emitter_t{
@@ -86,7 +88,9 @@ func yaml_emitter_initialize(emitter *yaml_emitter_t) {
 		raw_buffer: make([]byte, 0, output_raw_buffer_size),
 		states:     make([]yaml_emitter_state_t, 0, initial_stack_size),
 		events:     make([]yaml_event_t, 0, initial_queue_size),
-		best_width: -1,
+	}
+	if disableLineWrapping {
+		emitter.best_width = -1
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/encode_test.go b/encode_test.go
index f7c91ff0..c8caedc5 100644
--- a/encode_test.go
+++ b/encode_test.go
@@ -397,11 +397,27 @@ var marshalTests = []struct {
 		map[string]interface{}{"a": jsonNumberT("bogus")},
 		"a: bogus\n",
 	},
-	// Ensure that strings do not wrap
-	{
-		map[string]string{"a": "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 "},
-		"a: 'abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 '\n",
-	},
+}
+
+func (s *S) TestLineWrapping(c *C) {
+	var v = map[string]string{
+		"a": "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 ",
+	}
+	data, err := yaml.Marshal(v)
+	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
+	c.Assert(string(data), Equals,
+		"a: 'abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz\n" +
+		"  ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 '\n")
+
+	// The API does not allow this process to be reversed as it's intended
+	// for migration only. v3 drops this method and instead offers more
+	// control on a per encoding basis.
+	yaml.FutureLineWrap()
+
+	data, err = yaml.Marshal(v)
+	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
+	c.Assert(string(data), Equals,
+		"a: 'abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 '\n")
 }
 
 func (s *S) TestMarshal(c *C) {
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 1934e876..2cbb85ae 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-module "gopkg.in/yaml.v2"
+module gopkg.in/yaml.v2
 
-require (
-	"gopkg.in/check.v1" v0.0.0-20161208181325-20d25e280405
-)
+go 1.15
+
+require gopkg.in/check.v1 v0.0.0-20161208181325-20d25e280405
diff --git a/yaml.go b/yaml.go
index 65aa9dd0..30813884 100644
--- a/yaml.go
+++ b/yaml.go
@@ -464,3 +464,15 @@ func isZero(v reflect.Value) bool {
 	}
 	return false
 }
+
+// FutureLineWrap globally disables line wrapping when encoding long strings.
+// This is a temporary and thus deprecated method introduced to faciliate
+// migration towards v3, which offers more control of line lengths on
+// individual encodings, and has a default matching the behavior introduced
+// by this function.
+//
+// The default formatting of v2 was erroneously changed in v2.3.0 and reverted
+// in v2.4.0, at which point this function was introduced to help migration.
+func FutureLineWrap() {
+	disableLineWrapping = true
+}