diff --git a/doc/api/child_process.md b/doc/api/child_process.md
index 1fc2855e4f65f5..372f8bbaf44bd6 100644
--- a/doc/api/child_process.md
+++ b/doc/api/child_process.md
@@ -131,6 +131,9 @@ exec('"my script.cmd" a b', (err, stdout, stderr) => {
 <!-- YAML
 added: v0.1.90
 changes:
+  - version: REPLACEME
+    pr-url: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/21316
+    description: The `windowsHide` option now defaults to `true`.
   - version: v8.8.0
     pr-url: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/15380
     description: The `windowsHide` option is supported now.
@@ -153,7 +156,7 @@ changes:
   * `uid` {number} Sets the user identity of the process (see setuid(2)).
   * `gid` {number} Sets the group identity of the process (see setgid(2)).
   * `windowsHide` {boolean} Hide the subprocess console window that would
-    normally be created on Windows systems. **Default:** `false`.
+    normally be created on Windows systems. **Default:** `true`.
 * `callback` {Function} called with the output when process terminates.
   * `error` {Error}
   * `stdout` {string|Buffer}
@@ -232,6 +235,9 @@ lsExample();
 <!-- YAML
 added: v0.1.91
 changes:
+  - version: REPLACEME
+    pr-url: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/21316
+    description: The `windowsHide` option now defaults to `true`.
   - version: v8.8.0
     pr-url: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/15380
     description: The `windowsHide` option is supported now.
@@ -251,7 +257,7 @@ changes:
   * `uid` {number} Sets the user identity of the process (see setuid(2)).
   * `gid` {number} Sets the group identity of the process (see setgid(2)).
   * `windowsHide` {boolean} Hide the subprocess console window that would
-    normally be created on Windows systems. **Default:** `false`.
+    normally be created on Windows systems. **Default:** `true`.
   * `windowsVerbatimArguments` {boolean} No quoting or escaping of arguments is
     done on Windows. Ignored on Unix. **Default:** `false`.
   * `shell` {boolean|string} If `true`, runs `command` inside of a shell. Uses
@@ -375,6 +381,9 @@ The `shell` option available in [`child_process.spawn()`][] is not supported by
 <!-- YAML
 added: v0.1.90
 changes:
+  - version: REPLACEME
+    pr-url: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/21316
+    description: The `windowsHide` option now defaults to `true`.
   - version: v8.8.0
     pr-url: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/15380
     description: The `windowsHide` option is supported now.
@@ -408,7 +417,7 @@ changes:
     done on Windows. Ignored on Unix. This is set to `true` automatically
     when `shell` is specified. **Default:** `false`.
   * `windowsHide` {boolean} Hide the subprocess console window that would
-    normally be created on Windows systems. **Default:** `false`.
+    normally be created on Windows systems. **Default:** `true`.
 * Returns: {ChildProcess}
 
 The `child_process.spawn()` method spawns a new process using the given
@@ -669,6 +678,9 @@ configuration at startup.
 <!-- YAML
 added: v0.11.12
 changes:
+  - version: REPLACEME
+    pr-url: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/21316
+    description: The `windowsHide` option now defaults to `true`.
   - version: v8.8.0
     pr-url: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/15380
     description: The `windowsHide` option is supported now.
@@ -702,7 +714,7 @@ changes:
   * `encoding` {string} The encoding used for all stdio inputs and outputs.
     **Default:** `'buffer'`.
   * `windowsHide` {boolean} Hide the subprocess console window that would
-    normally be created on Windows systems. **Default:** `false`.
+    normally be created on Windows systems. **Default:** `true`.
   * `shell` {boolean|string} If `true`, runs `command` inside of a shell. Uses
     `'/bin/sh'` on UNIX, and `process.env.ComSpec` on Windows. A different
     shell can be specified as a string. See [Shell Requirements][] and
@@ -731,6 +743,9 @@ arbitrary command execution.**
 <!-- YAML
 added: v0.11.12
 changes:
+  - version: REPLACEME
+    pr-url: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/21316
+    description: The `windowsHide` option now defaults to `true`.
   - version: v8.8.0
     pr-url: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/15380
     description: The `windowsHide` option is supported now.
@@ -763,7 +778,7 @@ changes:
   * `encoding` {string} The encoding used for all stdio inputs and outputs.
     **Default:** `'buffer'`.
   * `windowsHide` {boolean} Hide the subprocess console window that would
-    normally be created on Windows systems. **Default:** `false`.
+    normally be created on Windows systems. **Default:** `true`.
 * Returns: {Buffer|string} The stdout from the command.
 
 The `child_process.execSync()` method is generally identical to
@@ -785,6 +800,9 @@ metacharacters may be used to trigger arbitrary command execution.**
 <!-- YAML
 added: v0.11.12
 changes:
+  - version: REPLACEME
+    pr-url: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/21316
+    description: The `windowsHide` option now defaults to `true`.
   - version: v8.8.0
     pr-url: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/15380
     description: The `windowsHide` option is supported now.
@@ -826,7 +844,7 @@ changes:
     done on Windows. Ignored on Unix. This is set to `true` automatically
     when `shell` is specified. **Default:** `false`.
   * `windowsHide` {boolean} Hide the subprocess console window that would
-    normally be created on Windows systems. **Default:** `false`.
+    normally be created on Windows systems. **Default:** `true`.
 * Returns: {Object}
   * `pid` {number} Pid of the child process.
   * `output` {Array} Array of results from stdio output.
diff --git a/doc/api/cluster.md b/doc/api/cluster.md
index b420645bb4dcc4..c9dc17e994850a 100644
--- a/doc/api/cluster.md
+++ b/doc/api/cluster.md
@@ -698,6 +698,9 @@ values are `'rr'` and `'none'`.
 <!-- YAML
 added: v0.7.1
 changes:
+  - version: REPLACEME
+    pr-url: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/21316
+    description: The `windowsHide` option now defaults to `true`.
   - version: v9.5.0
     pr-url: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/18399
     description: The `cwd` option is supported now.
@@ -732,7 +735,7 @@ changes:
     number. By default each worker gets its own port, incremented from the
     master's `process.debugPort`.
   * `windowsHide` {boolean} Hide the forked processes console window that would
-    normally be created on Windows systems. **Default:** `false`.
+    normally be created on Windows systems. **Default:** `true`.
 
 After calling `.setupMaster()` (or `.fork()`) this settings object will contain
 the settings, including the default values.
diff --git a/lib/child_process.js b/lib/child_process.js
index b2835b0a8f58be..5c315290c2999e 100644
--- a/lib/child_process.js
+++ b/lib/child_process.js
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ exports.execFile = function execFile(file /* , args, options, callback */) {
     gid: options.gid,
     uid: options.uid,
     shell: options.shell,
-    windowsHide: !!options.windowsHide,
+    windowsHide: options.windowsHide !== false,
     windowsVerbatimArguments: !!options.windowsVerbatimArguments
   });
 
@@ -529,7 +529,7 @@ var spawn = exports.spawn = function spawn(/* file, args, options */) {
     file: opts.file,
     args: opts.args,
     cwd: options.cwd,
-    windowsHide: !!options.windowsHide,
+    windowsHide: options.windowsHide !== false,
     windowsVerbatimArguments: !!options.windowsVerbatimArguments,
     detached: !!options.detached,
     envPairs: opts.envPairs,
@@ -563,6 +563,8 @@ function spawnSync(/* file, args, options */) {
 
   options.stdio = _validateStdio(options.stdio || 'pipe', true).stdio;
 
+  options.windowsHide = options.windowsHide !== false;
+
   if (options.input) {
     var stdin = options.stdio[0] = util._extend({}, options.stdio[0]);
     stdin.input = options.input;
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-child-process-spawnsync-shell.js b/test/parallel/test-child-process-spawnsync-shell.js
index 3eba0ba869f605..637cb12a2332bd 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-child-process-spawnsync-shell.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-child-process-spawnsync-shell.js
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ assert.strictEqual(env.stdout.toString().trim(), 'buzz');
       assert.strictEqual(opts.options.shell, shell);
       assert.strictEqual(opts.options.file, opts.file);
       assert.deepStrictEqual(opts.options.args, opts.args);
-      assert.strictEqual(opts.options.windowsHide, undefined);
+      assert.strictEqual(opts.options.windowsHide, true);
       assert.strictEqual(opts.options.windowsVerbatimArguments,
                          windowsVerbatim);
     });