diff --git a/homeassistant/components/mqtt/__init__.py b/homeassistant/components/mqtt/__init__.py
index e3605cb866484c..4669195b129721 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/mqtt/__init__.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/mqtt/__init__.py
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@
 DEFAULT_KEEPALIVE = 60
 DEFAULT_QOS = 0
 DEFAULT_RETAIN = False
+DEFAULT_WILL_BIRTH_RETAIN = True
 DEFAULT_PROTOCOL = PROTOCOL_311
 DEFAULT_DISCOVERY_PREFIX = "homeassistant"
 DEFAULT_TLS_PROTOCOL = "auto"
@@ -195,7 +196,7 @@ def validate_device_has_at_least_one_identifier(value: ConfigType) -> ConfigType
         vol.Required(ATTR_TOPIC): valid_publish_topic,
         vol.Required(ATTR_PAYLOAD, CONF_PAYLOAD): cv.string,
         vol.Optional(ATTR_QOS, default=DEFAULT_QOS): _VALID_QOS_SCHEMA,
-        vol.Optional(ATTR_RETAIN, default=DEFAULT_RETAIN): cv.boolean,
+        vol.Optional(ATTR_RETAIN, default=DEFAULT_WILL_BIRTH_RETAIN): cv.boolean,
     },
     required=True,
 )
diff --git a/tests/components/mqtt/test_init.py b/tests/components/mqtt/test_init.py
index 6f2a87d1caa997..1fa23d0c344816 100644
--- a/tests/components/mqtt/test_init.py
+++ b/tests/components/mqtt/test_init.py
@@ -733,7 +733,7 @@ def test_birth_message(hass):
     mqtt_client.publish.side_effect = lambda *args: calls.append(args)
     hass.data["mqtt"]._mqtt_on_connect(None, None, 0, 0)
     yield from hass.async_block_till_done()
-    assert calls[-1] == ("birth", "birth", 0, False)
+    assert calls[-1] == ("birth", "birth", 0, True)
 
 
 @asyncio.coroutine