diff --git a/ci-operator/step-registry/ipi/conf/telemetry/ipi-conf-telemetry-commands.sh b/ci-operator/step-registry/ipi/conf/telemetry/ipi-conf-telemetry-commands.sh
index c49d91211fb5e..66c6d57860ce3 100755
--- a/ci-operator/step-registry/ipi/conf/telemetry/ipi-conf-telemetry-commands.sh
+++ b/ci-operator/step-registry/ipi/conf/telemetry/ipi-conf-telemetry-commands.sh
@@ -4,6 +4,18 @@ set -o nounset
 set -o errexit
 set -o pipefail
 
+if test -z "${TELEMETRY_ENABLED}"
+then
+	if [[ "${JOB_NAME}" =~ 4[.]11 ]]
+	then
+		TELEMETRY_ENABLED=true
+		echo "TELEMETRY_ENABLED is empty, defaulting to '${TELEMETRY_ENABLED}' for the 4.11 ${JOB_NAME}"
+	else
+		TELEMETRY_ENABLED=false
+		echo "TELEMETRY_ENABLED is empty, defaulting to '${TELEMETRY_ENABLED}' for the not-4.11 ${JOB_NAME}"
+	fi
+fi
+
 if test true = "${TELEMETRY_ENABLED}"
 then
 	echo "Nothing to do with TELEMETRY_ENABLED='${TELEMETRY_ENABLED}'"
diff --git a/ci-operator/step-registry/ipi/conf/telemetry/ipi-conf-telemetry-ref.yaml b/ci-operator/step-registry/ipi/conf/telemetry/ipi-conf-telemetry-ref.yaml
index 55be6be9ac990..feafeb3454d31 100644
--- a/ci-operator/step-registry/ipi/conf/telemetry/ipi-conf-telemetry-ref.yaml
+++ b/ci-operator/step-registry/ipi/conf/telemetry/ipi-conf-telemetry-ref.yaml
@@ -11,10 +11,10 @@ ref:
       memory: 100Mi
   env:
     - name: TELEMETRY_ENABLED
-      default: "true"
+      default: ""
       documentation: |-
         Enable Telemetry:
-        * "false" - do not enable Telemetry
-        * "true" (default) - enable Telemetry
+        * "false" (default for most jobs) - do not enable Telemetry
+        * "true" (default when JOB_NAME includes 4.11) - enable Telemetry
   documentation: |-
     The configure telemetry step generates a "${SHARED_DIR}/manifest_cluster-monitoring-config.yaml" manifest, or manipulates the manifest if it already exists, to configure telemeterClient's enabled property.