diff --git a/wp-includes/default-constants.php b/wp-includes/default-constants.php
index 0ba447fda6..b11c6ab040 100644
--- a/wp-includes/default-constants.php
+++ b/wp-includes/default-constants.php
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@ function wp_initial_constants( ) {
 	if ( !defined('WP_DEBUG') )
 		define( 'WP_DEBUG', false );
 
-	// Add define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false); to wp-config.php use the globally configured setting for display_errors and not force errors to be displayed.
+	// Add define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', null); to wp-config.php use the globally configured setting for
+	// display_errors and not force errors to be displayed. Use false to force display_errors off.
 	if ( !defined('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY') )
 		define( 'WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', true );
 
diff --git a/wp-includes/load.php b/wp-includes/load.php
index 3740258333..056f85b826 100644
--- a/wp-includes/load.php
+++ b/wp-includes/load.php
@@ -249,9 +249,9 @@ function timer_stop( $display = 0, $precision = 3 ) { // if called like timer_st
  * development environments.
  *
  * When WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY is true, WordPress will force errors to be displayed.
- * WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY defaults to true. Defining it as false prevents WordPress from
- * changing the global configuration setting. (Defining WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY as false
- * will never force errors to be hidden.)
+ * WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY defaults to true. Defining it as null prevents WordPress from
+ * changing the global configuration setting. Defining WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY as false
+ * will force errors to be hidden.
  *
  * When WP_DEBUG_LOG is true, errors will be logged to wp-content/debug.log.
  * WP_DEBUG_LOG defaults to false.
@@ -270,6 +270,8 @@ function wp_debug_mode() {
 
 		if ( WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY )
 			ini_set( 'display_errors', 1 );
+		elseif ( null !== WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY )
+			ini_set( 'display_errors', 0 );
 
 		if ( WP_DEBUG_LOG ) {
 			ini_set( 'log_errors', 1 );