diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index ee8dba61..104f0104 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 - better GraphicsMagick image write [bfriesen]
 - add missing read loops to spng, heif, giflib and ppm load [kleisauke]
 - block zero width or height images from imagemagick load [Koen1999]
+- fix msb_first default in ppm load [ewelot]
 
 6/9/20 started 8.10.2
 - update magicksave/load profile handling [kelilevi]
diff --git a/libvips/foreign/ppmload.c b/libvips/foreign/ppmload.c
index 430a5572..7933c03b 100644
--- a/libvips/foreign/ppmload.c
+++ b/libvips/foreign/ppmload.c
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@
  * 	- ban max_vaue < 0 
  * 27/6/20
  * 	- add ppmload_source
+ * 22/11/20
+ * 	- fix msb_first default [ewelot]
  */
 
 /*
@@ -254,7 +256,7 @@ vips_foreign_load_ppm_parse_header( VipsForeignLoadPpm *ppm )
 
 	/* Default ... can be changed below for PFM images.
 	 */
-	ppm->msb_first = 0;
+	ppm->msb_first = 1;
 
 	/* Read in size.
 	 */