diff --git a/aucat/aucat.1 b/aucat/aucat.1
index 2d7d155..7859703 100644
--- a/aucat/aucat.1
+++ b/aucat/aucat.1
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ If the flag is
 then it's automatically closed, allowing other programs to have direct
 access to the device, or the device to be disconnected.
 The default is
-.Va on .
+.Va off .
 .It Fl b Ar nframes
 The buffer size of the audio device in frames.
 A frame consists of one sample for each channel in the stream.
diff --git a/aucat/aucat.c b/aucat/aucat.c
index fb56c51..60e0da3 100644
--- a/aucat/aucat.c
+++ b/aucat/aucat.c
@@ -380,8 +380,10 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	hdr = HDR_AUTO;
 	xrun = XRUN_IGNORE;
 	vol = MIDI_MAXCTL;
-	hold = join = autovol = 1;
+	join = 1;
 	mmc = 0;
+	hold = 0;
+	autovol = 1;
 	bufsz = 0;
 	round = 0;
 	unit = 0;