diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 426ab9c7..01ef69c4 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,11 @@
 
 ## 1.1.1 (Unreleased)
 
+### Improvements
+
+* The API is now enabled by default and the API key -- if not yet set -- will be automatically generated on first
+  server start and written back into ``config.yaml``
+
 ### Bug Fixes
 
 * [#580](https://github.com/foosel/OctoPrint/issues/580) - Properly unset job data when instructed so by callers
diff --git a/src/octoprint/settings.py b/src/octoprint/settings.py
index 4a724138..28226c3b 100644
--- a/src/octoprint/settings.py
+++ b/src/octoprint/settings.py
@@ -129,8 +129,8 @@ default_settings = {
 		"subscriptions": []
 	},
 	"api": {
-		"enabled": False,
-		"key": ''.join('%02X' % ord(z) for z in uuid.uuid4().bytes)
+		"enabled": True,
+		"key": None
 	},
 	"terminalFilters": [
 		{ "name": "Suppress M105 requests/responses", "regex": "(Send: M105)|(Recv: ok T\d*:)" },
@@ -171,6 +171,10 @@ class Settings(object):
 			self._configfile = os.path.join(self.settings_dir, "config.yaml")
 		self.load(migrate=True)
 
+		if self.get(["api", "key"]) is None:
+			self.set(["api", "key"], ''.join('%02X' % ord(z) for z in uuid.uuid4().bytes))
+			self.save(force=True)
+
 	def _init_settings_dir(self, basedir):
 		if basedir is not None:
 			self.settings_dir = basedir