diff --git a/kernel/sched/walt/sysctl.c b/kernel/sched/walt/sysctl.c
index 724a3849e4df..76f929eba9dd 100644
--- a/kernel/sched/walt/sysctl.c
+++ b/kernel/sched/walt/sysctl.c
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ unsigned int sysctl_sched_sync_hint_enable = 1;
 unsigned int sysctl_sched_bug_on_rt_throttle;
 unsigned int sysctl_panic_on_walt_bug;
 unsigned int sysctl_sched_suppress_region2;
-unsigned int sysctl_sched_skip_sp_newly_idle_lb;
+unsigned int sysctl_sched_skip_sp_newly_idle_lb = 1;
 
 /* range is [1 .. INT_MAX] */
 static int sysctl_task_read_pid = 1;