diff --git a/src/jloptions.c b/src/jloptions.c
index 00dd611024df5..4dc40a51a7882 100644
--- a/src/jloptions.c
+++ b/src/jloptions.c
@@ -150,7 +150,6 @@ static const char opts[]  =
 #ifdef USE_POLLY
     " --polly={yes*|no}          Enable or disable the polyhedral optimizer Polly (overrides @polly declaration)\n"
 #endif
-    " --math-mode={ieee,fast}    Disallow or enable unsafe floating point optimizations (overrides @fastmath declaration)\n\n"
 
     // instrumentation options
     " --code-coverage[={none*|user|all}]\n"
@@ -692,7 +691,7 @@ JL_DLLEXPORT void jl_parse_opts(int *argcp, char ***argvp)
             if (!strcmp(optarg,"ieee"))
                 jl_options.fast_math = JL_OPTIONS_FAST_MATH_OFF;
             else if (!strcmp(optarg,"fast"))
-                jl_options.fast_math = JL_OPTIONS_FAST_MATH_ON;
+                jl_options.fast_math = JL_OPTIONS_FAST_MATH_DEFAULT;
             else if (!strcmp(optarg,"user"))
                 jl_options.fast_math = JL_OPTIONS_FAST_MATH_DEFAULT;
             else
diff --git a/test/cmdlineargs.jl b/test/cmdlineargs.jl
index e16573bfbe70a..d9fb7192a6371 100644
--- a/test/cmdlineargs.jl
+++ b/test/cmdlineargs.jl
@@ -510,7 +510,7 @@ let exename = `$(Base.julia_cmd()) --startup-file=no --color=no`
         @test parse(Int,readchomp(`$exename --math-mode=ieee -E
             "Int(Base.JLOptions().fast_math)"`)) == JL_OPTIONS_FAST_MATH_OFF
         @test parse(Int,readchomp(`$exename --math-mode=fast -E
-            "Int(Base.JLOptions().fast_math)"`)) == JL_OPTIONS_FAST_MATH_ON
+            "Int(Base.JLOptions().fast_math)"`)) == JL_OPTIONS_FAST_MATH_DEFAULT
     end
 
     # --worker takes default / custom as argument (default/custom arguments