diff --git a/packages/opentelemetry-node/src/NodeTracerProvider.ts b/packages/opentelemetry-node/src/NodeTracerProvider.ts
index 11a0874e5e8..f919ac5d495 100644
--- a/packages/opentelemetry-node/src/NodeTracerProvider.ts
+++ b/packages/opentelemetry-node/src/NodeTracerProvider.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import {
   SDKRegistrationConfig,
 } from '@opentelemetry/tracing';
 import { DEFAULT_INSTRUMENTATION_PLUGINS, NodeTracerConfig } from './config';
-import { PluginLoader } from './instrumentation/PluginLoader';
+import { PluginLoader, Plugins } from './instrumentation/PluginLoader';
 
 /**
  * Register this TracerProvider for use with the OpenTelemetry API.
@@ -39,7 +39,34 @@ export class NodeTracerProvider extends BasicTracerProvider {
     super(config);
 
     this._pluginLoader = new PluginLoader(this, this.logger);
-    this._pluginLoader.load(config.plugins || DEFAULT_INSTRUMENTATION_PLUGINS);
+
+    /**
+     * For user supplied config of plugin(s) that are loaded by default,
+     * merge the user supplied and default configs of said plugin(s)
+     */
+    let mergedUserSuppliedPlugins: Plugins = {};
+
+    for (const pluginName in config.plugins) {
+      if (DEFAULT_INSTRUMENTATION_PLUGINS.hasOwnProperty(pluginName)) {
+        mergedUserSuppliedPlugins[pluginName] = {
+          ...DEFAULT_INSTRUMENTATION_PLUGINS[pluginName],
+          ...config.plugins[pluginName],
+        };
+      } else {
+        mergedUserSuppliedPlugins[pluginName] = config.plugins[pluginName];
+        // enable user-supplied plugins unless explicitly disabled
+        if (mergedUserSuppliedPlugins[pluginName].enabled === undefined) {
+          mergedUserSuppliedPlugins[pluginName].enabled = true;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
+    const mergedPlugins: Plugins = {
+      ...DEFAULT_INSTRUMENTATION_PLUGINS,
+      ...mergedUserSuppliedPlugins,
+    };
+
+    this._pluginLoader.load(mergedPlugins);
   }
 
   stop() {
diff --git a/packages/opentelemetry-node/test/NodeTracerProvider.test.ts b/packages/opentelemetry-node/test/NodeTracerProvider.test.ts
index d38dda53196..5be55f15154 100644
--- a/packages/opentelemetry-node/test/NodeTracerProvider.test.ts
+++ b/packages/opentelemetry-node/test/NodeTracerProvider.test.ts
@@ -81,21 +81,26 @@ describe('NodeTracerProvider', () => {
       assert.ok(provider instanceof NodeTracerProvider);
     });
 
-    it('should load user configured plugins', () => {
+    it('should load a merge of user configured and default plugins and implictly enable non-default plugins', () => {
       provider = new NodeTracerProvider({
         logger: new NoopLogger(),
         plugins: {
           'simple-module': {
-            enabled: true,
             path: '@opentelemetry/plugin-simple-module',
           },
           'supported-module': {
-            enabled: true,
             path: '@opentelemetry/plugin-supported-module',
             enhancedDatabaseReporting: false,
             ignoreMethods: [],
             ignoreUrls: [],
           },
+          'random-module': {
+            enabled: false,
+            path: '@opentelemetry/random-module',
+          },
+          http: {
+            path: '@opentelemetry/plugin-http-module',
+          },
         },
       });
       const pluginLoader = provider['_pluginLoader'];
@@ -104,6 +109,10 @@ describe('NodeTracerProvider', () => {
       assert.strictEqual(pluginLoader['_plugins'].length, 1);
       require('supported-module');
       assert.strictEqual(pluginLoader['_plugins'].length, 2);
+      require('random-module');
+      assert.strictEqual(pluginLoader['_plugins'].length, 2);
+      require('http');
+      assert.strictEqual(pluginLoader['_plugins'].length, 3);
     });
 
     it('should construct an instance with default attributes', () => {