diff --git a/preferences.xml b/preferences.xml
index 190aa5b90..7c6bd19f6 100644
--- a/preferences.xml
+++ b/preferences.xml
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ Started September 2000 by David Megginson, david@megginson.com
     <cone-height type="float">30.0</cone-height>
    </precipitation>
    <lightning-enable type="bool" userarchive="y">false</lightning-enable>
-   <specular-highlight type="bool" userarchive="y"></specular-highlight>
+   <specular-highlight type="bool" userarchive="y">false</specular-highlight>
    <bump-mapping type="bool" userarchive="y">false</bump-mapping>
    <clouds3d-enable type="bool" userarchive="y">false</clouds3d-enable>
    <clouds3d-vis-range type="float" userarchive="y">25000</clouds3d-vis-range>