diff --git a/changelog.d/268.added.md b/changelog.d/268.added.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..278c3705
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/268.added.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Add the option for mirrord to be enabled by default on startup in settings
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/modules/core/src/main/kotlin/com/metalbear/mirrord/MirrordEnabler.kt b/modules/core/src/main/kotlin/com/metalbear/mirrord/MirrordEnabler.kt
index 2568ca74..ff0b1e56 100644
--- a/modules/core/src/main/kotlin/com/metalbear/mirrord/MirrordEnabler.kt
+++ b/modules/core/src/main/kotlin/com/metalbear/mirrord/MirrordEnabler.kt
@@ -1,13 +1,17 @@
 package com.metalbear.mirrord
 
+import com.intellij.ide.ActivityTracker
 import com.intellij.openapi.actionSystem.ActionUpdateThread
 import com.intellij.openapi.actionSystem.AnActionEvent
 import com.intellij.openapi.actionSystem.ToggleAction
 import com.intellij.openapi.components.service
 import com.intellij.openapi.project.DumbAware
+import com.intellij.openapi.project.Project
+import com.intellij.openapi.startup.StartupActivity
+import com.metalbear.mirrord.MirrordSettingsState.Companion.instance
 import icons.MirrordIcons
 
-class MirrordEnabler : ToggleAction(), DumbAware {
+class MirrordEnabler : ToggleAction(), DumbAware, StartupActivity, StartupActivity.DumbAware {
     override fun getActionUpdateThread(): ActionUpdateThread = ActionUpdateThread.BGT
 
     override fun isSelected(e: AnActionEvent): Boolean {
@@ -23,7 +27,16 @@ class MirrordEnabler : ToggleAction(), DumbAware {
     override fun update(e: AnActionEvent) {
         e.presentation.isVisible = true
         e.presentation.isEnabled = e.project != null
+        val state = e.project?.service<MirrordProjectService>()?.enabled ?: false
+        e.presentation.icon = if (state) MirrordIcons.enabled else MirrordIcons.disabled
 
         super.update(e)
     }
+
+    override fun runActivity(project: Project) {
+        if (instance.mirrordState.enabledByDefault) {
+            project.service<MirrordProjectService>().enabled = true
+            ActivityTracker.getInstance().inc()
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/modules/core/src/main/kotlin/com/metalbear/mirrord/MirrordSettingsComponent.kt b/modules/core/src/main/kotlin/com/metalbear/mirrord/MirrordSettingsComponent.kt
index cf79733f..09c04ea5 100644
--- a/modules/core/src/main/kotlin/com/metalbear/mirrord/MirrordSettingsComponent.kt
+++ b/modules/core/src/main/kotlin/com/metalbear/mirrord/MirrordSettingsComponent.kt
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ class MirrordSettingsComponent {
         .associateWith { JBCheckBox(it.presentableName) }
 
     private val usageBannerEnabled = JBCheckBox("Show usage banner on startup")
+    private val enabledOnStartup = JBCheckBox("Enable mirrord on startup")
 
     private val mirrordVersionLabel = JBLabel("mirrord binary version:")
     private val mirrordVersion = with(JBTextField("", 10)) {
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ class MirrordSettingsComponent {
     val panel: JPanel = FormBuilder
         .createFormBuilder()
         .addComponent(usageBannerEnabled)
+        .addComponent(enabledOnStartup)
         .addComponent(versionCheckEnabled)
         .addSeparator()
         .addComponent(autoUpdatePanel)
@@ -64,6 +66,12 @@ class MirrordSettingsComponent {
             usageBannerEnabled.isSelected = value
         }
 
+    var enabledOnStartupStatus: Boolean
+        get() = enabledOnStartup.isSelected
+        set(value) {
+            enabledOnStartup.isSelected = value
+        }
+
     var versionCheckEnabledStatus: Boolean
         get() = versionCheckEnabled.isSelected
         set(newStatus) {
diff --git a/modules/core/src/main/kotlin/com/metalbear/mirrord/MirrordSettingsConfigurable.kt b/modules/core/src/main/kotlin/com/metalbear/mirrord/MirrordSettingsConfigurable.kt
index 05bcb0c3..2264d08f 100644
--- a/modules/core/src/main/kotlin/com/metalbear/mirrord/MirrordSettingsConfigurable.kt
+++ b/modules/core/src/main/kotlin/com/metalbear/mirrord/MirrordSettingsConfigurable.kt
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ class MirrordSettingsConfigurable : Configurable {
                 (notificationsDisabledStatus != settings.disabledNotifications) ||
                 (usageBannerEnabledStatus != settings.showUsageBanner) ||
                 (autoUpdateEnabledStatus != settings.autoUpdate) ||
-                (mirrordVersionStatus != settings.mirrordVersion)
+                (mirrordVersionStatus != settings.mirrordVersion) ||
+                (enabledOnStartupStatus != settings.enabledByDefault)
         }
     }
 
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ class MirrordSettingsConfigurable : Configurable {
             settings.showUsageBanner = usageBannerEnabledStatus
             settings.autoUpdate = autoUpdateEnabledStatus
             settings.mirrordVersion = mirrordVersionStatus
+            settings.enabledByDefault = enabledOnStartupStatus
         }
     }
 
@@ -42,6 +44,7 @@ class MirrordSettingsConfigurable : Configurable {
             mirrordVersionStatus = settings.mirrordVersion
             notificationsDisabledStatus = settings.disabledNotifications.orEmpty()
             usageBannerEnabledStatus = settings.showUsageBanner
+            enabledOnStartupStatus = settings.enabledByDefault
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/modules/core/src/main/kotlin/com/metalbear/mirrord/MirrordSettingsState.kt b/modules/core/src/main/kotlin/com/metalbear/mirrord/MirrordSettingsState.kt
index 632d59f4..ab928d6b 100644
--- a/modules/core/src/main/kotlin/com/metalbear/mirrord/MirrordSettingsState.kt
+++ b/modules/core/src/main/kotlin/com/metalbear/mirrord/MirrordSettingsState.kt
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ open class MirrordSettingsState : PersistentStateComponent<MirrordSettingsState.
         var showUsageBanner: Boolean = true
         var runsCounter: Int = 0
         var operatorUsed: Boolean = false
+        var enabledByDefault: Boolean = false
 
         fun disableNotification(id: NotificationId) {
             disabledNotifications = disabledNotifications.orEmpty() + id
diff --git a/src/main/resources/META-INF/plugin.xml b/src/main/resources/META-INF/plugin.xml
index 04e32e57..20ac316e 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/META-INF/plugin.xml
+++ b/src/main/resources/META-INF/plugin.xml
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
         <fileBasedIndex implementation="com.metalbear.mirrord.MirrordConfigIndex"/>
 
         <postStartupActivity implementation="com.metalbear.mirrord.MirrordUsageBanner"/>
+        <postStartupActivity implementation="com.metalbear.mirrord.MirrordEnabler"/>
         <backgroundPostStartupActivity implementation="com.metalbear.mirrord.MirrordBinaryManager$DownloadInitializer"/>
     </extensions>