diff --git a/packages/core/src/change_detection/flags.ts b/packages/core/src/change_detection/flags.ts
index 0c816a7573be3..85ed449034616 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/change_detection/flags.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/change_detection/flags.ts
@@ -6,8 +6,9 @@
  * found in the LICENSE file at https://angular.io/license
  */
 
-// TODO(atscott): flip default internally ASAP and externally for v18 (#52928)
-let _ensureDirtyViewsAreAlwaysReachable = false;
+// TODO(atscott): Remove prior to v18 release. Keeping this around in case anyone internally needs
+// to opt out temporarily.
+let _ensureDirtyViewsAreAlwaysReachable = true;
 
 export function getEnsureDirtyViewsAreAlwaysReachable() {
   return _ensureDirtyViewsAreAlwaysReachable;
diff --git a/packages/core/test/acceptance/change_detection_spec.ts b/packages/core/test/acceptance/change_detection_spec.ts
index 16ba8f3aaca94..176a1fa14fe52 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/acceptance/change_detection_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/acceptance/change_detection_spec.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 
 
 import {CommonModule} from '@angular/common';
-import {ApplicationRef, ChangeDetectionStrategy, ChangeDetectorRef, Component, ComponentRef, Directive, DoCheck, EmbeddedViewRef, ErrorHandler, EventEmitter, inject, Input, NgModule, OnInit, Output, QueryList, TemplateRef, Type, ViewChild, ViewChildren, ViewContainerRef, ɵgetEnsureDirtyViewsAreAlwaysReachable, ɵsetEnsureDirtyViewsAreAlwaysReachable} from '@angular/core';
+import {ApplicationRef, ChangeDetectionStrategy, ChangeDetectorRef, Component, ComponentRef, Directive, DoCheck, EmbeddedViewRef, ErrorHandler, EventEmitter, inject, Input, NgModule, OnInit, Output, QueryList, TemplateRef, Type, ViewChild, ViewChildren, ViewContainerRef} from '@angular/core';
 import {ComponentFixture, fakeAsync, TestBed, tick} from '@angular/core/testing';
 import {expect} from '@angular/platform-browser/testing/src/matchers';
 import {BehaviorSubject} from 'rxjs';
@@ -184,8 +184,6 @@ describe('change detection', () => {
 
   describe('markForCheck', () => {
     it('should mark OnPush ancestor of dynamically created component views as dirty', () => {
-      const previous = ɵgetEnsureDirtyViewsAreAlwaysReachable();
-      ɵsetEnsureDirtyViewsAreAlwaysReachable(true);
       @Component({
         selector: `test-cmpt`,
         template: `{{counter}}|<ng-template #vc></ng-template>`,
@@ -245,7 +243,6 @@ describe('change detection', () => {
       dynamicCmptRef.changeDetectorRef.reattach();
       fixture.detectChanges(false);
       expect(fixture.nativeElement).toHaveText('1|dynamic|updatedBinding');
-      ɵsetEnsureDirtyViewsAreAlwaysReachable(previous);
     });
 
     it('should support re-enterant change detection', () => {
diff --git a/packages/core/test/linker/change_detection_integration_spec.ts b/packages/core/test/linker/change_detection_integration_spec.ts
index 590d1865320a5..805399e073e92 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/linker/change_detection_integration_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/linker/change_detection_integration_spec.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
  */
 
 import {ResourceLoader} from '@angular/compiler';
-import {AfterContentChecked, AfterContentInit, AfterViewChecked, AfterViewInit, ChangeDetectionStrategy, ChangeDetectorRef, Component, ContentChild, DebugElement, Directive, DoCheck, EventEmitter, HostBinding, Injectable, Input, OnChanges, OnDestroy, OnInit, Output, Pipe, PipeTransform, Provider, RendererFactory2, RendererType2, SimpleChange, SimpleChanges, TemplateRef, Type, ViewChild, ViewContainerRef, ɵgetEnsureDirtyViewsAreAlwaysReachable, ɵsetEnsureDirtyViewsAreAlwaysReachable} from '@angular/core';
+import {AfterContentChecked, AfterContentInit, AfterViewChecked, AfterViewInit, ChangeDetectionStrategy, ChangeDetectorRef, Component, ContentChild, DebugElement, Directive, DoCheck, EventEmitter, HostBinding, Injectable, Input, OnChanges, OnDestroy, OnInit, Output, Pipe, PipeTransform, Provider, RendererFactory2, RendererType2, SimpleChange, SimpleChanges, TemplateRef, Type, ViewChild, ViewContainerRef} from '@angular/core';
 import {ComponentFixture, fakeAsync, TestBed} from '@angular/core/testing';
 import {By} from '@angular/platform-browser/src/dom/debug/by';
 import {isTextNode} from '@angular/platform-browser/testing/src/browser_util';
@@ -1136,13 +1136,10 @@ describe(`ChangeDetection`, () => {
        }));
 
     it('should allow view to be created in a cd hook', () => {
-      const previous = ɵgetEnsureDirtyViewsAreAlwaysReachable();
-      ɵsetEnsureDirtyViewsAreAlwaysReachable(true);
       const ctx = createCompFixture('<div *gh9882>{{ a }}</div>', TestData);
       ctx.componentInstance.a = 1;
       ctx.detectChanges();
       expect(ctx.nativeElement.innerText).toEqual('1');
-      ɵsetEnsureDirtyViewsAreAlwaysReachable(previous);
     });
 
     it('should not throw when two arrays are structurally the same', fakeAsync(() => {