diff --git a/cluster-autoscaler/main.go b/cluster-autoscaler/main.go
index f483dfc923..392ec97f33 100644
--- a/cluster-autoscaler/main.go
+++ b/cluster-autoscaler/main.go
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ var (
 	maxAutoprovisionedNodeGroupCount = flag.Int("max-autoprovisioned-node-group-count", 15, "The maximum number of autoprovisioned groups in the cluster.")
 
 	unremovableNodeRecheckTimeout = flag.Duration("unremovable-node-recheck-timeout", 5*time.Minute, "The timeout before we check again a node that couldn't be removed before")
-	expendablePodsPriorityCutoff  = flag.Int("expendable-pods-priority-cutoff", 0, "Pods with priority below cutoff will be expendable. They can be killed without any consideration during scale down and they don't cause scale up. Pods with null priority (PodPriority disabled) are non expendable.")
+	expendablePodsPriorityCutoff  = flag.Int("expendable-pods-priority-cutoff", -10, "Pods with priority below cutoff will be expendable. They can be killed without any consideration during scale down and they don't cause scale up. Pods with null priority (PodPriority disabled) are non expendable.")
 	regional                      = flag.Bool("regional", false, "Cluster is regional.")
 )