diff --git a/packages/babel-template/src/options.js b/packages/babel-template/src/options.js
index 07230cf1cf0b..b1c6f38a6e86 100644
--- a/packages/babel-template/src/options.js
+++ b/packages/babel-template/src/options.js
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ export function validate(opts: mixed): TemplateOpts {
     placeholderWhitelist: placeholderWhitelist || undefined,
     placeholderPattern:
       placeholderPattern == null ? undefined : placeholderPattern,
-    preserveComments: preserveComments == null ? false : preserveComments,
+    preserveComments: preserveComments == null ? undefined : preserveComments,
     syntacticPlaceholders:
       syntacticPlaceholders == null ? undefined : syntacticPlaceholders,
   };
diff --git a/packages/babel-template/test/index.js b/packages/babel-template/test/index.js
index a90db40540e4..65fc3d4080c3 100644
--- a/packages/babel-template/test/index.js
+++ b/packages/babel-template/test/index.js
@@ -28,6 +28,18 @@ describe("@babel/template", function() {
     expect(generator(output).code).toBe(comments);
   });
 
+  it("should preserve comments with a flag", function() {
+    const output = template(comments, { preserveComments: true })();
+    expect(generator(output).code).toBe(comments);
+  });
+
+  it("should preserve comments with a flag when using .ast", function() {
+    const output1 = template.ast(comments, { preserveComments: true });
+    const output2 = template({ preserveComments: true }).ast(comments);
+    expect(generator(output1).code).toBe(comments);
+    expect(generator(output2).code).toBe(comments);
+  });
+
   describe("string-based", () => {
     it("should handle replacing values from an object", () => {
       const value = t.stringLiteral("some string value");
@@ -219,7 +231,7 @@ describe("@babel/template", function() {
     });
   });
 
-  describe.only(".syntacticPlaceholders", () => {
+  describe(".syntacticPlaceholders", () => {
     it("works in function body", () => {
       const output = template(`function f() %%A%%`)({
         A: t.blockStatement([]),