diff --git a/doc/api/util.md b/doc/api/util.md
index 655f76b7ce2e8b..b7801929fa5f5e 100644
--- a/doc/api/util.md
+++ b/doc/api/util.md
@@ -1025,7 +1025,12 @@ equality.
 <!-- YAML
 added: v18.3.0
 changes:
-  - version: v18.7.0
+  - version: REPLACEME
+    pr-url: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/44631
+    description: Add support for default values in input `config`.
+  - version:
+    - v18.7.0
+    - v16.17.0
     pr-url: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/43459
     description: add support for returning detailed parse information
                  using `tokens` in input `config` and returned properties.
@@ -1045,6 +1050,9 @@ changes:
       times. If `true`, all values will be collected in an array. If
       `false`, values for the option are last-wins. **Default:** `false`.
     * `short` {string} A single character alias for the option.
+    * `default` {string | boolean | string\[] | boolean\[]} The default option
+      value when it is not set by args. It must be of the same type as the
+      the `type` property. When `multiple` is `true`, it must be an array.
   * `strict` {boolean} Should an error be thrown when unknown arguments
     are encountered, or when arguments are passed that do not match the
     `type` configured in `options`.
diff --git a/lib/internal/util/parse_args/parse_args.js b/lib/internal/util/parse_args/parse_args.js
index 05f4c6cffbdbd7..afe50ea02728e6 100644
--- a/lib/internal/util/parse_args/parse_args.js
+++ b/lib/internal/util/parse_args/parse_args.js
@@ -20,8 +20,10 @@ const {
 const {
   validateArray,
   validateBoolean,
+  validateBooleanArray,
   validateObject,
   validateString,
+  validateStringArray,
   validateUnion,
 } = require('internal/validators');
 
@@ -34,6 +36,7 @@ const {
   isOptionLikeValue,
   isShortOptionAndValue,
   isShortOptionGroup,
+  useDefaultValueOption,
   objectGetOwn,
   optionsGetOwn,
 } = require('internal/util/parse_args/utils');
@@ -143,6 +146,24 @@ function storeOption(longOption, optionValue, options, values) {
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Store the default option value in `values`.
+ *
+ * @param {string} longOption - long option name e.g. 'foo'
+ * @param {string
+ *         | boolean
+ *         | string[]
+ *         | boolean[]} optionValue - default value from option config
+ * @param {object} values - option values returned in `values` by parseArgs
+ */
+function storeDefaultOption(longOption, optionValue, values) {
+  if (longOption === '__proto__') {
+    return; // No. Just no.
+  }
+
+  values[longOption] = optionValue;
+}
+
 /**
  * Process args and turn into identified tokens:
  * - option (along with value, if any)
@@ -290,7 +311,8 @@ const parseArgs = (config = kEmptyObject) => {
       validateObject(optionConfig, `options.${longOption}`);
 
       // type is required
-      validateUnion(objectGetOwn(optionConfig, 'type'), `options.${longOption}.type`, ['string', 'boolean']);
+      const optionType = objectGetOwn(optionConfig, 'type');
+      validateUnion(optionType, `options.${longOption}.type`, ['string', 'boolean']);
 
       if (ObjectHasOwn(optionConfig, 'short')) {
         const shortOption = optionConfig.short;
@@ -304,8 +326,24 @@ const parseArgs = (config = kEmptyObject) => {
         }
       }
 
+      const multipleOption = objectGetOwn(optionConfig, 'multiple');
       if (ObjectHasOwn(optionConfig, 'multiple')) {
-        validateBoolean(optionConfig.multiple, `options.${longOption}.multiple`);
+        validateBoolean(multipleOption, `options.${longOption}.multiple`);
+      }
+
+      const defaultValue = objectGetOwn(optionConfig, 'default');
+      if (defaultValue !== undefined) {
+        let validator;
+        switch (optionType) {
+          case 'string':
+            validator = multipleOption ? validateStringArray : validateString;
+            break;
+
+          case 'boolean':
+            validator = multipleOption ? validateBooleanArray : validateBoolean;
+            break;
+        }
+        validator(defaultValue, `options.${longOption}.default`);
       }
     }
   );
@@ -336,6 +374,20 @@ const parseArgs = (config = kEmptyObject) => {
     }
   });
 
+  // Phase 3: fill in default values for missing args
+  ArrayPrototypeForEach(ObjectEntries(options), ({ 0: longOption,
+                                                   1: optionConfig }) => {
+    const mustSetDefault = useDefaultValueOption(longOption,
+                                                 optionConfig,
+                                                 result.values);
+    if (mustSetDefault) {
+      storeDefaultOption(longOption,
+                         objectGetOwn(optionConfig, 'default'),
+                         result.values);
+    }
+  });
+
+
   return result;
 };
 
diff --git a/lib/internal/util/parse_args/utils.js b/lib/internal/util/parse_args/utils.js
index 906aa1b21a7a95..2e9863b54d62aa 100644
--- a/lib/internal/util/parse_args/utils.js
+++ b/lib/internal/util/parse_args/utils.js
@@ -170,6 +170,19 @@ function findLongOptionForShort(shortOption, options) {
   return longOptionEntry?.[0] ?? shortOption;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Check if the given option includes a default value
+ * and that option has not been set by the input args.
+ *
+ * @param {string} longOption - long option name e.g. 'foo'
+ * @param {object} optionConfig - the option configuration properties
+ * @param {object} values - option values returned in `values` by parseArgs
+ */
+function useDefaultValueOption(longOption, optionConfig, values) {
+  return objectGetOwn(optionConfig, 'default') !== undefined &&
+    values[longOption] === undefined;
+}
+
 module.exports = {
   findLongOptionForShort,
   isLoneLongOption,
@@ -179,6 +192,7 @@ module.exports = {
   isOptionLikeValue,
   isShortOptionAndValue,
   isShortOptionGroup,
+  useDefaultValueOption,
   objectGetOwn,
   optionsGetOwn,
 };
diff --git a/lib/internal/validators.js b/lib/internal/validators.js
index 4ed1e1115a9448..8fb3eed9646042 100644
--- a/lib/internal/validators.js
+++ b/lib/internal/validators.js
@@ -276,6 +276,36 @@ const validateArray = hideStackFrames((value, name, minLength = 0) => {
   }
 });
 
+/**
+ * @callback validateStringArray
+ * @param {*} value
+ * @param {string} name
+ * @returns {asserts value is string[]}
+ */
+
+/** @type {validateStringArray} */
+function validateStringArray(value, name) {
+  validateArray(value, name);
+  for (let i = 0; i < value.length; i++) {
+    validateString(value[i], `${name}[${i}]`);
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * @callback validateBooleanArray
+ * @param {*} value
+ * @param {string} name
+ * @returns {asserts value is boolean[]}
+ */
+
+/** @type {validateBooleanArray} */
+function validateBooleanArray(value, name) {
+  validateArray(value, name);
+  for (let i = 0; i < value.length; i++) {
+    validateBoolean(value[i], `${name}[${i}]`);
+  }
+}
+
 // eslint-disable-next-line jsdoc/require-returns-check
 /**
  * @param {*} signal
@@ -471,6 +501,8 @@ module.exports = {
   isUint32,
   parseFileMode,
   validateArray,
+  validateStringArray,
+  validateBooleanArray,
   validateBoolean,
   validateBuffer,
   validateEncoding,
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-parse-args.mjs b/test/parallel/test-parse-args.mjs
index 98cf9403743a41..ae39869cd36101 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-parse-args.mjs
+++ b/test/parallel/test-parse-args.mjs
@@ -823,3 +823,172 @@ test('tokens: strict:false with -- --', () => {
   const { tokens } = parseArgs({ strict: false, args, tokens: true });
   assert.deepStrictEqual(tokens, expectedTokens);
 });
+
+test('default must be a boolean when option type is boolean', () => {
+  const args = [];
+  const options = { alpha: { type: 'boolean', default: 'not a boolean' } };
+  assert.throws(() => {
+    parseArgs({ args, options });
+  }, /"options\.alpha\.default" property must be of type boolean/
+  );
+});
+
+test('default must accept undefined value', () => {
+  const args = [];
+  const options = { alpha: { type: 'boolean', default: undefined } };
+  const result = parseArgs({ args, options });
+  const expected = {
+    values: {
+      __proto__: null,
+    },
+    positionals: []
+  };
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(result, expected);
+});
+
+test('default must be a boolean array when option type is boolean and multiple', () => {
+  const args = [];
+  const options = { alpha: { type: 'boolean', multiple: true, default: 'not an array' } };
+  assert.throws(() => {
+    parseArgs({ args, options });
+  }, /"options\.alpha\.default" property must be an instance of Array/
+  );
+});
+
+test('default must be a boolean array when option type is string and multiple is true', () => {
+  const args = [];
+  const options = { alpha: { type: 'boolean', multiple: true, default: [true, true, 42] } };
+  assert.throws(() => {
+    parseArgs({ args, options });
+  }, /"options\.alpha\.default\[2\]" property must be of type boolean/
+  );
+});
+
+test('default must be a string when option type is string', () => {
+  const args = [];
+  const options = { alpha: { type: 'string', default: true } };
+  assert.throws(() => {
+    parseArgs({ args, options });
+  }, /"options\.alpha\.default" property must be of type string/
+  );
+});
+
+test('default must be an array when option type is string and multiple is true', () => {
+  const args = [];
+  const options = { alpha: { type: 'string', multiple: true, default: 'not an array' } };
+  assert.throws(() => {
+    parseArgs({ args, options });
+  }, /"options\.alpha\.default" property must be an instance of Array/
+  );
+});
+
+test('default must be a string array when option type is string and multiple is true', () => {
+  const args = [];
+  const options = { alpha: { type: 'string', multiple: true, default: ['str', 42] } };
+  assert.throws(() => {
+    parseArgs({ args, options });
+  }, /"options\.alpha\.default\[1\]" property must be of type string/
+  );
+});
+
+test('default accepted input when multiple is true', () => {
+  const args = ['--inputStringArr', 'c', '--inputStringArr', 'd', '--inputBoolArr', '--inputBoolArr'];
+  const options = {
+    inputStringArr: { type: 'string', multiple: true, default: ['a', 'b'] },
+    emptyStringArr: { type: 'string', multiple: true, default: [] },
+    fullStringArr: { type: 'string', multiple: true, default: ['a', 'b'] },
+    inputBoolArr: { type: 'boolean', multiple: true, default: [false, true, false] },
+    emptyBoolArr: { type: 'boolean', multiple: true, default: [] },
+    fullBoolArr: { type: 'boolean', multiple: true, default: [false, true, false] },
+  };
+  const expected = { values: { __proto__: null,
+                               inputStringArr: ['c', 'd'],
+                               inputBoolArr: [true, true],
+                               emptyStringArr: [],
+                               fullStringArr: ['a', 'b'],
+                               emptyBoolArr: [],
+                               fullBoolArr: [false, true, false] },
+                     positionals: [] };
+  const result = parseArgs({ args, options });
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(result, expected);
+});
+
+test('when default is set, the option must be added as result', () => {
+  const args = [];
+  const options = {
+    a: { type: 'string', default: 'HELLO' },
+    b: { type: 'boolean', default: false },
+    c: { type: 'boolean', default: true }
+  };
+  const expected = { values: { __proto__: null, a: 'HELLO', b: false, c: true }, positionals: [] };
+
+  const result = parseArgs({ args, options });
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(result, expected);
+});
+
+test('when default is set, the args value takes precedence', () => {
+  const args = ['--a', 'WORLD', '--b', '-c'];
+  const options = {
+    a: { type: 'string', default: 'HELLO' },
+    b: { type: 'boolean', default: false },
+    c: { type: 'boolean', default: true }
+  };
+  const expected = { values: { __proto__: null, a: 'WORLD', b: true, c: true }, positionals: [] };
+
+  const result = parseArgs({ args, options });
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(result, expected);
+});
+
+test('tokens should not include the default options', () => {
+  const args = [];
+  const options = {
+    a: { type: 'string', default: 'HELLO' },
+    b: { type: 'boolean', default: false },
+    c: { type: 'boolean', default: true }
+  };
+
+  const expectedTokens = [];
+
+  const { tokens } = parseArgs({ args, options, tokens: true });
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(tokens, expectedTokens);
+});
+
+test('tokens:true should not include the default options after the args input', () => {
+  const args = ['--z', 'zero', 'positional-item'];
+  const options = {
+    z: { type: 'string' },
+    a: { type: 'string', default: 'HELLO' },
+    b: { type: 'boolean', default: false },
+    c: { type: 'boolean', default: true }
+  };
+
+  const expectedTokens = [
+    { kind: 'option', name: 'z', rawName: '--z', index: 0, value: 'zero', inlineValue: false },
+    { kind: 'positional', index: 2, value: 'positional-item' },
+  ];
+
+  const { tokens } = parseArgs({ args, options, tokens: true, allowPositionals: true });
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(tokens, expectedTokens);
+});
+
+test('proto as default value must be ignored', () => {
+  const args = [];
+  const options = Object.create(null);
+
+  // eslint-disable-next-line no-proto
+  options.__proto__ = { type: 'string', default: 'HELLO' };
+
+  const result = parseArgs({ args, options, allowPositionals: true });
+  const expected = { values: { __proto__: null }, positionals: [] };
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(result, expected);
+});
+
+
+test('multiple as false should expect a String', () => {
+  const args = [];
+  const options = { alpha: { type: 'string', multiple: false, default: ['array'] } };
+  assert.throws(() => {
+    parseArgs({ args, options });
+  }, /"options\.alpha\.default" property must be of type string/
+  );
+});