diff --git a/packages/vitest/src/constants.ts b/packages/vitest/src/constants.ts
index 0de9c876a2e6..71437653e236 100644
--- a/packages/vitest/src/constants.ts
+++ b/packages/vitest/src/constants.ts
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ export const configDefaults: UserConfig = Object.freeze({
   watchIgnore: [/\/node_modules\//, /\/dist\//],
   update: false,
   run: !!process.env.CI,
-  watch: false,
+  watch: !process.env.CI,
   reporters: 'default',
   silent: false,
   api: false,
diff --git a/packages/vitest/src/node/cli.ts b/packages/vitest/src/node/cli.ts
index da2da4b803ee..e9b7de56708c 100644
--- a/packages/vitest/src/node/cli.ts
+++ b/packages/vitest/src/node/cli.ts
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ cli
 
 cli
   .command('run [...filters]')
-  .action(runInRunMode)
+  .action((cliFilters: string[], argv: UserConfig) => run(cliFilters, { ...argv, run: true, watch: false }))
 
 cli
   .command('related [...filters]')
@@ -55,10 +55,6 @@ cli
 
 cli.parse()
 
-async function runInRunMode(cliFilters: string[], argv: UserConfig) {
-  await run(cliFilters, { ...argv, run: true })
-}
-
 async function runRelated(relatedFiles: string[] | string, argv: UserConfig) {
   argv.related = relatedFiles
   argv.passWithNoTests ??= true
diff --git a/packages/vitest/src/node/plugins/index.ts b/packages/vitest/src/node/plugins/index.ts
index 8c4c2a3654f7..b9ef3402ce06 100644
--- a/packages/vitest/src/node/plugins/index.ts
+++ b/packages/vitest/src/node/plugins/index.ts
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ export async function VitestPlugin(options: UserConfig = {}, ctx = new Vitest())
           options,
         )
         options.api = resolveApiConfig(options)
-        options.watch = !options.run
+        options.watch &&= !options.run
       },
       async configureServer(server) {
         if (haveStarted)