diff --git a/chrony.texi.in b/chrony.texi.in
index 22e111c..858920d 100644
--- a/chrony.texi.in
+++ b/chrony.texi.in
@@ -2912,7 +2912,7 @@ If the user knows that round trip delays above a certain level should
 cause the measurement to be ignored, this level can be defined with the
 maxdelay command.  For example, @code{maxdelay 0.3} would indicate that
 measurements with a round-trip delay of 0.3 seconds or more should be
-ignored.
+ignored.  The default value is 3 seconds.
 
 @item maxdelayratio
 This option is similar to the maxdelay option above.  @code{chronyd}
diff --git a/srcparams.h b/srcparams.h
index fefdcc2..826b78d 100644
--- a/srcparams.h
+++ b/srcparams.h
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ typedef struct {
 #define SRC_DEFAULT_MINPOLL 6
 #define SRC_DEFAULT_MAXPOLL 10
 #define SRC_DEFAULT_PRESEND_MINPOLL 0
-#define SRC_DEFAULT_MAXDELAY 16.0
+#define SRC_DEFAULT_MAXDELAY 3.0
 #define SRC_DEFAULT_MAXDELAYRATIO 0.0
 #define SRC_DEFAULT_MAXDELAYDEVRATIO 10.0
 #define SRC_DEFAULT_MINSTRATUM 0
diff --git a/test/simulation/114-presend b/test/simulation/114-presend
index 4abcae9..e9fe66e 100755
--- a/test/simulation/114-presend
+++ b/test/simulation/114-presend
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ test_start "presend option"
 
 min_sync_time=140
 max_sync_time=260
-client_server_options="presend 6"
+client_server_options="presend 6 maxdelay 16"
 
 run_test || test_fail
 check_chronyd_exit || test_fail