diff --git a/src/main/java/com/zaxxer/hikari/HikariConfig.java b/src/main/java/com/zaxxer/hikari/HikariConfig.java
index c902c3301..3af5f1a2e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/zaxxer/hikari/HikariConfig.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/zaxxer/hikari/HikariConfig.java
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ public HikariConfig()
       healthCheckProperties = new Properties();
 
       minIdle = -1;
-      maxPoolSize = -1;
+      maxPoolSize = DEFAULT_POOL_SIZE;
       maxLifetime = MAX_LIFETIME;
       connectionTimeout = CONNECTION_TIMEOUT;
       validationTimeout = VALIDATION_TIMEOUT;
@@ -1127,10 +1127,6 @@ private void validateNumerics()
          validationTimeout = VALIDATION_TIMEOUT;
       }
 
-      if (maxPoolSize < 1) {
-         maxPoolSize = DEFAULT_POOL_SIZE;
-      }
-
       if (minIdle < 0 || minIdle > maxPoolSize) {
          minIdle = maxPoolSize;
       }