diff --git a/libavcodec/ac3enc.c b/libavcodec/ac3enc.c
index 669be23a0555100fb4909a4cf9423f615c5705ee..967c1bd8d3315cf4da83659e9d490e8018504e81 100644
--- a/libavcodec/ac3enc.c
+++ b/libavcodec/ac3enc.c
@@ -2141,6 +2141,17 @@ static av_cold int validate_options(AC3EncodeContext *s)
     s->bit_alloc.sr_code  = i % 3;
     s->bitstream_id       = s->eac3 ? 16 : 8 + s->bit_alloc.sr_shift;
 
+    /* select a default bit rate if not set by the user */
+    if (!avctx->bit_rate) {
+        switch (s->fbw_channels) {
+        case 1: avctx->bit_rate =  96000; break;
+        case 2: avctx->bit_rate = 192000; break;
+        case 3: avctx->bit_rate = 320000; break;
+        case 4: avctx->bit_rate = 384000; break;
+        case 5: avctx->bit_rate = 448000; break;
+        }
+    }
+
     /* validate bit rate */
     if (s->eac3) {
         int max_br, min_br, wpf, min_br_dist, min_br_code;
diff --git a/libavcodec/ac3enc_fixed.c b/libavcodec/ac3enc_fixed.c
index 202dfb8afdc1d0f66fba24f02677715397074e86..98838f300b91cfe9a31ade1d69e6703e6d935656 100644
--- a/libavcodec/ac3enc_fixed.c
+++ b/libavcodec/ac3enc_fixed.c
@@ -151,4 +151,5 @@ AVCodec ff_ac3_fixed_encoder = {
     .long_name = NULL_IF_CONFIG_SMALL("ATSC A/52A (AC-3)"),
     .priv_class = &ac3enc_class,
     .channel_layouts = ff_ac3_channel_layouts,
+    .defaults        = ac3_defaults,
 };
diff --git a/libavcodec/ac3enc_float.c b/libavcodec/ac3enc_float.c
index a4abd89d4da3df06054c67806b3e01dcbf7dd4e8..64b360f131b57f3195d2960d62043b4814284a5b 100644
--- a/libavcodec/ac3enc_float.c
+++ b/libavcodec/ac3enc_float.c
@@ -149,5 +149,6 @@ AVCodec ff_ac3_encoder = {
     .long_name = NULL_IF_CONFIG_SMALL("ATSC A/52A (AC-3)"),
     .priv_class = &ac3enc_class,
     .channel_layouts = ff_ac3_channel_layouts,
+    .defaults        = ac3_defaults,
 };
 #endif
diff --git a/libavcodec/ac3enc_opts_template.c b/libavcodec/ac3enc_opts_template.c
index a5f848e2001aaa7316c0fae708c8c93d09973d0f..fa8984476e6884708b373eeca2977801bd64d9bf 100644
--- a/libavcodec/ac3enc_opts_template.c
+++ b/libavcodec/ac3enc_opts_template.c
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
  */
 
 #include "libavutil/opt.h"
+#include "internal.h"
 #include "ac3.h"
 
 #if AC3ENC_TYPE == AC3ENC_TYPE_AC3_FIXED
@@ -78,3 +79,8 @@ static const AVOption eac3_options[] = {
     {"auto", "Selected by the Encoder", 0, AV_OPT_TYPE_CONST, {.dbl = AC3ENC_OPT_AUTO }, INT_MIN, INT_MAX, AC3ENC_PARAM, "cpl_start_band"},
 {NULL}
 };
+
+static const AVCodecDefault ac3_defaults[] = {
+    { "b",  "0" },
+    { NULL }
+};
diff --git a/libavcodec/eac3enc.c b/libavcodec/eac3enc.c
index f3b4418896a8f3f5f7faeabd1a406e5bc61c7309..459fb90ce649bfd6075bd7f0657fcef429545dfb 100644
--- a/libavcodec/eac3enc.c
+++ b/libavcodec/eac3enc.c
@@ -258,5 +258,6 @@ AVCodec ff_eac3_encoder = {
     .long_name       = NULL_IF_CONFIG_SMALL("ATSC A/52 E-AC-3"),
     .priv_class      = &eac3enc_class,
     .channel_layouts = ff_ac3_channel_layouts,
+    .defaults        = ac3_defaults,
 };
 #endif