diff --git a/core/java/android/content/SyncStorageEngine.java b/core/java/android/content/SyncStorageEngine.java
index 226e107fbd34c..7a9fc65e4099e 100644
--- a/core/java/android/content/SyncStorageEngine.java
+++ b/core/java/android/content/SyncStorageEngine.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import org.xmlpull.v1.XmlSerializer;
 
 import android.accounts.Account;
 import android.accounts.AccountAndUser;
+import android.content.res.Resources;
 import android.database.Cursor;
 import android.database.sqlite.SQLiteDatabase;
 import android.database.sqlite.SQLiteException;
@@ -337,6 +338,7 @@ public class SyncStorageEngine extends Handler {
 
     private int mNextHistoryId = 0;
     private SparseArray<Boolean> mMasterSyncAutomatically = new SparseArray<Boolean>();
+    private boolean mDefaultMasterSyncAutomatically;
 
     private OnSyncRequestListener mSyncRequestListener;
 
@@ -346,6 +348,9 @@ public class SyncStorageEngine extends Handler {
 
         mCal = Calendar.getInstance(TimeZone.getTimeZone("GMT+0"));
 
+        mDefaultMasterSyncAutomatically = mContext.getResources().getBoolean(
+               com.android.internal.R.bool.config_syncstorageengine_masterSyncAutomatically);
+
         File systemDir = new File(dataDir, "system");
         File syncDir = new File(systemDir, "sync");
         syncDir.mkdirs();
@@ -781,7 +786,7 @@ public class SyncStorageEngine extends Handler {
     public boolean getMasterSyncAutomatically(int userId) {
         synchronized (mAuthorities) {
             Boolean auto = mMasterSyncAutomatically.get(userId);
-            return auto == null ? true : auto;
+            return auto == null ? mDefaultMasterSyncAutomatically : auto;
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/core/res/res/values/config.xml b/core/res/res/values/config.xml
index a2e15e6bd9878..4d54fd25fb6ac 100755
--- a/core/res/res/values/config.xml
+++ b/core/res/res/values/config.xml
@@ -868,4 +868,7 @@
 
     <!-- Set to true to add links to Cell Broadcast app from Settings and MMS app. -->
     <bool name="config_cellBroadcastAppLinks">false</bool>
+
+    <!-- The default value if the SyncStorageEngine should sync automatically or not -->
+    <bool name="config_syncstorageengine_masterSyncAutomatically">true</bool>
 </resources>
diff --git a/core/res/res/values/public.xml b/core/res/res/values/public.xml
index 40768a05a3490..6334f8838751f 100644
--- a/core/res/res/values/public.xml
+++ b/core/res/res/values/public.xml
@@ -253,6 +253,7 @@
   <java-symbol type="bool" name="config_sms_capable" />
   <java-symbol type="bool" name="config_sms_utf8_support" />
   <java-symbol type="bool" name="config_swipeDisambiguation" />
+  <java-symbol type="bool" name="config_syncstorageengine_masterSyncAutomatically" />
   <java-symbol type="bool" name="config_telephony_use_own_number_for_voicemail" />
   <java-symbol type="bool" name="config_ui_enableFadingMarquee" />
   <java-symbol type="bool" name="config_use_strict_phone_number_comparation" />