diff --git a/runtime/defaults.vim b/runtime/defaults.vim
index 82f3358..38b03da 100644
--- a/runtime/defaults.vim
+++ b/runtime/defaults.vim
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 " The default vimrc file.
 "
 " Maintainer:	The Vim Project <https://github.com/vim/vim>
-" Last Change:	2024 Nov 14
+" Last Change:	2024 Dec 01
 " Former Maintainer:	Bram Moolenaar <Bram@vim.org>
 "
 " This is loaded if no vimrc file was found.
@@ -33,9 +33,6 @@
   set nocompatible
 silent! endwhile
 
-" Allow backspacing over everything in insert mode.
-set backspace=indent,eol,start
-
 set ruler		" show the cursor position all the time
 set showcmd		" display incomplete commands
 
diff --git a/runtime/doc/options.txt b/runtime/doc/options.txt
index 05c2d9d..764b4ab 100644
--- a/runtime/doc/options.txt
+++ b/runtime/doc/options.txt
@@ -1069,8 +1069,7 @@
 	done with ":syntax on".
 
 							*'backspace'* *'bs'*
-'backspace' 'bs'	string	(default "", set to "indent,eol,start"
-							    in |defaults.vim|)
+'backspace' 'bs'	string	(Vim default: "indent,eol,start", Vi default: "")
 			global
 	Influences the working of <BS>, <Del>, CTRL-W and CTRL-U in Insert
 	mode.  This is a list of items, separated by commas.  Each item allows
diff --git a/runtime/doc/version9.txt b/runtime/doc/version9.txt
index b9977a9..2aadcd3 100644
--- a/runtime/doc/version9.txt
+++ b/runtime/doc/version9.txt
@@ -41611,6 +41611,8 @@
 - 'rulerformat' now supports the |stl-%!| item
 - the default 'history' option value has been increased to 200 and removed
   from |defaults.vim|
+- the default 'backspace' option for Vim has been set to "indent,eol,start"
+  and removed from |defaults.vim|
 
 							*added-9.2*
 Added ~
diff --git a/src/optiondefs.h b/src/optiondefs.h
index ca085d4..2959232 100644
--- a/src/optiondefs.h
+++ b/src/optiondefs.h
@@ -414,9 +414,9 @@
 			    (char_u *)"light",
 #endif
 					    (char_u *)0L} SCTX_INIT},
-    {"backspace",   "bs",   P_STRING|P_VI_DEF|P_VIM|P_ONECOMMA|P_NODUP,
+    {"backspace",   "bs",   P_STRING|P_VIM|P_ONECOMMA|P_NODUP,
 			    (char_u *)&p_bs, PV_NONE, did_set_backspace, expand_set_backspace,
-			    {(char_u *)"", (char_u *)0L} SCTX_INIT},
+			    {(char_u *)"", (char_u *)"indent,eol,start"} SCTX_INIT},
     {"backup",	    "bk",   P_BOOL|P_VI_DEF|P_VIM,
 			    (char_u *)&p_bk, PV_NONE, NULL, NULL,
 			    {(char_u *)FALSE, (char_u *)0L} SCTX_INIT},
diff --git a/src/testdir/test_autocmd.vim b/src/testdir/test_autocmd.vim
index 531aa6b..d6f8ef4 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test_autocmd.vim
+++ b/src/testdir/test_autocmd.vim
@@ -1279,8 +1279,8 @@
   call assert_equal(g:opt[0], g:opt[1])
 
   " 14: Setting option backspace through :let"
-  let g:options = [['backspace', '', '', '', 'eol,indent,start', 'global', 'set']]
-  let &bs = "eol,indent,start"
+  let g:options = [['backspace', 'indent,eol,start', 'indent,eol,start', 'indent,eol,start', '', 'global', 'set']]
+  let &bs = ''
   call assert_equal([], g:options)
   call assert_equal(g:opt[0], g:opt[1])
 
diff --git a/src/testdir/test_digraph.vim b/src/testdir/test_digraph.vim
index 3312faf..16eb0b1 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test_digraph.vim
+++ b/src/testdir/test_digraph.vim
@@ -250,9 +250,12 @@
   call Put_Dig_BS("P","=")
   call assert_equal(['Р']+repeat(["₽"],2)+['П'], getline(line('.')-3,line('.')))
   " Not a digraph: this is different from <c-k>!
+  let _bs = &bs
+  set bs=
   call Put_Dig_BS("a","\<bs>")
   call Put_Dig_BS("\<bs>","a")
   call assert_equal(['','a'], getline(line('.')-1,line('.')))
+  let &bs = _bs
   " Grave
   call Put_Dig_BS("a","!")
   call Put_Dig_BS("!","e")
diff --git a/src/testdir/test_ins_complete.vim b/src/testdir/test_ins_complete.vim
index fd4c7cd..7829f79 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test_ins_complete.vim
+++ b/src/testdir/test_ins_complete.vim
@@ -1431,7 +1431,7 @@
   set completefunc=Tcomplete
   exe "normal! iup\<C-X>\<C-U>\<BS>\<BS>\<BS>\<BS>\<BS>"
   call assert_equal('up', getline(1))
-  call assert_equal(2, g:CallCount)
+  call assert_equal(6, g:CallCount)
   set completeopt&
   set completefunc&
   bw!
diff --git a/src/testdir/test_options.vim b/src/testdir/test_options.vim
index fa75204..cd66cdf 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test_options.vim
+++ b/src/testdir/test_options.vim
@@ -486,7 +486,7 @@
   " but don't exhaustively validate their results.
   call assert_equal('single', getcompletion('set ambw=', 'cmdline')[0])
   call assert_match('light\|dark', getcompletion('set bg=', 'cmdline')[1])
-  call assert_equal('indent', getcompletion('set backspace=', 'cmdline')[0])
+  call assert_equal('indent,eol,start', getcompletion('set backspace=', 'cmdline')[0])
   call assert_equal('yes', getcompletion('set backupcopy=', 'cmdline')[1])
   call assert_equal('backspace', getcompletion('set belloff=', 'cmdline')[1])
   call assert_equal('min:', getcompletion('set briopt=', 'cmdline')[1])
diff --git a/src/version.c b/src/version.c
index f83e597..7558bdc 100644
--- a/src/version.c
+++ b/src/version.c
@@ -705,6 +705,8 @@
 static int included_patches[] =
 {   /* Add new patch number below this line */
 /**/
+    899,
+/**/
     898,
 /**/
     897,