diff --git a/src/components/PreferencesPage.vue b/src/components/PreferencesPage.vue
index 3a857369..887694f9 100644
--- a/src/components/PreferencesPage.vue
+++ b/src/components/PreferencesPage.vue
@@ -66,11 +66,11 @@
             @change="onChange($event)"
         />
     </label>
-    <label class="pref" for="chkShowComments">
-        <strong v-t="'actions.show_comments'" />
+    <label class="pref" for="chkMinimizeComments">
+        <strong v-t="'actions.minimize_comments_default'" />
         <input
-            id="chkShowComments"
-            v-model="showComments"
+            id="chkMinimizeComments"
+            v-model="minimizeComments"
             class="checkbox"
             type="checkbox"
             @change="onChange($event)"
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ export default {
             countryMap: CountryMap,
             countrySelected: "US",
             defaultHomepage: "trending",
-            showComments: true,
+            minimizeComments: false,
             minimizeDescription: false,
             minimizeRecommendations: false,
             watchHistory: false,
@@ -501,7 +501,7 @@ export default {
             this.bufferingGoal = Math.max(Number(localStorage.getItem("bufferGoal")), 10);
             this.countrySelected = this.getPreferenceString("region", "US");
             this.defaultHomepage = this.getPreferenceString("homepage", "trending");
-            this.showComments = this.getPreferenceBoolean("comments", true);
+            this.minimizeComments = this.getPreferenceBoolean("minimizeComments", true);
             this.minimizeDescription = this.getPreferenceBoolean("minimizeDescription", false);
             this.minimizeRecommendations = this.getPreferenceBoolean("minimizeRecommendations", false);
             this.watchHistory = this.getPreferenceBoolean("watchHistory", false);
@@ -560,7 +560,7 @@ export default {
                 localStorage.setItem("bufferGoal", this.bufferingGoal);
                 localStorage.setItem("region", this.countrySelected);
                 localStorage.setItem("homepage", this.defaultHomepage);
-                localStorage.setItem("comments", this.showComments);
+                localStorage.setItem("minimizeComments", this.minimizeComments);
                 localStorage.setItem("minimizeDescription", this.minimizeDescription);
                 localStorage.setItem("minimizeRecommendations", this.minimizeRecommendations);
                 localStorage.setItem("watchHistory", this.watchHistory);
diff --git a/src/components/WatchVideo.vue b/src/components/WatchVideo.vue
index ca8a6f1a..c62dc364 100644
--- a/src/components/WatchVideo.vue
+++ b/src/components/WatchVideo.vue
@@ -277,9 +277,6 @@ export default {
                 year: "numeric",
             });
         },
-        commentsEnabled() {
-            return this.getPreferenceBoolean("comments", true);
-        },
     },
     mounted() {
         // check screen size
@@ -327,7 +324,7 @@ export default {
         this.index = Number(this.$route.query.index);
         this.getPlaylistData();
         this.getSponsors();
-        if (!this.isEmbed && this.commentsEnabled) this.getComments();
+        if (!this.isEmbed && this.showComments) this.getComments();
         window.addEventListener("resize", () => {
             this.smallView = this.smallViewQuery.matches;
         });
@@ -335,6 +332,7 @@ export default {
     activated() {
         this.active = true;
         this.selectedAutoPlay = this.getPreferenceBoolean("autoplay", false);
+        this.showComments = !this.getPreferenceBoolean("minimizeComments", false);
         this.showDesc = !this.getPreferenceBoolean("minimizeDescription", false);
         this.showRecs = !this.getPreferenceBoolean("minimizeRecommendations", false);
         if (this.video.duration) {