diff --git a/mercurial/configitems.py b/mercurial/configitems.py
--- a/mercurial/configitems.py
+++ b/mercurial/configitems.py
@@ -1251,10 +1251,22 @@
     b'usestore',
     default=True,
 )
+
+
+def _persistent_nodemap_default():
+    """compute `use-persistent-nodemap` default value
+
+    The feature is disabled unless a fast implementation is available.
+    """
+    from . import policy
+
+    return policy.importrust('revlog') is not None
+
+
 coreconfigitem(
     b'format',
     b'use-persistent-nodemap',
-    default=False,
+    default=_persistent_nodemap_default,
 )
 coreconfigitem(
     b'format',
diff --git a/mercurial/helptext/config.txt b/mercurial/helptext/config.txt
--- a/mercurial/helptext/config.txt
+++ b/mercurial/helptext/config.txt
@@ -912,7 +912,8 @@
 
     Repository with this on-disk format require Mercurial version 5.4 or above.
 
-    Disabled by default.
+    By default this format variant is disabled if fast implementation is not
+    available and enabled by default if the fast implementation is available.
 
 ``usestore``
     Enable or disable the "store" repository format which improves
diff --git a/tests/test-persistent-nodemap.t b/tests/test-persistent-nodemap.t
--- a/tests/test-persistent-nodemap.t
+++ b/tests/test-persistent-nodemap.t
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 Test the persistent on-disk nodemap
 ===================================
 
+
+#if no-rust
+
   $ cat << EOF >> $HGRCPATH
   > [format]
   > use-persistent-nodemap=yes
@@ -9,6 +12,8 @@
   > persistent-nodemap=yes
   > EOF
 
+#endif
+
   $ hg init test-repo --config storage.revlog.persistent-nodemap.slow-path=allow
   $ cd test-repo