diff --git a/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.UserSecrets/src/UserSecretsConfigurationExtensions.cs b/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.UserSecrets/src/UserSecretsConfigurationExtensions.cs
index 86139faf9b021d..963ac77a30eea6 100644
--- a/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.UserSecrets/src/UserSecretsConfigurationExtensions.cs
+++ b/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.UserSecrets/src/UserSecretsConfigurationExtensions.cs
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ public static class UserSecretsConfigurationExtensions
         /// <returns>The configuration builder.</returns>
         public static IConfigurationBuilder AddUserSecrets<T>(this IConfigurationBuilder configuration)
             where T : class
-            => configuration.AddUserSecrets(typeof(T).Assembly, optional: false, reloadOnChange: false);
+            => configuration.AddUserSecrets(typeof(T).Assembly, optional: true, reloadOnChange: false);
 
         /// <summary>
         /// <para>
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ public static IConfigurationBuilder AddUserSecrets<T>(this IConfigurationBuilder
         /// <exception cref="InvalidOperationException">Thrown when <paramref name="assembly"/> does not have a valid <see cref="UserSecretsIdAttribute"/></exception>
         /// <returns>The configuration builder.</returns>
         public static IConfigurationBuilder AddUserSecrets(this IConfigurationBuilder configuration, Assembly assembly)
-            => configuration.AddUserSecrets(assembly, optional: false, reloadOnChange: false);
+            => configuration.AddUserSecrets(assembly, optional: true, reloadOnChange: false);
 
         /// <summary>
         /// <para>
diff --git a/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.UserSecrets/tests/ConfigurationExtensionTest.cs b/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.UserSecrets/tests/ConfigurationExtensionTest.cs
index e0d86e456227c6..82391a90645af6 100644
--- a/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.UserSecrets/tests/ConfigurationExtensionTest.cs
+++ b/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.UserSecrets/tests/ConfigurationExtensionTest.cs
@@ -87,23 +87,23 @@ public void AddUserSecrets_FindsAssemblyAttributeFromType()
         public void AddUserSecrets_ThrowsIfAssemblyAttributeFromType()
         {
             var ex = Assert.Throws<InvalidOperationException>(() =>
-                new ConfigurationBuilder().AddUserSecrets<string>());
+                new ConfigurationBuilder().AddUserSecrets<string>(optional: false));
             Assert.Equal(SR.Format(SR.Error_Missing_UserSecretsIdAttribute, typeof(string).Assembly.GetName().Name),
                 ex.Message);
 
             ex = Assert.Throws<InvalidOperationException>(() =>
-                new ConfigurationBuilder().AddUserSecrets(typeof(JObject).Assembly));
+                new ConfigurationBuilder().AddUserSecrets(typeof(JObject).Assembly, optional: false));
             Assert.Equal(SR.Format(SR.Error_Missing_UserSecretsIdAttribute, typeof(JObject).Assembly.GetName().Name),
                 ex.Message);
         }
 
 
         [Fact]
-        public void AddUserSecrets_DoesNotThrowsIfOptional()
+        public void AddUserSecrets_DoesNotThrowsIfOptionalByDefault()
         {
             var config = new ConfigurationBuilder()
-                .AddUserSecrets<string>(optional: true)
-                .AddUserSecrets(typeof(List<>).Assembly, optional: true)
+                .AddUserSecrets<string>()
+                .AddUserSecrets(typeof(List<>).Assembly)
                 .Build();
 
             Assert.Empty(config.AsEnumerable());