diff --git a/better_formats.admin_settings.inc b/better_formats.admin_settings.inc
index 39e2c0f..cb13b20 100644
--- a/better_formats.admin_settings.inc
+++ b/better_formats.admin_settings.inc
@@ -23,6 +23,12 @@ function better_formats_admin_settings_form($form, &$form_state) {
     '#description' => t('Use the core field module default value to set the default format. This will force the default format even when the default field value is empty. To set a default format you must re-edit a text field after saving it with the "Filtered text" option turned on.'),
     '#default_value' => variable_get('better_formats_per_field_core', 0),
   );
+  $form['control']['better_formats_long_text_processing'] = array(
+    '#type'  => 'checkbox',
+    '#title' => t('Make new text areas fields default to use the "Filtered text" option rather than "Plain text".'),
+    '#default_value' => variable_get('better_formats_long_text_processing', 0),
+  );
+
   /*
   $form['control']['better_formats_per_node_type'] = array(
     '#type'  => 'checkbox',
@@ -32,5 +38,7 @@ function better_formats_admin_settings_form($form, &$form_state) {
   );
   */
 
-  return system_settings_form($form);
+  $form = system_settings_form($form);
+  $form['#submit'][] = 'field_cache_clear';
+  return $form;
 }
diff --git a/better_formats.module b/better_formats.module
index 8cfd34f..bc3ed1e 100644
--- a/better_formats.module
+++ b/better_formats.module
@@ -410,3 +410,12 @@ function theme_better_formats_field_default_order(&$variables) {
 
   return $output;
 }
+
+/**
+ * Implements hook_field_info_alter().
+ */
+function better_formats_field_info_alter(&$info) {
+  $default = variable_get('better_formats_long_text_processing', 0);
+  $info['text_long']['instance_settings']['text_processing'] = $default;
+  $info['text_with_summary']['instance_settings']['text_processing'] = $default;
+}