diff --git a/api/config.lua b/api/config.lua
index df080e51..95e032a8 100644
--- a/api/config.lua
+++ b/api/config.lua
@@ -1453,6 +1453,10 @@ function pfUI:MigrateConfig()
       cooldown.blizzard.text = cooldown.foreign.text
     end
 
+    -- pfUI drew its own numbers before; the native countdown shows them
+    -- only with this cvar on, which only the first-run setup sets
+    SetCVar("countdownForCooldowns", "1")
+
     pfUI_config.appearance.cd = nil
   end