diff --git a/changelog.d/5249.feature b/changelog.d/5249.feature
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..cfdf1ad41ba5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/5249.feature
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Ability to configure default room version.
diff --git a/docs/sample_config.yaml b/docs/sample_config.yaml
index 2a5a514d6184..421ae96f04f1 100644
--- a/docs/sample_config.yaml
+++ b/docs/sample_config.yaml
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ pid_file: DATADIR/homeserver.pid
 #
 # For example, for room version 1, default_room_version should be set
 # to "1".
+#
 #default_room_version: "1"
 
 # The GC threshold parameters to pass to `gc.set_threshold`, if defined
diff --git a/synapse/config/server.py b/synapse/config/server.py
index e9120d4d75e0..e763e19e15a4 100644
--- a/synapse/config/server.py
+++ b/synapse/config/server.py
@@ -414,6 +414,7 @@ def default_config(self, server_name, data_dir_path, **kwargs):
         #
         # For example, for room version 1, default_room_version should be set
         # to "1".
+        #
         #default_room_version: "%(default_room_version)s"
 
         # The GC threshold parameters to pass to `gc.set_threshold`, if defined