diff --git a/Dalamud/Configuration/Internal/DalamudConfiguration.cs b/Dalamud/Configuration/Internal/DalamudConfiguration.cs
index c7b294747..9159f042c 100644
--- a/Dalamud/Configuration/Internal/DalamudConfiguration.cs
+++ b/Dalamud/Configuration/Internal/DalamudConfiguration.cs
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.ComponentModel;
 using System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis;
 using System.Globalization;
 using System.IO;
 using System.Linq;
+using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
 
 using Dalamud.Game.Text;
 using Dalamud.Interface.FontIdentifier;
@@ -370,7 +372,7 @@ internal sealed class DalamudConfiguration : IInternalDisposableService
     /// <summary>
     /// Gets or sets a value indicating whether to reduce motions (animations).
     /// </summary>
-    public bool ReduceMotions { get; set; } = false;
+    public bool? ReduceMotions { get; set; }
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Gets or sets a value indicating whether or not market board data should be uploaded.
@@ -486,6 +488,15 @@ internal sealed class DalamudConfiguration : IInternalDisposableService
 
         deserialized ??= new DalamudConfiguration();
         deserialized.configPath = path;
+
+        try
+        {
+            deserialized.SetDefaults();
+        }
+        catch (Exception e)
+        {
+            Log.Error(e, "Failed to set defaults for DalamudConfiguration");
+        }
         
         return deserialized;
     }
@@ -527,6 +538,31 @@ internal sealed class DalamudConfiguration : IInternalDisposableService
         }
     }
 
+    private void SetDefaults()
+    {
+        // "Reduced motion"
+        if (!this.ReduceMotions.HasValue)
+        {
+            // https://source.chromium.org/chromium/chromium/src/+/main:ui/gfx/animation/animation_win.cc;l=29?q=ReducedMotion&ss=chromium
+            var winAnimEnabled = 0;
+            var success = NativeFunctions.SystemParametersInfo(
+                (uint)NativeFunctions.AccessibilityParameter.SPI_GETCLIENTAREAANIMATION,
+                0,
+                ref winAnimEnabled,
+                0);
+
+            if (!success)
+            {
+                Log.Warning("Failed to get Windows animation setting, assuming reduced motion is off (GetLastError: {GetLastError:X})", Marshal.GetLastPInvokeError());
+                this.ReduceMotions = false;
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                this.ReduceMotions = winAnimEnabled == 0;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    
     private void Save()
     {
         ThreadSafety.AssertMainThread();
diff --git a/Dalamud/Interface/ImGuiNotification/Internal/ActiveNotification.ImGui.cs b/Dalamud/Interface/ImGuiNotification/Internal/ActiveNotification.ImGui.cs
index 08e2817a5..6d7a47c27 100644
--- a/Dalamud/Interface/ImGuiNotification/Internal/ActiveNotification.ImGui.cs
+++ b/Dalamud/Interface/ImGuiNotification/Internal/ActiveNotification.ImGui.cs
@@ -456,7 +456,7 @@ internal sealed partial class ActiveNotification
 
     private void DrawExpiryPie(bool warrantsExtension, Vector2 offset, Vector2 size)
     {
-        if (!Service<DalamudConfiguration>.Get().ReduceMotions)
+        if (!Service<DalamudConfiguration>.Get().ReduceMotions ?? false)
             return;
 
         // circle here; 0 means 0deg; 1 means 360deg
@@ -536,7 +536,7 @@ internal sealed partial class ActiveNotification
 
     private void DrawExpiryBar(bool warrantsExtension)
     {
-        if (Service<DalamudConfiguration>.Get().ReduceMotions)
+        if (Service<DalamudConfiguration>.Get().ReduceMotions ?? false)
             return;
 
         float barL, barR;
diff --git a/Dalamud/Interface/ImGuiNotification/Internal/ActiveNotification.cs b/Dalamud/Interface/ImGuiNotification/Internal/ActiveNotification.cs
index 3cad13242..5ae7de5f7 100644
--- a/Dalamud/Interface/ImGuiNotification/Internal/ActiveNotification.cs
+++ b/Dalamud/Interface/ImGuiNotification/Internal/ActiveNotification.cs
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ internal sealed partial class ActiveNotification : IActiveNotification
         set => this.newProgress = value;
     }
 
-    private static bool ReducedMotions => Service<DalamudConfiguration>.Get().ReduceMotions;
+    private static bool ReducedMotions => Service<DalamudConfiguration>.Get().ReduceMotions ?? false;
 
     /// <summary>Gets the eased progress.</summary>
     private float ProgressEased
diff --git a/Dalamud/Interface/Internal/Windows/Settings/Tabs/SettingsTabLook.cs b/Dalamud/Interface/Internal/Windows/Settings/Tabs/SettingsTabLook.cs
index 53faed6ec..c7fcdc58d 100644
--- a/Dalamud/Interface/Internal/Windows/Settings/Tabs/SettingsTabLook.cs
+++ b/Dalamud/Interface/Internal/Windows/Settings/Tabs/SettingsTabLook.cs
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ public class SettingsTabLook : SettingsTab
         new SettingsEntry<bool>(
             Loc.Localize("DalamudSettingReducedMotion", "Reduce motions"),
             Loc.Localize("DalamudSettingReducedMotion", "This will suppress certain animations from Dalamud, such as the notification popup."),
-            c => c.ReduceMotions,
+            c => c.ReduceMotions ?? false,
             (v, c) => c.ReduceMotions = v),
     };
 
diff --git a/Dalamud/NativeFunctions.cs b/Dalamud/NativeFunctions.cs
index 92dfe5dd7..14a39a6be 100644
--- a/Dalamud/NativeFunctions.cs
+++ b/Dalamud/NativeFunctions.cs
@@ -826,6 +826,27 @@ internal static partial class NativeFunctions
         /// </summary>
         public uint Timeout;
     }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Parameters for use with SystemParametersInfo.
+    /// </summary>
+    public enum AccessibilityParameter
+    {
+#pragma warning disable SA1602
+        SPI_GETCLIENTAREAANIMATION = 0x1042,
+#pragma warning restore SA1602
+    }
+    
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Retrieves or sets the value of one of the system-wide parameters. This function can also update the user profile while setting a parameter.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="uiAction">The system-wide parameter to be retrieved or set.</param>
+    /// <param name="uiParam">A parameter whose usage and format depends on the system parameter being queried or set.</param>
+    /// <param name="pvParam">A parameter whose usage and format depends on the system parameter being queried or set. If not otherwise indicated, you must specify zero for this parameter.</param>
+    /// <param name="fWinIni">If a system parameter is being set, specifies whether the user profile is to be updated, and if so, whether the WM_SETTINGCHANGE message is to be broadcast to all top-level windows to notify them of the change.</param>
+    /// <returns>If the function succeeds, the return value is a nonzero value.</returns>
+    [DllImport("user32.dll", SetLastError = true)]
+    public static extern bool SystemParametersInfo(uint uiAction, uint uiParam, ref int pvParam, uint fWinIni);
 }
 
 /// <summary>