diff --git a/docs/config/reporters.md b/docs/config/reporters.md
index 2098d8f66..989ac0e2e 100644
--- a/docs/config/reporters.md
+++ b/docs/config/reporters.md
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ interface UserConfig {
 type ConfigReporter = string | Reporter | [string, object?]
 ```
 
-- **Default:** [`'default'`](/guide/reporters#default-reporter) (or <code>[['default'](/guide/reporters#default-reporter), ['github-actions'](/guide/reporters#github-actions-reporter)]</code> when `process.env.GITHUB_ACTIONS === 'true'`)
+- **Default:** [`'default'`](/guide/reporters#default-reporter). See [Default Reporters](/guide/reporters#default-reporters) for environment-specific behavior.
 - **CLI:**
   - `--reporter=tap` for a single reporter
   - `--reporter=verbose --reporter=github-actions` for multiple reporters
@@ -49,14 +49,14 @@ Note that the [coverage](/guide/coverage) feature uses a different [`coverage.re
 
 ::: code-group
 ```js [vitest.config.js]
-import { defineConfig } from 'vitest/config'
+import { configDefaults, defineConfig } from 'vitest/config'
 
 export default defineConfig({
   test: {
     reporters: [
-      'default',
+      ...configDefaults.reporters,
       // conditional reporter
-      process.env.CI ? 'github-actions' : {},
+      ...(process.env.CI ? ['html'] : []),
       // custom reporter from npm package
       // options are passed down as a tuple
       [
diff --git a/docs/guide/reporters.md b/docs/guide/reporters.md
index 34307954f..e423ef3dc 100644
--- a/docs/guide/reporters.md
+++ b/docs/guide/reporters.md
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ outline: deep
 
 # Reporters
 
-Vitest provides several built-in reporters to display test output in different formats, as well as the ability to use custom reporters. You can select different reporters either by using the `--reporter` command line option, or by including a `reporters` property in your [configuration file](/config/reporters). If no reporter is specified, Vitest will use the `default` reporter as described below.
+Vitest provides several built-in reporters to display test output in different formats, as well as the ability to use custom reporters. You can select different reporters either by using the `--reporter` command line option, or by including a `reporters` property in your [configuration file](/config/reporters). If no reporter is specified, Vitest [auto-selects reporters](#default-configuration) based on the environment.
 
 Using reporters via command line:
 
@@ -38,6 +38,26 @@ export default defineConfig({
 })
 ```
 
+## Default Configuration
+
+When `reporters` is not configured, Vitest uses the following reporters:
+
+- [`default`](#default-reporter) in normal terminal runs
+- [`minimal`](#minimal-reporter) when Vitest detects an AI coding agent
+- [`github-actions`](#github-actions-reporter) is added when `process.env.GITHUB_ACTIONS === 'true'`
+
+If you configure your own reporters, the configured list replaces the default list. To add a reporter while keeping Vitest's defaults, extend `configDefaults.reporters`:
+
+```ts
+import { configDefaults, defineConfig } from 'vitest/config'
+
+export default defineConfig({
+  test: {
+    reporters: ['json', ...configDefaults.reporters],
+  },
+})
+```
+
 ## Reporter Output
 
 By default, Vitest's reporters will print their output to the terminal. When using the `json`, `html` or `junit` reporters, you can instead write your tests' output to a file by including an `outputFile` [configuration option](/config/outputfile) either in your Vite configuration file or via CLI.
@@ -66,9 +86,11 @@ npx vitest --reporter=json --reporter=default
 ```
 
 ```ts
+import { configDefaults, defineConfig } from 'vitest/config'
+
 export default defineConfig({
   test: {
-    reporters: ['json', 'default'],
+    reporters: ['json', ...configDefaults.reporters],
     outputFile: './test-output.json'
   },
 })
@@ -96,11 +118,7 @@ This example will write separate JSON and XML reports as well as printing a verb
 
 ### Default Reporter
 
-By default (i.e. if no reporter is specified), Vitest will display summary of running tests and their status at the bottom. Once a suite passes, its status will be reported on top of the summary.
-
-::: tip
-When Vitest detects it is running inside an AI coding agent, the [`minimal`](#minimal-reporter) reporter is used instead to reduce output and minimize token usage. You can override this by explicitly configuring the [`reporters`](/config/reporters) option.
-:::
+The `default` reporter displays summary of running tests and their status at the bottom. Once a suite passes, its status will be reported on top of the summary.
 
 You can disable the summary by configuring the reporter:
 
@@ -550,21 +568,11 @@ export default defineConfig({
 ### GitHub Actions Reporter {#github-actions-reporter}
 
 Output [workflow commands](https://docs.github.com/en/actions/using-workflows/workflow-commands-for-github-actions#setting-an-error-message)
-to provide annotations for test failures. This reporter is automatically enabled when the `reporters` option is not configured and `process.env.GITHUB_ACTIONS === 'true'` (on GitHub Actions environment).
+to provide annotations for test failures. This reporter is [enabled automatically](#default-configuration) when `process.env.GITHUB_ACTIONS === 'true'` (on GitHub Actions environment).
 
 <img alt="GitHub Actions" img-dark src="https://github.com/vitest-dev/vitest/assets/4232207/336cddc2-df6b-4b8a-8e72-4d00010e37f5">
 <img alt="GitHub Actions" img-light src="https://github.com/vitest-dev/vitest/assets/4232207/ce8447c1-0eab-4fe1-abef-d0d322290dca">
 
-If you configure reporters, you need to explicitly add `github-actions`.
-
-```ts
-export default defineConfig({
-  test: {
-    reporters: process.env.GITHUB_ACTIONS === 'true' ? ['dot', 'github-actions'] : ['dot'],
-  },
-})
-```
-
 You can customize the file paths that are printed in [GitHub's annotation command format](https://docs.github.com/en/actions/writing-workflows/choosing-what-your-workflow-does/workflow-commands-for-github-actions) by using the `onWritePath` option. This is useful when running Vitest in a containerized environment, such as Docker, where the file paths may not match the paths in the GitHub Actions environment.
 
 ```ts
@@ -662,7 +670,7 @@ export default defineConfig({
 Outputs a minimal report containing only failed tests and their error messages. Console logs from passing tests and the summary section are also suppressed.
 
 ::: tip Agent Reporter
-This reporter is well optimized for AI coding assistants and LLM-based workflows to reduce token usage. It is automatically enabled when no `reporters` option is configured and Vitest detects it is running inside an AI coding agent. If you configure custom reporters, you can explicitly add `minimal` or `agent`:
+This reporter is well optimized for AI coding assistants and LLM-based workflows to reduce token usage. It is [enabled automatically](#default-configuration) when Vitest detects it is running inside an AI coding agent.
 
 :::code-group
 ```bash [CLI]
diff --git a/docs/guide/ui.md b/docs/guide/ui.md
index 780308562..d6c15437d 100644
--- a/docs/guide/ui.md
+++ b/docs/guide/ui.md
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ export default defineConfig({
 You can check your coverage report in Vitest UI: see [Vitest UI Coverage](/guide/coverage#vitest-ui) for more details.
 
 ::: warning
-If you still want to see how your tests are running in real time in the terminal, don't forget to add `default` reporter to `reporters` option: `['default', 'html']`.
+If you still want to see how your tests are running in real time in the terminal, add `configDefaults.reporters` to the `reporters` option: `['html', ...configDefaults.reporters]`.
 :::
 
 ::: tip
diff --git a/packages/vitest/src/defaults.ts b/packages/vitest/src/defaults.ts
index 5d44007c0..77bf14ffe 100644
--- a/packages/vitest/src/defaults.ts
+++ b/packages/vitest/src/defaults.ts
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ export const configDefaults: Readonly<{
   teardownTimeout: number
   forceRerunTriggers: string[]
   update: boolean
-  reporters: never[]
+  reporters: string[]
   silent: boolean
   hideSkippedTests: boolean
   api: boolean
@@ -116,7 +116,10 @@ export const configDefaults: Readonly<{
   teardownTimeout: 10000,
   forceRerunTriggers: ['**/package.json/**', '**/{vitest,vite}.config.*/**'],
   update: false,
-  reporters: [],
+  reporters: [
+    isAgent ? 'minimal' : 'default',
+    ...(process.env.GITHUB_ACTIONS === 'true' ? ['github-actions'] : []),
+  ],
   silent: false,
   hideSkippedTests: false,
   api: false,
diff --git a/packages/vitest/src/node/config/resolveConfig.ts b/packages/vitest/src/node/config/resolveConfig.ts
index 3470fe63c..f26dbfff9 100644
--- a/packages/vitest/src/node/config/resolveConfig.ts
+++ b/packages/vitest/src/node/config/resolveConfig.ts
@@ -692,22 +692,23 @@ export function resolveConfig(
    * { reporter: [[ 'json' ], 'html'] }
    * { reporter: [[ 'json', { outputFile: 'test.json' } ], 'html'] }
    */
-  if (options.reporters) {
-    if (!Array.isArray(options.reporters)) {
+  if (resolved.reporters) {
+    if (!Array.isArray(resolved.reporters)) {
       // Reporter name, e.g. { reporters: 'json' }
-      if (typeof options.reporters === 'string') {
-        resolved.reporters = [[options.reporters, {}]]
+      if (typeof resolved.reporters === 'string') {
+        resolved.reporters = [[resolved.reporters, {}]]
       }
       // Inline reporter e.g. { reporters: { onFinish() { method() } } }
       else {
-        resolved.reporters = [options.reporters]
+        resolved.reporters = [resolved.reporters]
       }
     }
     // It's an array of reporters
     else {
+      const reporters = resolved.reporters
       resolved.reporters = []
 
-      for (const reporter of options.reporters) {
+      for (const reporter of reporters) {
         if (Array.isArray(reporter)) {
           // Reporter with options, e.g. { reporters: [ [ 'json', { outputFile: 'test.json' } ] ] }
           resolved.reporters.push([reporter[0], reporter[1] as Record<string, unknown> || {}])
@@ -759,15 +760,6 @@ export function resolveConfig(
     }
   }
 
-  if (!resolved.reporters.length) {
-    resolved.reporters.push([isAgent ? 'agent' : 'default', {}])
-
-    // also enable github-actions reporter as a default
-    if (process.env.GITHUB_ACTIONS === 'true') {
-      resolved.reporters.push(['github-actions', {}])
-    }
-  }
-
   if (resolved.changed) {
     resolved.passWithNoTests ??= true
   }
diff --git a/test/config/test/public.test.ts b/test/config/test/public.test.ts
index 4537ba12d..e18ed08ef 100644
--- a/test/config/test/public.test.ts
+++ b/test/config/test/public.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import type { CoverageOptions } from 'vitest/node'
 import { resolve } from 'pathe'
 import { expect, test } from 'vitest'
+import { configDefaults } from 'vitest/config'
 import { resolveConfig } from 'vitest/node'
 
 test('resolves the test config', async () => {
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@ test('respects root', async () => {
   })
   expect(viteConfig.configFile).toBe(resolve(configRoot, 'vitest.config.ts'))
   expect(vitestConfig.name).toBe('root config')
-  expect(vitestConfig.reporters).toEqual([['default', {}]])
+  expect(vitestConfig.reporters).toEqual(configDefaults.reporters.map(v => [v, {}]))
 })
 
 test('respects custom config', async () => {
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ test('respects custom config', async () => {
   })
   expect(viteConfig.configFile).toBe(config)
   expect(vitestConfig.name).toBe('custom config')
-  expect(vitestConfig.reporters).toEqual([['default', {}]])
+  expect(vitestConfig.reporters).toEqual(configDefaults.reporters.map(v => [v, {}]))
 })
 
 test('default value changes of coverage.exclude do not reflect to test.exclude', async () => {