diff --git a/Docs/Whats_New.md b/Docs/Whats_New.md
index b16a39b7..904ff96c 100644
--- a/Docs/Whats_New.md
+++ b/Docs/Whats_New.md
@@ -18,7 +18,9 @@ MoltenVK 1.1.5
 
 Released TBD
 
-- Revert to prefer `MTLEvent` over `MTLFence` for `VkSemaphore`, except on NVIDIA.
+- Changes to how `VkSemaphore` is supported:
+	- Revert to prefer `MTLEvent` for `VkSemaphore`, except on NVIDIA, where emulation on CPU is preferred.
+	- Set default value of the `MVK_ALLOW_METAL_FENCES` environment variable to `0 (false)`,
 - Vulkan timestamp query pools use Metal GPU counters when available.
 - Support resolving attachments with formats that Metal does not natively resolve.
 - Fix issue where swapchain images were acquired out of order under heavy load.
diff --git a/MoltenVK/MoltenVK/API/vk_mvk_moltenvk.h b/MoltenVK/MoltenVK/API/vk_mvk_moltenvk.h
index 99138dfe..d3c8a743 100644
--- a/MoltenVK/MoltenVK/API/vk_mvk_moltenvk.h
+++ b/MoltenVK/MoltenVK/API/vk_mvk_moltenvk.h
@@ -559,9 +559,9 @@ typedef struct {
 	 *
 	 * This parameter interacts with semaphoreUseMTLEvent. If both are enabled, on GPUs other than
 	 * NVIDIA, semaphoreUseMTLEvent takes priority and MTLEvent will be used if it is available,
-	 * otherwise MTLFence will be used if it is available. On NVIDIA GPUs, the opposite priority
-	 * applies. If neither semaphoreUseMTLFence nor semaphoreUseMTLEvent are enabled, or if neither
-	 * MTLEvent nor MTLFence are available, CPU-based synchoronization will be used.
+	 * otherwise MTLFence will be used if it is available. On NVIDIA GPUs, MTLEvent is disabled
+	 * for VkSemaphores, so CPU-based synchronization will be used unless semaphoreUseMTLFence
+	 * is enabled and MTLFence is available.
 	 *
 	 * In the special case of VK_SEMAPHORE_TYPE_TIMELINE semaphores, MoltenVK will always
 	 * use MTLSharedEvent if it is available on the platform, regardless of the values of
@@ -573,8 +573,7 @@ typedef struct {
 	 * The initial value or this parameter is set by the
 	 * MVK_ALLOW_METAL_FENCES
 	 * runtime environment variable or MoltenVK compile-time build setting.
-	 * If neither is set, this setting is enabled by default, and VkSemaphore will use MTLFence,
-	 * if it is available, unless MTLEvent is available and semaphoreUseMTLEvent is enabled.
+	 * If neither is set, this setting is disabled by default, and VkSemaphore will not use MTLFence.
 	 */
 	VkBool32 semaphoreUseMTLFence;
 
@@ -583,9 +582,9 @@ typedef struct {
 	 *
 	 * This parameter interacts with semaphoreUseMTLFence. If both are enabled, on GPUs other than
 	 * NVIDIA, semaphoreUseMTLEvent takes priority and MTLEvent will be used if it is available,
-	 * otherwise MTLFence will be used if it is available. On NVIDIA GPUs, the opposite priority
-	 * applies. If neither semaphoreUseMTLFence nor semaphoreUseMTLEvent are enabled, or if neither
-	 * MTLEvent nor MTLFence are available, CPU-based synchoronization will be used.
+	 * otherwise MTLFence will be used if it is available. On NVIDIA GPUs, MTLEvent is disabled
+	 * for VkSemaphores, so CPU-based synchronization will be used unless semaphoreUseMTLFence
+	 * is enabled and MTLFence is available.
 	 *
 	 * In the special case of VK_SEMAPHORE_TYPE_TIMELINE semaphores, MoltenVK will always
 	 * use MTLSharedEvent if it is available on the platform, regardless of the values of
@@ -598,7 +597,7 @@ typedef struct {
 	 * MVK_ALLOW_METAL_EVENTS
 	 * runtime environment variable or MoltenVK compile-time build setting.
 	 * If neither is set, this setting is enabled by default, and VkSemaphore will use MTLEvent,
-	 * if it is available.
+	 * if it is available, except on NVIDIA GPUs.
 	 */
 	VkBool32 semaphoreUseMTLEvent;
 
diff --git a/MoltenVK/MoltenVK/GPUObjects/MVKDevice.mm b/MoltenVK/MoltenVK/GPUObjects/MVKDevice.mm
index b41da9fa..6fd35daa 100644
--- a/MoltenVK/MoltenVK/GPUObjects/MVKDevice.mm
+++ b/MoltenVK/MoltenVK/GPUObjects/MVKDevice.mm
@@ -3951,22 +3951,13 @@ void MVKDevice::initPhysicalDevice(MVKPhysicalDevice* physicalDevice, const VkDe
 	_pProperties = &_physicalDevice->_properties;
 	_pMemoryProperties = &_physicalDevice->_memoryProperties;
 
-	// Decide whether semaphores should use a MTLFence or MTLEvent if they are available.
-	// Prefer MTLEvent over MTLFence, because MTLEvent handles sync across MTLCommandBuffers and MTLCommandQueues,
-	// except on NVIDIA GPUs, which have demonstrated trouble with MTLEvents, prefer MTLFence.
-	bool canUseMTLEventForSem4 = _pMetalFeatures->events && mvkConfig().semaphoreUseMTLEvent;
+	// Decide whether Vulkan semaphores should use a MTLEvent or MTLFence if they are available.
+	// Prefer MTLEvent, because MTLEvent handles sync across MTLCommandBuffers and MTLCommandQueues.
+	// However, do not allow use of MTLEvents on NVIDIA GPUs, which have demonstrated trouble with MTLEvents.
+	// Since MTLFence config is disabled by default, emulation will be used on NVIDIA unless MTLFence is enabled.
+	bool canUseMTLEventForSem4 = _pMetalFeatures->events && mvkConfig().semaphoreUseMTLEvent && (_pProperties->vendorID != kNVVendorId);
 	bool canUseMTLFenceForSem4 = _pMetalFeatures->fences && mvkConfig().semaphoreUseMTLFence;
-	switch (_pProperties->vendorID) {
-		case kNVVendorId:
-			_vkSemaphoreStyle = canUseMTLFenceForSem4 ? VkSemaphoreStyleUseMTLFence : (canUseMTLEventForSem4 ? VkSemaphoreStyleUseMTLEvent : VkSemaphoreStyleUseEmulation);
-			break;
-		case kAppleVendorId:
-		case kIntelVendorId:
-		case kAMDVendorId:
-		default:
-			_vkSemaphoreStyle = canUseMTLEventForSem4 ? VkSemaphoreStyleUseMTLEvent : (canUseMTLFenceForSem4 ? VkSemaphoreStyleUseMTLFence : VkSemaphoreStyleUseEmulation);
-			break;
-	}
+	_vkSemaphoreStyle = canUseMTLEventForSem4 ? VkSemaphoreStyleUseMTLEvent : (canUseMTLFenceForSem4 ? VkSemaphoreStyleUseMTLFence : VkSemaphoreStyleUseEmulation);
 	switch (_vkSemaphoreStyle) {
 		case VkSemaphoreStyleUseMTLEvent:
 			MVKLogInfo("Using MTLEvent for Vulkan semaphores.");
diff --git a/MoltenVK/MoltenVK/Utility/MVKEnvironment.h b/MoltenVK/MoltenVK/Utility/MVKEnvironment.h
index 4cb724a1..e7d65446 100644
--- a/MoltenVK/MoltenVK/Utility/MVKEnvironment.h
+++ b/MoltenVK/MoltenVK/Utility/MVKEnvironment.h
@@ -233,15 +233,15 @@ void mvkSetConfig(const MVKConfiguration& mvkConfig);
 /**
  * Allow the use of MTLFence or MTLEvent for VkSemaphore synchronization behaviour.
  * By default:
- *   - MVK_ALLOW_METAL_FENCES is enabled
  *   - MVK_ALLOW_METAL_EVENTS is enabled
+ *   - MVK_ALLOW_METAL_FENCES is disabled
  * */
-#ifndef MVK_ALLOW_METAL_FENCES
-#   define MVK_ALLOW_METAL_FENCES    1
-#endif
 #ifndef MVK_ALLOW_METAL_EVENTS
 #   define MVK_ALLOW_METAL_EVENTS    1
 #endif
+#ifndef MVK_ALLOW_METAL_FENCES
+#   define MVK_ALLOW_METAL_FENCES    0
+#endif
 
 /** Substitute Metal 2D textures for Vulkan 1D images. Enabled by default. */
 #ifndef MVK_CONFIG_TEXTURE_1D_AS_2D