diff --git a/src/Configuration.jl b/src/Configuration.jl
index 403a060d84..2b7eed6ae9 100644
--- a/src/Configuration.jl
+++ b/src/Configuration.jl
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ end
 
 const RUN_NOTEBOOK_ON_LOAD_DEFAULT = true
 const WORKSPACE_USE_DISTRIBUTED_DEFAULT = true
-const WORKSPACE_USE_DISTRIBUTED_STDLIB_DEFAULT = false
+const WORKSPACE_USE_DISTRIBUTED_STDLIB_DEFAULT = nothing
 const LAZY_WORKSPACE_CREATION_DEFAULT = false
 const CAPTURE_STDOUT_DEFAULT = true
 const WORKSPACE_CUSTOM_STARTUP_EXPR_DEFAULT = nothing
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ These options are not intended to be changed during normal use.
 
 - `run_notebook_on_load::Bool = $RUN_NOTEBOOK_ON_LOAD_DEFAULT` Whether to evaluate a notebook on load.
 - `workspace_use_distributed::Bool = $WORKSPACE_USE_DISTRIBUTED_DEFAULT` Whether to start notebooks in a separate process.
-- `workspace_use_distributed_stdlib::Bool = $WORKSPACE_USE_DISTRIBUTED_STDLIB_DEFAULT` Should we use the Distributed stdlib to run processes? This has been replaced by Malt.jl, but you can use this option to get the old behaviour. Option be removed in the future.
+- `workspace_use_distributed_stdlib::Bool? = $WORKSPACE_USE_DISTRIBUTED_STDLIB_DEFAULT` Should we use the Distributed stdlib to run processes? Distributed will be replaced by Malt.jl, you can use this option to already get the old behaviour. `nothing` means: determine automatically (which is currently the same as `true`).
 - `lazy_workspace_creation::Bool = $LAZY_WORKSPACE_CREATION_DEFAULT`
 - `capture_stdout::Bool = $CAPTURE_STDOUT_DEFAULT`
 - `workspace_custom_startup_expr::Union{Nothing,Expr} = $WORKSPACE_CUSTOM_STARTUP_EXPR_DEFAULT` An expression to be evaluated in the workspace process before running notebook code.
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ These options are not intended to be changed during normal use.
 @option mutable struct EvaluationOptions
     run_notebook_on_load::Bool = RUN_NOTEBOOK_ON_LOAD_DEFAULT
     workspace_use_distributed::Bool = WORKSPACE_USE_DISTRIBUTED_DEFAULT
-    workspace_use_distributed_stdlib::Bool = WORKSPACE_USE_DISTRIBUTED_STDLIB_DEFAULT
+    workspace_use_distributed_stdlib::Union{Bool,Nothing} = WORKSPACE_USE_DISTRIBUTED_STDLIB_DEFAULT
     lazy_workspace_creation::Bool = LAZY_WORKSPACE_CREATION_DEFAULT
     capture_stdout::Bool = CAPTURE_STDOUT_DEFAULT
     workspace_custom_startup_expr::Union{Nothing,Expr} = WORKSPACE_CUSTOM_STARTUP_EXPR_DEFAULT
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ function from_flat_kwargs(;
 
         run_notebook_on_load::Bool = RUN_NOTEBOOK_ON_LOAD_DEFAULT,
         workspace_use_distributed::Bool = WORKSPACE_USE_DISTRIBUTED_DEFAULT,
-        workspace_use_distributed_stdlib::Bool = WORKSPACE_USE_DISTRIBUTED_STDLIB_DEFAULT,
+        workspace_use_distributed_stdlib::Union{Bool,Nothing} = WORKSPACE_USE_DISTRIBUTED_STDLIB_DEFAULT,
         lazy_workspace_creation::Bool = LAZY_WORKSPACE_CREATION_DEFAULT,
         capture_stdout::Bool = CAPTURE_STDOUT_DEFAULT,
         workspace_custom_startup_expr::Union{Nothing,Expr} = WORKSPACE_CUSTOM_STARTUP_EXPR_DEFAULT,
diff --git a/src/evaluation/WorkspaceManager.jl b/src/evaluation/WorkspaceManager.jl
index 3a8dcfe208..0d952a7d55 100644
--- a/src/evaluation/WorkspaceManager.jl
+++ b/src/evaluation/WorkspaceManager.jl
@@ -53,7 +53,11 @@ function make_workspace((session, notebook)::SN; is_offline_renderer::Bool=false
     
     WorkerType = if is_offline_renderer || !session.options.evaluation.workspace_use_distributed
         Malt.InProcessWorker
-    elseif session.options.evaluation.workspace_use_distributed_stdlib
+    elseif something(
+        session.options.evaluation.workspace_use_distributed_stdlib, 
+        true
+        # VERSION < v"1.8.0-0"
+    )
         Malt.DistributedStdlibWorker
     else
         Malt.Worker