diff --git a/packages/beacon-node/src/network/options.ts b/packages/beacon-node/src/network/options.ts
index 8001349bd3c5..b069e789b3ad 100644
--- a/packages/beacon-node/src/network/options.ts
+++ b/packages/beacon-node/src/network/options.ts
@@ -32,8 +32,7 @@ export const defaultNetworkOptions: NetworkOptions = {
   /** disabled by default */
   discv5: null,
   rateLimitMultiplier: 1,
-  // TODO set to false in order to release 1.9.0 in a timely manner
-  useWorker: false,
+  useWorker: true,
   // default set via research in https://github.com/ChainSafe/lodestar/issues/2115
   maxYoungGenerationSizeMb: 152,
   // subscribe to 2 subnets per node