diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/jackson/JacksonAutoConfiguration.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/jackson/JacksonAutoConfiguration.java
index d43bb686ff..a1318c4519 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/jackson/JacksonAutoConfiguration.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/jackson/JacksonAutoConfiguration.java
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ public class JacksonAutoConfiguration {
 				configurePropertyNamingStrategy(builder);
 				configureModules(builder);
 				configureLocale(builder);
-				configureLeniency(builder);
+				configureDefaultLeniency(builder);
 			}
 
 			private void configureFeatures(Jackson2ObjectMapperBuilder builder, Map<?, Boolean> features) {
@@ -290,9 +290,11 @@ public class JacksonAutoConfiguration {
 				}
 			}
 
-			private void configureLeniency(Jackson2ObjectMapperBuilder builder) {
-				Boolean lenient = this.jacksonProperties.getLenient();
-				builder.postConfigurer(objectMapper -> objectMapper.setDefaultLeniency(lenient));
+			private void configureDefaultLeniency(Jackson2ObjectMapperBuilder builder) {
+				Boolean defaultLeniency = this.jacksonProperties.getDefaultLeniency();
+				if (defaultLeniency != null) {
+					builder.postConfigurer((objectMapper) -> objectMapper.setDefaultLeniency(defaultLeniency));
+				}
 			}
 
 			private static <T> Collection<T> getBeans(ListableBeanFactory beanFactory, Class<T> type) {
diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/jackson/JacksonProperties.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/jackson/JacksonProperties.java
index 46c4d2ced5..fa9e17e912 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/jackson/JacksonProperties.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/jackson/JacksonProperties.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2012-2020 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2012-2021 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -92,6 +92,11 @@ public class JacksonProperties {
 	 */
 	private JsonInclude.Include defaultPropertyInclusion;
 
+	/**
+	 * Global default setting (if any) for leniency.
+	 */
+	private Boolean defaultLeniency;
+
 	/**
 	 * Time zone used when formatting dates. For instance, "America/Los_Angeles" or
 	 * "GMT+10".
@@ -103,11 +108,6 @@ public class JacksonProperties {
 	 */
 	private Locale locale;
 
-	/**
-	 * Setting for leniency, in case of absence it will be considered lenient = true;
-	 */
-	private Boolean lenient;
-
 	public String getDateFormat() {
 		return this.dateFormat;
 	}
@@ -156,6 +156,14 @@ public class JacksonProperties {
 		this.defaultPropertyInclusion = defaultPropertyInclusion;
 	}
 
+	public Boolean getDefaultLeniency() {
+		return this.defaultLeniency;
+	}
+
+	public void setDefaultLeniency(Boolean defaultLeniency) {
+		this.defaultLeniency = defaultLeniency;
+	}
+
 	public TimeZone getTimeZone() {
 		return this.timeZone;
 	}
@@ -172,12 +180,4 @@ public class JacksonProperties {
 		this.locale = locale;
 	}
 
-	public Boolean getLenient() {
-		return lenient;
-	}
-
-	public void setLenient(Boolean lenient) {
-		this.lenient = lenient;
-	}
-
 }
diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/jackson/JacksonAutoConfigurationTests.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/jackson/JacksonAutoConfigurationTests.java
index 10ddd64271..3d2856d576 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/jackson/JacksonAutoConfigurationTests.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/jackson/JacksonAutoConfigurationTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2012-2020 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2012-2021 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ import org.springframework.context.annotation.Primary;
 import org.springframework.http.converter.json.Jackson2ObjectMapperBuilder;
 
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThatThrownBy;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
 
 /**
@@ -304,24 +305,8 @@ class JacksonAutoConfigurationTests {
 	}
 
 	@Test
-	void disableLeniency() {
-		this.contextRunner.withPropertyValues("spring.jackson.lenient:false").run((context) -> {
-			boolean invalidFormat = false;
-			ObjectMapper mapper = context.getBean(ObjectMapper.class);
-			try {
-				mapper.readValue("{\"birthDate\": \"2010-12-30\"}", Person.class);
-			}
-			catch (InvalidFormatException e) {
-				assertThat(e).isNotNull();
-				invalidFormat = true;
-			}
-			assertThat(invalidFormat).isTrue();
-		});
-	}
-
-	@Test
-	void enableLeniency() {
-		this.contextRunner.withPropertyValues("spring.jackson.lenient:true").run((context) -> {
+	void enableDefaultLeniency() {
+		this.contextRunner.withPropertyValues("spring.jackson.default-leniency:true").run((context) -> {
 			ObjectMapper mapper = context.getBean(ObjectMapper.class);
 			Person person = mapper.readValue("{\"birthDate\": \"2010-12-30\"}", Person.class);
 			assertThat(person.getBirthDate()).isNotNull();
@@ -329,11 +314,12 @@ class JacksonAutoConfigurationTests {
 	}
 
 	@Test
-	void defaultLeniency() {
-		this.contextRunner.run((context) -> {
+	void disableDefaultLeniency() {
+		this.contextRunner.withPropertyValues("spring.jackson.default-leniency:false").run((context) -> {
 			ObjectMapper mapper = context.getBean(ObjectMapper.class);
-			Person person = mapper.readValue("{\"birthDate\": \"2010-12-30\"}", Person.class);
-			assertThat(person.getBirthDate()).isNotNull();
+			assertThatThrownBy(() -> mapper.readValue("{\"birthDate\": \"2010-12-30\"}", Person.class))
+					.isInstanceOf(InvalidFormatException.class).hasMessageContaining("expected format")
+					.hasMessageContaining("yyyyMMdd");
 		});
 	}
 
@@ -578,11 +564,11 @@ class JacksonAutoConfigurationTests {
 		@JsonFormat(pattern = "yyyyMMdd")
 		private Date birthDate;
 
-		public Date getBirthDate() {
-			return birthDate;
+		Date getBirthDate() {
+			return this.birthDate;
 		}
 
-		public void setBirthDate(Date birthDate) {
+		void setBirthDate(Date birthDate) {
 			this.birthDate = birthDate;
 		}