diff --git a/modules/java/CMakeLists.txt b/modules/java/CMakeLists.txt
index 55d8153b2..400668817 100644
--- a/modules/java/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/modules/java/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,11 +5,6 @@ if(IOS OR NOT PYTHON_EXECUTABLE OR NOT ANT_EXECUTABLE OR NOT (JNI_FOUND OR (ANDR
   ocv_module_disable(java)
 endif()
 
-if(NOT ANDROID)
-  # disable java by default because java support on desktop is experimental
-  set(BUILD_opencv_java_INIT OFF)
-endif()
-
 set(the_description "The java bindings")
 ocv_add_module(java BINDINGS opencv_core opencv_imgproc OPTIONAL opencv_objdetect opencv_features2d opencv_video opencv_highgui opencv_ml opencv_calib3d opencv_photo opencv_nonfree opencv_contrib)
 ocv_module_include_directories("${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/generator/src/cpp")