diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/graphite/GraphiteProperties.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/graphite/GraphiteProperties.java
index 3dec132528a..bb5629b2e37 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/graphite/GraphiteProperties.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/graphite/GraphiteProperties.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import io.micrometer.graphite.GraphiteProtocol;
 
 import org.springframework.boot.context.properties.ConfigurationProperties;
+import org.springframework.util.ObjectUtils;
 
 /**
  * {@link ConfigurationProperties @ConfigurationProperties} for configuring Graphite
@@ -71,9 +72,9 @@ public class GraphiteProperties {
 
 	/**
 	 * Whether Graphite tags should be used, as opposed to a hierarchical naming
-	 * convention.
+	 * convention. Enabled by default unless "tagsAsPrefix" is set.
 	 */
-	private boolean graphiteTagsEnabled = true;
+	private Boolean graphiteTagsEnabled;
 
 	/**
 	 * For the hierarchical naming convention, turn the specified tag keys into part of
@@ -137,11 +138,11 @@ public class GraphiteProperties {
 		this.protocol = protocol;
 	}
 
-	public boolean isGraphiteTagsEnabled() {
-		return this.graphiteTagsEnabled;
+	public Boolean getGraphiteTagsEnabled() {
+		return (this.graphiteTagsEnabled != null) ? this.graphiteTagsEnabled : ObjectUtils.isEmpty(this.tagsAsPrefix);
 	}
 
-	public void setGraphiteTagsEnabled(boolean graphiteTagsEnabled) {
+	public void setGraphiteTagsEnabled(Boolean graphiteTagsEnabled) {
 		this.graphiteTagsEnabled = graphiteTagsEnabled;
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/graphite/GraphitePropertiesConfigAdapter.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/graphite/GraphitePropertiesConfigAdapter.java
index bc890397995..4e3d894b991 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/graphite/GraphitePropertiesConfigAdapter.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/graphite/GraphitePropertiesConfigAdapter.java
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ class GraphitePropertiesConfigAdapter extends PropertiesConfigAdapter<GraphitePr
 
 	@Override
 	public boolean graphiteTagsEnabled() {
-		return get(GraphiteProperties::isGraphiteTagsEnabled, GraphiteConfig.super::graphiteTagsEnabled);
+		return get(GraphiteProperties::getGraphiteTagsEnabled, GraphiteConfig.super::graphiteTagsEnabled);
 	}
 
 	@Override
diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/graphite/GraphiteMetricsExportAutoConfigurationTests.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/graphite/GraphiteMetricsExportAutoConfigurationTests.java
index b4954953826..6753b55cca4 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/graphite/GraphiteMetricsExportAutoConfigurationTests.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/graphite/GraphiteMetricsExportAutoConfigurationTests.java
@@ -47,26 +47,26 @@ class GraphiteMetricsExportAutoConfigurationTests {
 	}
 
 	@Test
-	void autoConfiguresUseTagsAsPrefixIsIgnoredByDefault() {
+	void autoConfiguresUseTagsAsPrefix() {
 		this.contextRunner.withUserConfiguration(BaseConfiguration.class)
-				.withPropertyValues("management.metrics.export.graphite.tags-as-prefix=ignored").run((context) -> {
+				.withPropertyValues("management.metrics.export.graphite.tags-as-prefix=app").run((context) -> {
 					assertThat(context).hasSingleBean(GraphiteMeterRegistry.class);
 					GraphiteMeterRegistry registry = context.getBean(GraphiteMeterRegistry.class);
 					registry.counter("test.count", Tags.of("app", "myapp"));
-					assertThat(registry.getDropwizardRegistry().getMeters()).containsOnlyKeys("test.count;app=myapp");
+					assertThat(registry.getDropwizardRegistry().getMeters()).containsOnlyKeys("myapp.testCount");
 				});
 	}
 
 	@Test
-	void autoConfiguresUseTagsAsPrefix() {
+	void autoConfiguresWithTagsAsPrefixCanBeDisabled() {
 		this.contextRunner.withUserConfiguration(BaseConfiguration.class)
 				.withPropertyValues("management.metrics.export.graphite.tags-as-prefix=app",
-						"management.metrics.export.graphite.graphite-tags-enabled=false")
+						"management.metrics.export.graphite.graphite-tags-enabled=true")
 				.run((context) -> {
 					assertThat(context).hasSingleBean(GraphiteMeterRegistry.class);
 					GraphiteMeterRegistry registry = context.getBean(GraphiteMeterRegistry.class);
 					registry.counter("test.count", Tags.of("app", "myapp"));
-					assertThat(registry.getDropwizardRegistry().getMeters()).containsOnlyKeys("myapp.testCount");
+					assertThat(registry.getDropwizardRegistry().getMeters()).containsOnlyKeys("test.count;app=myapp");
 				});
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/graphite/GraphitePropertiesTests.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/graphite/GraphitePropertiesTests.java
index 5e0ed18fc5d..ea3cf5358cf 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/graphite/GraphitePropertiesTests.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/graphite/GraphitePropertiesTests.java
@@ -39,8 +39,23 @@ class GraphitePropertiesTests {
 		assertThat(properties.getHost()).isEqualTo(config.host());
 		assertThat(properties.getPort()).isEqualTo(config.port());
 		assertThat(properties.getProtocol()).isEqualTo(config.protocol());
-		assertThat(properties.isGraphiteTagsEnabled()).isEqualTo(config.graphiteTagsEnabled());
+		assertThat(properties.getGraphiteTagsEnabled()).isEqualTo(config.graphiteTagsEnabled());
 		assertThat(properties.getTagsAsPrefix()).isEqualTo(config.tagsAsPrefix());
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	void graphiteTagsAreDisabledIfTagsAsPrefixIsSet() {
+		GraphiteProperties properties = new GraphiteProperties();
+		properties.setTagsAsPrefix(new String[] { "app" });
+		assertThat(properties.getGraphiteTagsEnabled()).isFalse();
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	void graphiteTagsCanBeEnabledEvenIfTagsAsPrefixIsSet() {
+		GraphiteProperties properties = new GraphiteProperties();
+		properties.setGraphiteTagsEnabled(true);
+		properties.setTagsAsPrefix(new String[] { "app" });
+		assertThat(properties.getGraphiteTagsEnabled()).isTrue();
+	}
+
 }