diff --git a/tap-snapshots/test/lib/commands/config.js.test.cjs b/tap-snapshots/test/lib/commands/config.js.test.cjs
index 6617b3a0827f7..26855af19bbd0 100644
--- a/tap-snapshots/test/lib/commands/config.js.test.cjs
+++ b/tap-snapshots/test/lib/commands/config.js.test.cjs
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ exports[`test/lib/commands/config.js TAP config list --json > output matches sna
   "init-author-email": "",
   "init-author-name": "",
   "init-author-url": "",
-  "init-license": "ISC",
+  "init-license": "",
   "init-module": "{CWD}/home/.npm-init.js",
   "init-type": "commonjs",
   "init-version": "1.0.0",
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ exports[`test/lib/commands/config.js TAP config list --json > output matches sna
   "init.author.email": "",
   "init.author.name": "",
   "init.author.url": "",
-  "init.license": "ISC",
+  "init.license": "",
   "init.module": "{CWD}/home/.npm-init.js",
   "init.version": "1.0.0",
   "install-links": false,
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ include-workspace-root = false
 init-author-email = ""
 init-author-name = ""
 init-author-url = ""
-init-license = "ISC"
+init-license = ""
 init-module = "{CWD}/home/.npm-init.js"
 init-private = false
 init-type = "commonjs"
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ init-version = "1.0.0"
 init.author.email = ""
 init.author.name = ""
 init.author.url = ""
-init.license = "ISC"
+init.license = ""
 init.module = "{CWD}/home/.npm-init.js"
 init.version = "1.0.0"
 install-links = false
diff --git a/tap-snapshots/test/lib/docs.js.test.cjs b/tap-snapshots/test/lib/docs.js.test.cjs
index 2f8891f886263..70d760cad616f 100644
--- a/tap-snapshots/test/lib/docs.js.test.cjs
+++ b/tap-snapshots/test/lib/docs.js.test.cjs
@@ -888,10 +888,11 @@ homepage.
 
 #### \`init-license\`
 
-* Default: "ISC"
+* Default: ""
 * Type: String
 
-The value \`npm init\` should use by default for the package license.
+The value \`npm init\` should use by default for the package license. If not
+set, the license field will be omitted from new packages.
 
 
 
@@ -2145,7 +2146,7 @@ Alias for \`--init-author-url\`
 
 #### \`init.license\`
 
-* Default: "ISC"
+* Default: ""
 * Type: String
 * DEPRECATED: Use \`--init-license\` instead.
 
diff --git a/test/lib/commands/init.js b/test/lib/commands/init.js
index 1b59cc418c678..7e79098a55848 100644
--- a/test/lib/commands/init.js
+++ b/test/lib/commands/init.js
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ t.test('classic npm init -y', async t => {
 
   const pkg = require(resolve(prefix, 'package.json'))
   t.equal(pkg.version, '1.0.0')
-  t.equal(pkg.license, 'ISC')
+  t.equal(pkg.license, undefined, 'license is omitted by default')
 })
 
 t.test('classic interactive npm init', async t => {
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ t.test('workspaces', async t => {
     const pkg = require(resolve(prefix, 'a/package.json'))
     t.equal(pkg.name, 'a')
     t.equal(pkg.version, '1.0.0')
-    t.equal(pkg.license, 'ISC')
+    t.equal(pkg.license, undefined, 'license is omitted by default')
 
     t.matchSnapshot(joinedOutput(), 'should print helper info')
 
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ t.test('workspaces', async t => {
     const pkg = require(resolve(prefix, 'packages/a/package.json'))
     t.equal(pkg.name, 'a')
     t.equal(pkg.version, '2.0.0')
-    t.equal(pkg.license, 'ISC')
+    t.equal(pkg.license, undefined, 'license is omitted by default')
   })
 
   await t.test('fail parsing top-level package.json to set workspace', async t => {
@@ -422,12 +422,12 @@ t.test('workspaces', async t => {
 
     const pkg = require(resolve(npm.localPrefix, 'package.json'))
     t.equal(pkg.version, '1.0.0')
-    t.equal(pkg.license, 'ISC')
+    t.equal(pkg.license, undefined, 'license is omitted by default')
     t.strictSame(pkg.workspaces, ['packages/a'])
 
     const ws = require(resolve(npm.localPrefix, 'packages/a/package.json'))
     t.equal(ws.version, '1.0.0')
-    t.equal(ws.license, 'ISC')
+    t.equal(ws.license, undefined, 'license is omitted by default')
   })
   t.test('init pkg - installed workspace package', async t => {
     const { npm } = await mockNpm(t, {
diff --git a/workspaces/config/lib/definitions/definitions.js b/workspaces/config/lib/definitions/definitions.js
index 7c5b2ce170d89..a75b7a39d7a6e 100644
--- a/workspaces/config/lib/definitions/definitions.js
+++ b/workspaces/config/lib/definitions/definitions.js
@@ -983,11 +983,12 @@ const definitions = {
     `,
   }),
   'init-license': new Definition('init-license', {
-    default: 'ISC',
+    default: '',
     hint: '<license>',
     type: String,
     description: `
       The value \`npm init\` should use by default for the package license.
+      If not set, the license field will be omitted from new packages.
     `,
   }),
   'init-module': new Definition('init-module', {
@@ -1058,7 +1059,7 @@ const definitions = {
     `,
   }),
   'init.license': new Definition('init.license', {
-    default: 'ISC',
+    default: '',
     type: String,
     deprecated: `
       Use \`--init-license\` instead.