diff --git a/bgfilter/settings.py b/bgfilter/settings.py
index fd8eefb..fe95a47 100644
--- a/bgfilter/settings.py
+++ b/bgfilter/settings.py
@@ -122,7 +122,12 @@ class ForegroundSettings:
 
 @dataclass(frozen=True)
 class DespillSettings:
-    enabled: bool = True
+    # Off by default: despill pulls foreground chroma along the background-hue axis
+    # with no positional or semantic guard, so a subject sharing the background's hue
+    # (e.g. a blue suit on a blue backdrop) is desaturated/hue-shifted (~ΔE 35, blue
+    # -> purple). This is the root default the cpu-fast lane inherits. Re-enable
+    # per-config or with --despill only when edge spill genuinely matters.
+    enabled: bool = False
     edge_low: float = 0.005
     strength: float = 0.92
     edge_expand_radius: int = 2
diff --git a/configs/default.yaml b/configs/default.yaml
index 04d795a..b9b5192 100644
--- a/configs/default.yaml
+++ b/configs/default.yaml
@@ -110,7 +110,10 @@ foreground:
   bg_confidence_weight: 0.70
 
 despill:
-  enabled: true
+  # Off: despill has no positional/semantic guard, so a subject sharing the
+  # background's hue (blue suit on a blue backdrop) gets desaturated/hue-shifted
+  # (~ΔE 35, blue -> purple). Re-enable per-job only when edge spill matters.
+  enabled: false
   edge_low: 0.005
   strength: 0.92
   edge_expand_radius: 2