diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 22125cd6be..a8b7d3f149 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -698,7 +698,7 @@ Then simply run `make`. You can also run `make yt-dlp` instead to compile only t
 
 ## Extractor Options:
     --extractor-retries RETRIES      Number of retries for known extractor
-                                     errors (default is 10), or "infinite"
+                                     errors (default is 3), or "infinite"
     --allow-dynamic-mpd              Process dynamic DASH manifests (default)
                                      (Alias: --no-ignore-dynamic-mpd)
     --ignore-dynamic-mpd             Do not process dynamic DASH manifests
diff --git a/yt_dlp/options.py b/yt_dlp/options.py
index 866c50cb96..2d7961f0f0 100644
--- a/yt_dlp/options.py
+++ b/yt_dlp/options.py
@@ -1220,7 +1220,7 @@ def parseOpts(overrideArguments=None):
     extractor = optparse.OptionGroup(parser, 'Extractor Options')
     extractor.add_option(
         '--extractor-retries',
-        dest='extractor_retries', metavar='RETRIES', default=10,
+        dest='extractor_retries', metavar='RETRIES', default=3,
         help='Number of retries for known extractor errors (default is %default), or "infinite"')
     extractor.add_option(
         '--allow-dynamic-mpd', '--no-ignore-dynamic-mpd',