diff --git Mk/bsd.default-versions.mk Mk/bsd.default-versions.mk
index 2c04642..5aa3cee 100644
--- Mk/bsd.default-versions.mk
+++ Mk/bsd.default-versions.mk
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ MYSQL_DEFAULT?=		5.6
 # Possible values: 5.18, 5.20, 5.22, devel
 .if !exists(${LOCALBASE}/bin/perl) || (!defined(_PORTS_ENV_CHECK) && \
     defined(PACKAGE_BUILDING))
-PERL5_DEFAULT?=		5.20
+PERL5_DEFAULT?=		5.24
 .elif !defined(PERL5_DEFAULT)
 # There's no need to replace development versions, like "5.23" with "devel"
 # because 1) nobody is supposed to use it outside of poudriere, and 2) it must