diff --git a/youtube_dl/downloader/common.py b/youtube_dl/downloader/common.py
index ca14d64bc1..a0fc5ead06 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/downloader/common.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/downloader/common.py
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ class FileDownloader(object):
         )
 
         continuedl_and_exists = (
-            self.params.get('continuedl', False) and
+            self.params.get('continuedl', True) and
             os.path.isfile(encodeFilename(filename)) and
             not self.params.get('nopart', False)
         )
diff --git a/youtube_dl/downloader/http.py b/youtube_dl/downloader/http.py
index 4047d71674..d136bebd1f 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/downloader/http.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/downloader/http.py
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ class HttpFD(FileDownloader):
 
         open_mode = 'wb'
         if resume_len != 0:
-            if self.params.get('continuedl', False):
+            if self.params.get('continuedl', True):
                 self.report_resuming_byte(resume_len)
                 request.add_header('Range', 'bytes=%d-' % resume_len)
                 open_mode = 'ab'
diff --git a/youtube_dl/downloader/rtmp.py b/youtube_dl/downloader/rtmp.py
index 89e98ae61e..ddf5724ae6 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/downloader/rtmp.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/downloader/rtmp.py
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ class RtmpFD(FileDownloader):
         protocol = info_dict.get('rtmp_protocol', None)
         real_time = info_dict.get('rtmp_real_time', False)
         no_resume = info_dict.get('no_resume', False)
-        continue_dl = info_dict.get('continuedl', False)
+        continue_dl = info_dict.get('continuedl', True)
 
         self.report_destination(filename)
         tmpfilename = self.temp_name(filename)