diff --git a/build_overrides/dawn.gni b/build_overrides/dawn.gni
index b7c77d41f3..4b453fb909 100644
--- a/build_overrides/dawn.gni
+++ b/build_overrides/dawn.gni
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 # Dawn's repository.
 
 # Whether we are building from Dawn's repository.
-# MUST be set to false in other projects.
+# MUST be unset in other projects (will default to false).
 dawn_standalone = true
 
 # Defaults for these are set again in dawn_overrides_with_defaults.gni so that
diff --git a/scripts/dawn_overrides_with_defaults.gni b/scripts/dawn_overrides_with_defaults.gni
index 3095ca54a5..5ac07c0e6a 100644
--- a/scripts/dawn_overrides_with_defaults.gni
+++ b/scripts/dawn_overrides_with_defaults.gni
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@
 
 import("//build_overrides/dawn.gni")
 
+if (!defined(dawn_standalone)) {
+  dawn_standalone = false
+}
+
 if (!defined(dawn_spirv_cross_dir)) {
   dawn_spirv_cross_dir = "//third_party/spirv-cross"
 }