diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f749bf9..c922f6c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@ the macros themselves) by running `%pyproject_buildrequires` in the
     %pyproject_buildrequires
 
 This will add build dependencies according to [PEP 517] and [PEP 518].
-To also add run-time and test-time dependencies, see the section below.
+This also adds run-time dependencies by default and
+can add test-time dependencies, see the section below.
 If you need more dependencies, such as non-Python libraries, BuildRequire
 them manually.
 
@@ -68,17 +69,22 @@ And install the wheel in `%install` with `%pyproject_install`:
 Adding run-time and test-time dependencies
 ------------------------------------------
 
-To run tests in the `%check` section, the package's runtime dependencies
-often need to also be included as build requirements.
-This can be done using the `-r` flag:
+To run tests or import checks in the `%check` section,
+the package's runtime dependencies need to also be included as build requirements.
 
-    %generate_buildrequires
-    %pyproject_buildrequires -r
+Hence, `%pyproject_buildrequires` also generates runtime dependencies by default.
 
 For this to work, the project's build system must support the
 [`prepare-metadata-for-build-wheel` hook](https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0517/#prepare-metadata-for-build-wheel).
 The popular buildsystems (setuptools, flit, poetry) do support it.
 
+This behavior can be disabled
+(e.g. when the project's build system does not support it)
+using the `-R` flag:
+
+    %generate_buildrequires
+    %pyproject_buildrequires -R
+
 For projects that specify test requirements using an [`extra`
 provide](https://packaging.python.org/specifications/core-metadata/#provides-extra-multiple-use),
 these can be added using the `-x` flag.
diff --git a/macros.pyproject b/macros.pyproject
index a3e3da3..57c6d48 100644
--- a/macros.pyproject
+++ b/macros.pyproject
@@ -115,7 +115,8 @@ fi
 %toxenv %{default_toxenv}
 
 
-%pyproject_buildrequires(rxtNe:) %{expand:\\\
+%pyproject_buildrequires(rRxtNe:) %{expand:\\\
+%{-R:%{-r:%{error:The -R and -r options are mutually exclusive}}}
 %{-N:
 %{-r:%{error:The -N and -r options are mutually exclusive}}
 %{-x:%{error:The -N and -x options are mutually exclusive}}
diff --git a/pyproject-rpm-macros.spec b/pyproject-rpm-macros.spec
index b7579fb..71cfe3a 100644
--- a/pyproject-rpm-macros.spec
+++ b/pyproject-rpm-macros.spec
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ License:        MIT
 
 # Keep the version at zero and increment only release
 Version:        0
-Release:        52%{?dist}
+Release:        53%{?dist}
 
 # Macro files
 Source001:      macros.pyproject
@@ -116,6 +116,9 @@ export HOSTNAME="rpmbuild"  # to speedup tox in network-less mock, see rhbz#1856
 %license LICENSE
 
 %changelog
+* Fri Jan 14 2022 Miro Hrončok <mhroncok@redhat.com> - 0-53
+- %%pyproject_buildrequires: Make -r (include runtime) the default, use -R to opt-out
+
 * Sun Dec 19 2021 Gordon Messmer <gordon.messmer@gmail.com> - 0-52
 - Handle legacy version specifiers that would previously raise exceptions.
 
diff --git a/pyproject_buildrequires.py b/pyproject_buildrequires.py
index ba433b2..5f55b01 100644
--- a/pyproject_buildrequires.py
+++ b/pyproject_buildrequires.py
@@ -367,8 +367,12 @@ def main(argv):
         description='Generate BuildRequires for a Python project.'
     )
     parser.add_argument(
-        '-r', '--runtime', action='store_true',
-        help='Generate run-time requirements',
+        '-r', '--runtime', action='store_true', default=True,
+        help='Generate run-time requirements (default, disable with -R)',
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '-R', '--no-runtime', action='store_false', dest='runtime',
+        help="Don't generate run-time requirements (implied by -N)",
     )
     parser.add_argument(
         '-e', '--toxenv', metavar='TOXENVS', action='append',
@@ -405,6 +409,9 @@ def main(argv):
 
     args = parser.parse_args(argv)
 
+    if not args.use_build_system:
+        args.runtime = False
+
     if args.toxenv:
         args.tox = True
 
diff --git a/pyproject_buildrequires_testcases.yaml b/pyproject_buildrequires_testcases.yaml
index e951cdb..307af79 100644
--- a/pyproject_buildrequires_testcases.yaml
+++ b/pyproject_buildrequires_testcases.yaml
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ No pyproject.toml, empty setup.py:
   installed:
     setuptools: 50
     wheel: 1
+  include_runtime: false
   setup.py: |
   expected: |
     python3dist(setuptools) >= 40.8
@@ -42,6 +43,7 @@ Default build system, empty setup.py:
     setuptools: 50
     wheel: 1
     toml: 1
+  include_runtime: false
   pyproject.toml: |
     # empty
   setup.py: |
@@ -201,6 +203,7 @@ Default build system, build dependencies in setup.py:
   installed:
     setuptools: 50
     wheel: 1
+  include_runtime: false
   setup.py: |
     from setuptools import setup
     setup(
@@ -223,7 +226,6 @@ Default build system, run dependencies in setup.py:
     setuptools: 50
     wheel: 1
     pyyaml: 1
-  include_runtime: true
   setup.py: |
     from setuptools import setup
     setup(
@@ -246,7 +248,6 @@ Run dependencies with extras (not selected):
     setuptools: 50
     wheel: 1
     pyyaml: 1
-  include_runtime: true
   setup.py: &pytest_setup_py |
         # slightly abriged copy of pytest's setup.py
         from setuptools import setup
diff --git a/test_pyproject_buildrequires.py b/test_pyproject_buildrequires.py
index 9588bba..15075c5 100644
--- a/test_pyproject_buildrequires.py
+++ b/test_pyproject_buildrequires.py
@@ -40,15 +40,16 @@ def test_data(case_name, capsys, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
             )
     requirement_files = case.get('requirement_files', [])
     requirement_files = [open(f) for f in requirement_files]
+    use_build_system = case.get('use_build_system', True)
     try:
         generate_requires(
             get_installed_version=get_installed_version,
-            include_runtime=case.get('include_runtime', False),
+            include_runtime=case.get('include_runtime', use_build_system),
             extras=case.get('extras', []),
             toxenv=case.get('toxenv', None),
             generate_extras=case.get('generate_extras', False),
             requirement_files=requirement_files,
-            use_build_system=case.get('use_build_system', True),
+            use_build_system=use_build_system,
         )
     except SystemExit as e:
         assert e.code == case['result']
diff --git a/tests/double-install.spec b/tests/double-install.spec
index 93a9778..56eaa37 100644
--- a/tests/double-install.spec
+++ b/tests/double-install.spec
@@ -24,9 +24,9 @@ tar xf %{SOURCE2}
 
 %generate_buildrequires
 cd markupsafe-%{markupsafe_version}
-%pyproject_buildrequires
+%pyproject_buildrequires -R
 cd ../tldr-%{tldr_version}
-%pyproject_buildrequires
+%pyproject_buildrequires -R
 cd ..
 
 
diff --git a/tests/python-clikit.spec b/tests/python-clikit.spec
index dbb0044..0454c28 100644
--- a/tests/python-clikit.spec
+++ b/tests/python-clikit.spec
@@ -28,7 +28,8 @@ Summary:        %{summary}
 
 
 %generate_buildrequires
-%pyproject_buildrequires
+# this runtime-requires pastel<0.2 which is no longer available in Fedora
+%pyproject_buildrequires -R
 
 
 %build
diff --git a/tests/python-distroinfo.spec b/tests/python-distroinfo.spec
index c2945cc..52f8354 100644
--- a/tests/python-distroinfo.spec
+++ b/tests/python-distroinfo.spec
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ Summary:          %{summary}
 
 
 %generate_buildrequires
-%pyproject_buildrequires -r
+%pyproject_buildrequires
 
 
 %build
diff --git a/tests/python-django.spec b/tests/python-django.spec
index bb5da10..e6488db 100644
--- a/tests/python-django.spec
+++ b/tests/python-django.spec
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ Summary:        %{summary}
 
 
 %generate_buildrequires
-%pyproject_buildrequires
+%pyproject_buildrequires -R
 
 
 %build
diff --git a/tests/python-flit-core.spec b/tests/python-flit-core.spec
index d3333d8..d20d2c2 100644
--- a/tests/python-flit-core.spec
+++ b/tests/python-flit-core.spec
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ Summary:        %{summary}
 
 %generate_buildrequires
 cd flit_core
-%pyproject_buildrequires
+# this runtime-requires pytoml which is no longer available in Fedora
+%pyproject_buildrequires -R
 cd ..
 
 %build
diff --git a/tests/python-isort.spec b/tests/python-isort.spec
index 9295f50..2881fa5 100644
--- a/tests/python-isort.spec
+++ b/tests/python-isort.spec
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ Summary:            %{summary}
 
 
 %generate_buildrequires
-%pyproject_buildrequires -r
+%pyproject_buildrequires
 
 
 %build
diff --git a/tests/python-markupsafe.spec b/tests/python-markupsafe.spec
index 3f4e3bd..b400214 100644
--- a/tests/python-markupsafe.spec
+++ b/tests/python-markupsafe.spec
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ sed -Ei 's/sphinx\.git@([0-9a-f]+)/sphinx.git@\1#egg=sphinx/' requirements/docs.
 # requirements/dev.in recursively includes tests.in and docs.in
 # we also list tests.in manually to verify we can pass multiple arguments,
 # but it should be redundant if this was a real package
-%pyproject_buildrequires -r requirements/dev.in requirements/tests.in
+%pyproject_buildrequires requirements/dev.in requirements/tests.in
 
 
 %build