diff --git a/CHANGES.rst b/CHANGES.rst
index 7c259eac..10a06eaa 100644
--- a/CHANGES.rst
+++ b/CHANGES.rst
@@ -4,6 +4,15 @@ Version 2.3.0
 Unreleased
 
 
+Version 2.2.2
+-------------
+
+Unreleased
+
+-   Fix the default value for ``app.env`` to be ``"production"``. This
+    attribute remains deprecated. :issue:`4740`
+
+
 Version 2.2.1
 -------------
 
diff --git a/src/flask/__init__.py b/src/flask/__init__.py
index 6acd1e0b..185a465a 100644
--- a/src/flask/__init__.py
+++ b/src/flask/__init__.py
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ from .templating import render_template_string as render_template_string
 from .templating import stream_template as stream_template
 from .templating import stream_template_string as stream_template_string
 
-__version__ = "2.2.1"
+__version__ = "2.3.0.dev"
 
 
 def __getattr__(name):
diff --git a/src/flask/app.py b/src/flask/app.py
index 965865f2..db442c9e 100644
--- a/src/flask/app.py
+++ b/src/flask/app.py
@@ -827,7 +827,7 @@ class Flask(Scaffold):
         if instance_relative:
             root_path = self.instance_path
         defaults = dict(self.default_config)
-        defaults["ENV"] = os.environ.get("FLASK_ENV") or "development"
+        defaults["ENV"] = os.environ.get("FLASK_ENV") or "production"
         defaults["DEBUG"] = get_debug_flag()
         return self.config_class(root_path, defaults)