diff --git a/engines/scumm/gfx_gui.cpp b/engines/scumm/gfx_gui.cpp
index 876411166f3..b188dead47a 100644
--- a/engines/scumm/gfx_gui.cpp
+++ b/engines/scumm/gfx_gui.cpp
@@ -1156,9 +1156,9 @@ bool ScummEngine::executeMainMenuOperation(int op, int mouseX) {
 		ScummEngine::drawDirtyScreenParts();
 		break;
 	case GUI_CTRL_TEXT_SPEED_SLIDER:
-		_defaultTalkDelay = CLIP<int>(9 - (mouseX - 108) / 9, 0, 9);
-		ConfMan.setInt("original_gui_text_speed", _defaultTalkDelay);
-		setTalkSpeed(9 - _defaultTalkDelay);
+		_defaultTextSpeed = CLIP<int>((mouseX - 108) / 9, 0, 9);
+		ConfMan.setInt("original_gui_text_speed", _defaultTextSpeed);
+		setTalkSpeed(_defaultTextSpeed);
 		syncSoundSettings();
 		ConfMan.flushToDisk();
 		updateMainMenuControls();
diff --git a/engines/scumm/input.cpp b/engines/scumm/input.cpp
index cc2e43a254e..bac29ae0de1 100644
--- a/engines/scumm/input.cpp
+++ b/engines/scumm/input.cpp
@@ -563,6 +563,10 @@ void ScummEngine_v7::processKeyboard(Common::KeyState lastKeyHit) {
 							VAR(VAR_CHARINC) = 9;
 					}
 
+					_defaultTextSpeed = 9 - VAR(VAR_CHARINC);
+					ConfMan.setInt("original_gui_text_speed", _defaultTextSpeed);
+					setTalkSpeed(_defaultTextSpeed);
+
 					getSliderString(gsTextSpeedSlider, VAR(VAR_CHARINC), sliderString, sizeof(sliderString));
 					showBannerAndPause(0, 0, sliderString);
 					ks = Common::KEYCODE_INVALID;
@@ -949,20 +953,20 @@ void ScummEngine::processKeyboard(Common::KeyState lastKeyHit) {
 		syncSoundSettings();
 
 	} else if (optionKeysEnabled && (lastKeyHit.ascii == '-' || lastKeyHit.ascii == '+')) { // Change text speed
-		if (lastKeyHit.ascii == '+' && _defaultTalkDelay > 0)
-			_defaultTalkDelay--;
-		else if (lastKeyHit.ascii == '-' && _defaultTalkDelay < 9)
-			_defaultTalkDelay++;
+		if (lastKeyHit.ascii == '-' && _defaultTextSpeed > 0)
+			_defaultTextSpeed--;
+		else if (lastKeyHit.ascii == '+' && _defaultTextSpeed < 9)
+			_defaultTextSpeed++;
 
 		// Display the talk speed
-		ValueDisplayDialog dlg(_("Subtitle speed: "), 0, 9, 9 - _defaultTalkDelay, '+', '-');
-		_defaultTalkDelay = 9 - runDialog(dlg);
+		ValueDisplayDialog dlg(_("Subtitle speed: "), 0, 9, _defaultTextSpeed, '+', '-');
+		_defaultTextSpeed = runDialog(dlg);
 
 		// Save the new talkspeed value to ConfMan
-		setTalkSpeed(_defaultTalkDelay);
+		setTalkSpeed(_defaultTextSpeed);
 
 		if (VAR_CHARINC != 0xFF)
-			VAR(VAR_CHARINC) = _defaultTalkDelay;
+			VAR(VAR_CHARINC) = 9 - _defaultTextSpeed;
 
 	} else {
 
diff --git a/engines/scumm/saveload.cpp b/engines/scumm/saveload.cpp
index 487f46a3480..080b0ec68d6 100644
--- a/engines/scumm/saveload.cpp
+++ b/engines/scumm/saveload.cpp
@@ -789,7 +789,7 @@ bool ScummEngine::loadState(int slot, bool compat, Common::String &filename) {
 		if (_game.version == 8)
 			_scummVars[VAR_CHARINC] = (_game.features & GF_DEMO) ? 3 : 1;
 		// Needed due to subtitle speed changes
-		_defaultTalkDelay /= 20;
+		_defaultTextSpeed /= 20;
 	}
 
 	// For a long time, we used incorrect locations for some camera related
@@ -1325,7 +1325,7 @@ void ScummEngine::saveLoadWithSerializer(Common::Serializer &s) {
 	s.syncAsByte(_useTalkAnims, VER(8));
 
 	s.syncAsSint16LE(_talkDelay, VER(8));
-	s.syncAsSint16LE(_defaultTalkDelay, VER(8));
+	s.syncAsSint16LE(_defaultTextSpeed, VER(8));
 	s.skip(2, VER(8), VER(27)); // _numInMsgStack
 	s.syncAsByte(_sentenceNum, VER(8));
 
diff --git a/engines/scumm/scumm.cpp b/engines/scumm/scumm.cpp
index 3e9e06b0f39..6c16194881e 100644
--- a/engines/scumm/scumm.cpp
+++ b/engines/scumm/scumm.cpp
@@ -1240,6 +1240,11 @@ Common::Error ScummEngine::init() {
 			ConfMan.setBool("subtitles", true);
 	}
 
+	// While most games set their own default talkspeed at start-up,
+	// some don't, so let's preventively set a default one.
+	if (!ConfMan.hasKey("talkspeed", _targetName))
+		setTalkSpeed(_defaultTextSpeed);
+
 	syncSoundSettings();
 
 	return Common::kNoError;
@@ -1674,7 +1679,7 @@ void ScummEngine::resetScumm() {
 	_varwatch = -1;
 	_screenStartStrip = 0;
 
-	_defaultTalkDelay = 3;
+	_defaultTextSpeed = 6;
 	_talkDelay = 0;
 	_keepText = false;
 	_nextLeft = 0;
@@ -2116,16 +2121,10 @@ void ScummEngine::syncSoundSettings() {
 				ConfMan.setInt("original_gui_text_speed", getTalkSpeed());
 			}
 
-			_defaultTalkDelay = ConfMan.getInt("original_gui_text_speed");
+			_defaultTextSpeed = ConfMan.getInt("original_gui_text_speed");
 
-			// In the original games the talk delay is represented as text speed,
-			// so we have to invert the value:
-			// - 9 is the highest text speed possible;
-			// - 0 is the lowest text speed possible.
 			if (VAR_CHARINC != 0xFF)
-				VAR(VAR_CHARINC) = 9 - _defaultTalkDelay;
-		} else if (_game.version != 8) {
-			ConfMan.setInt("original_gui_text_speed", getTalkSpeed());
+				VAR(VAR_CHARINC) = 9 - _defaultTextSpeed;
 		}
 
 		if (_game.version >= 7 && _imuseDigital) {
@@ -2168,14 +2167,10 @@ void ScummEngine::syncSoundSettings() {
 		VAR(VAR_VOICE_MODE) = _voiceMode;
 
 	if (ConfMan.hasKey("talkspeed", _targetName)) {
-		_defaultTalkDelay = getTalkSpeed();
+		_defaultTextSpeed = getTalkSpeed();
 
-		// In the original games the talk delay is represented as text speed,
-		// so we have to invert the value:
-		// - 9 is the highest text speed possible;
-		// - 0 is the lowest text speed possible.
 		if (VAR_CHARINC != 0xFF)
-			VAR(VAR_CHARINC) = 9 - _defaultTalkDelay;
+			VAR(VAR_CHARINC) = 9 - _defaultTextSpeed;
 	}
 
 	// Backyard Baseball 2003 uses a unique subtitle variable,
@@ -2871,7 +2866,7 @@ void ScummEngine_v5::scummLoop_handleSaveLoad() {
 
 		// For LOOM VGA Talkie, we restore the text glyphs on top of the note verbs
 		// and also restore the text description on top of the image of the selected
-		// object in the bottom right corner. 
+		// object in the bottom right corner.
 		// These text parts are not actually connected to the verbs (which are image
 		// verbs only). redrawVerbs() will not restore them. They require some script
 		// work. The original interpreter just sets this variable after loading.
diff --git a/engines/scumm/scumm.h b/engines/scumm/scumm.h
index 4f74d275ec2..ba82305e47f 100644
--- a/engines/scumm/scumm.h
+++ b/engines/scumm/scumm.h
@@ -1345,7 +1345,7 @@ protected:
 
 	bool _haveActorSpeechMsg = false;
 	bool _useTalkAnims = false;
-	uint16 _defaultTalkDelay = 0;
+	uint16 _defaultTextSpeed = 0;
 	int _saveSound = 0;
 	bool _native_mt32 = false;
 	bool _enable_gs = false;
diff --git a/engines/scumm/string.cpp b/engines/scumm/string.cpp
index 2a79c4da053..8e9e41f8ed7 100644
--- a/engines/scumm/string.cpp
+++ b/engines/scumm/string.cpp
@@ -790,7 +790,7 @@ void ScummEngine::CHARSET_1() {
 				restoreCharsetBg();
 		_msgCount = 0;
 	} else if (_game.version <= 2) {
-		_talkDelay += _msgCount * _defaultTalkDelay;
+		_talkDelay += _msgCount * _defaultTextSpeed;
 	}
 
 	if (_game.version > 3) {
@@ -892,7 +892,7 @@ void ScummEngine::CHARSET_1() {
 			mac_drawIndy3TextBox();
 
 		if (_game.version <= 2) {
-			_talkDelay += _defaultTalkDelay;
+			_talkDelay += _defaultTextSpeed;
 			VAR(VAR_CHARCOUNT)++;
 		} else {
 			_talkDelay += (int)VAR(VAR_CHARINC);