diff --git a/etc/cmake/options.cmake b/etc/cmake/options.cmake
index c756e9ea7f9..8825fb14d6e 100644
--- a/etc/cmake/options.cmake
+++ b/etc/cmake/options.cmake
@@ -229,6 +229,7 @@ ot_option(OT_NAT64_TRANSLATOR OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_NAT64_TRANSLATOR_ENABLE "NAT64 t
 ot_option(OT_NEIGHBOR_DISCOVERY_AGENT OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_NEIGHBOR_DISCOVERY_AGENT_ENABLE "neighbor discovery agent")
 ot_option(OT_NETDATA_PUBLISHER OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_NETDATA_PUBLISHER_ENABLE "Network Data publisher")
 ot_option(OT_NETDIAG_CLIENT OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_TMF_NETDIAG_CLIENT_ENABLE "Network Diagnostic client")
+ot_option(OT_NETDIAG_VENDOR_INFO OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_NET_DIAG_VENDOR_INFO_SET_API_ENABLE "Allow setting vendor info at runtime")
 ot_option(OT_OPERATIONAL_DATASET_AUTO_INIT OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_OPERATIONAL_DATASET_AUTO_INIT "operational dataset auto init")
 ot_option(OT_OTNS OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_OTNS_ENABLE "OTNS")
 ot_option(OT_PING_SENDER OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_PING_SENDER_ENABLE "ping sender" ${OT_APP_CLI})
diff --git a/src/core/config/network_diagnostic.h b/src/core/config/network_diagnostic.h
index 6f670efc7fb..32f23c293cd 100644
--- a/src/core/config/network_diagnostic.h
+++ b/src/core/config/network_diagnostic.h
@@ -97,9 +97,11 @@
  * config can be used to add API to change Vendor Name, Model, and SW Version at run-time. In this case, the strings in
  * `OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_NET_DIAG_VENDOR_*` are treated as the default values (used when OT stack is initialized).
  *
+ * Enabled by default for reference devices, when `OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_REFERENCE_DEVICE_ENABLE` is defined.
+ *
  */
 #ifndef OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_NET_DIAG_VENDOR_INFO_SET_API_ENABLE
-#define OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_NET_DIAG_VENDOR_INFO_SET_API_ENABLE 0
+#define OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_NET_DIAG_VENDOR_INFO_SET_API_ENABLE OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_REFERENCE_DEVICE_ENABLE
 #endif
 
 /**