diff --git a/app/operations/gimplevelsconfig.c b/app/operations/gimplevelsconfig.c
index d88f358999..d1783d2091 100644
--- a/app/operations/gimplevelsconfig.c
+++ b/app/operations/gimplevelsconfig.c
@@ -106,6 +106,11 @@ gimp_levels_config_class_init (GimpLevelsConfigClass *klass)
 
   viewable_class->default_icon_name = "gimp-tool-levels";
 
+  /* "trc" should default to GIMP_TRC_PERCEPTUAL (cf. #15962).
+   * We cannot change it until we implement GEGL op versioning.
+   * In GIMP 3.0, calling this op from the public API was always run in
+   * linear (#15681).
+   */
   GIMP_CONFIG_PROP_ENUM (object_class, PROP_TRC,
                          "trc",
                          _("Tone Reproduction Curve"),
diff --git a/app/tools/gimplevelstool.c b/app/tools/gimplevelstool.c
index a1185c11fb..4dd861bb2d 100644
--- a/app/tools/gimplevelstool.c
+++ b/app/tools/gimplevelstool.c
@@ -407,6 +407,13 @@ gimp_levels_tool_dialog (GimpFilterTool *filter_tool)
   gtk_box_pack_end (GTK_BOX (hbox), hbox2, FALSE, FALSE, 0);
 
   /*  The linear/perceptual radio buttons  */
+  /* XXX: override the default to Perceptual for the time being, until
+   * we are able to change "gimp:levels" default for "trc" directly.
+   * See #15962.
+   */
+  g_object_set (config,
+                "trc", GIMP_TRC_PERCEPTUAL,
+                NULL);
   hbox2 = gimp_prop_enum_icon_box_new (G_OBJECT (config), "trc",
                                        "gimp-color-space",
                                        -1, -1);
@@ -668,6 +675,12 @@ gimp_levels_tool_reset (GimpFilterTool *filter_tool)
   g_object_set (filter_tool->config,
                 "channel", channel,
                 NULL);
+  /* XXX: the tool defaults to Perceptual, unlike the op.
+   * See #15962.
+   */
+  g_object_set (filter_tool->config,
+                "trc", GIMP_TRC_PERCEPTUAL,
+                NULL);
 }
 
 static void