diff --git a/docs/config/shared-options.md b/docs/config/shared-options.md
index 774c35df42a5a5..c6a14b24cbc830 100644
--- a/docs/config/shared-options.md
+++ b/docs/config/shared-options.md
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ export default defineConfig({
 })
 ```
 
-When [`build.minify`](./build-options.md#build-minify) is `true`, you can configure to only minify [certain aspects](https://esbuild.github.io/api/#minify) of the code by setting either of `esbuild.minifyIdentifiers`, `esbuild.minifySyntax`, and `esbuild.minifyWhitespace` to `true`. Note the `esbuild.minify` option can't be used to override `build.minify`.
+When [`build.minify`](./build-options.md#build-minify) is `true`, all minify optimizations are applied by default. To disable [certain aspects](https://esbuild.github.io/api/#minify) of it, set any of `esbuild.minifyIdentifiers`, `esbuild.minifySyntax`, or `esbuild.minifyWhitespace` options to `false`. Note the `esbuild.minify` option can't be used to override `build.minify`.
 
 Set to `false` to disable esbuild transforms.
 
diff --git a/packages/vite/src/node/__tests__/plugins/esbuild.spec.ts b/packages/vite/src/node/__tests__/plugins/esbuild.spec.ts
index 50e9183b46e64c..5f063301799cff 100644
--- a/packages/vite/src/node/__tests__/plugins/esbuild.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/vite/src/node/__tests__/plugins/esbuild.spec.ts
@@ -41,6 +41,31 @@ describe('resolveEsbuildTranspileOptions', () => {
     expect(options).toEqual(null)
   })
 
+  test('resolve specific minify options', () => {
+    const options = resolveEsbuildTranspileOptions(
+      defineResolvedConfig({
+        build: {
+          minify: 'esbuild'
+        },
+        esbuild: {
+          keepNames: true,
+          minifyIdentifiers: false
+        }
+      }),
+      'es'
+    )
+    expect(options).toEqual({
+      target: undefined,
+      format: 'esm',
+      keepNames: true,
+      minify: false,
+      minifyIdentifiers: false,
+      minifySyntax: true,
+      minifyWhitespace: true,
+      treeShaking: true
+    })
+  })
+
   test('resolve no minify', () => {
     const options = resolveEsbuildTranspileOptions(
       defineResolvedConfig({
@@ -140,6 +165,7 @@ describe('resolveEsbuildTranspileOptions', () => {
       keepNames: true,
       minify: false,
       minifyIdentifiers: true,
+      minifySyntax: true,
       minifyWhitespace: false,
       treeShaking: true
     })
@@ -157,7 +183,7 @@ describe('resolveEsbuildTranspileOptions', () => {
         esbuild: {
           keepNames: true,
           minifyIdentifiers: true,
-          minifyWhitespace: true,
+          minifySyntax: false,
           treeShaking: true
         }
       }),
@@ -169,6 +195,7 @@ describe('resolveEsbuildTranspileOptions', () => {
       keepNames: true,
       minify: false,
       minifyIdentifiers: true,
+      minifySyntax: false,
       minifyWhitespace: true,
       treeShaking: true
     })
diff --git a/packages/vite/src/node/plugins/css.ts b/packages/vite/src/node/plugins/css.ts
index 11fea0f1133dfb..50a835e9ad707c 100644
--- a/packages/vite/src/node/plugins/css.ts
+++ b/packages/vite/src/node/plugins/css.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import type Sass from 'sass'
 import type Stylus from 'stylus'
 import type Less from 'less'
 import type { Alias } from 'types/alias'
-import type { TransformOptions } from 'esbuild';
+import type { TransformOptions } from 'esbuild'
 import { formatMessages, transform } from 'esbuild'
 import type { RawSourceMap } from '@ampproject/remapping'
 import { getCodeWithSourcemap, injectSourcesContent } from '../server/sourcemap'
@@ -1237,14 +1237,14 @@ function resolveEsbuildMinifyOptions(
   options: ESBuildOptions
 ): TransformOptions {
   if (
-    options.minifyIdentifiers ||
-    options.minifySyntax ||
-    options.minifyWhitespace
+    options.minifyIdentifiers != null ||
+    options.minifySyntax != null ||
+    options.minifyWhitespace != null
   ) {
     return {
-      minifyIdentifiers: options.minifyIdentifiers,
-      minifySyntax: options.minifySyntax,
-      minifyWhitespace: options.minifyWhitespace
+      minifyIdentifiers: options.minifyIdentifiers ?? true,
+      minifySyntax: options.minifySyntax ?? true,
+      minifyWhitespace: options.minifyWhitespace ?? true
     }
   } else {
     return { minify: true }
diff --git a/packages/vite/src/node/plugins/esbuild.ts b/packages/vite/src/node/plugins/esbuild.ts
index ee1c36db651849..42e5bbac76316a 100644
--- a/packages/vite/src/node/plugins/esbuild.ts
+++ b/packages/vite/src/node/plugins/esbuild.ts
@@ -318,15 +318,17 @@ export function resolveEsbuildTranspileOptions(
 
   // If user enable fine-grain minify options, minify with their options instead
   if (
-    options.minifyIdentifiers ||
-    options.minifySyntax ||
-    options.minifyWhitespace
+    options.minifyIdentifiers != null ||
+    options.minifySyntax != null ||
+    options.minifyWhitespace != null
   ) {
     if (isEsLibBuild) {
       // Disable minify whitespace as it breaks tree-shaking
       return {
         ...options,
         minify: false,
+        minifyIdentifiers: options.minifyIdentifiers ?? true,
+        minifySyntax: options.minifySyntax ?? true,
         minifyWhitespace: false,
         treeShaking: true
       }
@@ -334,6 +336,9 @@ export function resolveEsbuildTranspileOptions(
       return {
         ...options,
         minify: false,
+        minifyIdentifiers: options.minifyIdentifiers ?? true,
+        minifySyntax: options.minifySyntax ?? true,
+        minifyWhitespace: options.minifyWhitespace ?? true,
         treeShaking: true
       }
     }
diff --git a/playground/minify/vite.config.js b/playground/minify/vite.config.js
index 50a0a2da3566fb..43eca91a5c0f30 100644
--- a/playground/minify/vite.config.js
+++ b/playground/minify/vite.config.js
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import { defineConfig } from 'vite'
 
 export default defineConfig({
   esbuild: {
-    minifyIdentifiers: true,
-    minifyWhitespace: true
+    minifySyntax: false
   }
 })