diff --git a/lisp/hexl.el b/lisp/hexl.el
index 9330de1a600..f34c0f5dc49 100644
--- a/lisp/hexl.el
+++ b/lisp/hexl.el
@@ -296,7 +296,9 @@ Switch to a buffer visiting file FILENAME, creating one in none exists."
    (list
     (let ((completion-ignored-extensions nil))
       (read-file-name "Filename: " nil nil 'ret-must-match))))
-  (find-file-literally filename)
+  ;; Ignore the user's setting of default-major-mode.
+  (let ((default-major-mode 'hexl-mode))
+    (find-file-literally filename))
   (if (not (eq major-mode 'hexl-mode))
       (hexl-mode)))