This study aims to verify family ownership’s effect on earnings management by using corporate governance as the moderation variable. This study uses data panel regression with the period of 2011–2017. Corporate governance consisted of three dimensions, namely the board of commissioners, share ownership and transparency, and disclosure and auditing. Discretionary accruals measure earnings management with a model that controls company performance. Samples are manufacturing companies listed on Indonesia Stock Exchange. Observations were conducted on 198 firms throughout the year. The results indicated that corporate governance significantly affected earnings management. However, it declined the significance of family ownership toward earnings management. Hence, corporate governance can reduce earnings management. Furthermore, of the three components of corporate governance: the board of commissioners, shareholding, and transparency, the term shareholding precisely encouraged managers to conduct earnings management. Besides, the three core bodies of corporate governance lowered the significance of shareholding toward earnings management. This study’s findings suggest that in family firms in Indonesia, earnings management is becoming more intensive than in non-family firms. Additional tests show that there is an entrenchment effect on family firms in Indonesia. Furthermore, corporate governance leads to earnings management.