diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index d0f84dbfa6..859ed36b8f 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ option('qemu_user', type: 'string', value: '', description: 'username to run QEM
 option('qemu_group', type: 'string', value: '', description: 'groupname to run QEMU system instance as')
 option('qemu_moddir', type: 'string', value: '', description: 'set the directory where QEMU modules are located')
 option('driver_remote', type: 'feature', value: 'auto', description: 'remote driver')
-option('remote_default_mode', type: 'combo', choices: ['legacy', 'direct'], value: 'legacy', description: 'remote driver default mode')
+option('remote_default_mode', type: 'combo', choices: ['legacy', 'direct'], value: 'direct', description: 'remote driver default mode')
 option('driver_secrets', type: 'feature', value: 'auto', description: 'local secrets management driver')
 option('driver_test', type: 'feature', value: 'auto', description: 'test driver')
 option('driver_vbox', type: 'feature', value: 'auto', description: 'VirtualBox XPCOMC driver')