diff --git a/priv/leveled.schema b/priv/leveled.schema
index de05d311..24303c01 100644
--- a/priv/leveled.schema
+++ b/priv/leveled.schema
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
 %% compression) within term_to_binary
 {mapping, "leveled.compression_method", "leveled.compression_method", [
   {datatype, {enum, [native, lz4, zstd, none]}},
-  {default, native}
+  {default, zstd}
 ]}.
 
 %% @doc Ledger compression
diff --git a/priv/leveled_multi.schema b/priv/leveled_multi.schema
index 06d4d564..22dd6caa 100644
--- a/priv/leveled_multi.schema
+++ b/priv/leveled_multi.schema
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 %% within term_to_binary
 {mapping, "multi_backend.$name.leveled.compression_method", "riak_kv.multi_backend", [
   {datatype, {enum, [native, lz4, zstd, none]}},
-  {default, native},
+  {default, zstd},
   hidden
 ]}.