diff --git a/.changelog/21759.txt b/.changelog/21759.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..6a3e389b0bf1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/21759.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+```release-note:enhancement
+raft: use raft-wal as the default raft log store.
+```
diff --git a/agent/config/builder.go b/agent/config/builder.go
index f8d0df7b5c93..0e86cfc1586d 100644
--- a/agent/config/builder.go
+++ b/agent/config/builder.go
@@ -2840,7 +2840,7 @@ func (b *builder) raftLogStoreConfigVal(raw *RaftLogStoreRaw) consul.RaftLogStor
 		cfg.Backend = stringValWithDefault(raw.Backend, consul.LogStoreBackendDefault)
 		cfg.DisableLogCache = boolVal(raw.DisableLogCache)
 
-		cfg.Verification.Enabled = boolVal(raw.Verification.Enabled)
+		cfg.Verification.Enabled = boolValWithDefault(raw.Verification.Enabled, true)
 		cfg.Verification.Interval = b.durationVal("raft_logstore.verification.interval", raw.Verification.Interval)
 
 		cfg.BoltDB.NoFreelistSync = boolVal(raw.BoltDBConfig.NoFreelistSync)
diff --git a/agent/consul/server.go b/agent/consul/server.go
index 979d9e3cd434..08b318b804f9 100644
--- a/agent/consul/server.go
+++ b/agent/consul/server.go
@@ -1055,26 +1055,23 @@ func (s *Server) setupRaft() error {
 			stable = wal
 			return nil
 		}
-		// Only use WAL if there is no existing raft.db, even if it's enabled.
+
+		// Default to WAL if there is no existing raft.db, even if it's enabled. Log a warning otherwise
 		if s.config.LogStoreConfig.Backend == LogStoreBackendDefault && !boltFileExists {
 			s.config.LogStoreConfig.Backend = LogStoreBackendWAL
-			if !s.config.LogStoreConfig.Verification.Enabled {
-				s.config.LogStoreConfig.Verification.Enabled = true
-				s.config.LogStoreConfig.Verification.Interval = 1 * time.Minute
-			}
-			if err = initWAL(); err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-		} else if s.config.LogStoreConfig.Backend == LogStoreBackendWAL && !boltFileExists {
+		} else if s.config.LogStoreConfig.Backend == LogStoreBackendWAL || s.config.LogStoreConfig.Backend == LogStoreBackendDefault {
+			// User configured the new storage, but still has old raft.db. Warn
+			// them!
+			s.logger.Warn("BoltDB file raft.db found, IGNORING raft_logstore.backend which is set to 'wal'")
+		}
+
+		// Only use WAL if there is no existing raft.db, even if it's enabled.
+		if s.config.LogStoreConfig.Backend == LogStoreBackendWAL && !boltFileExists {
+			s.config.LogStoreConfig.Backend = LogStoreBackendWAL
 			if err = initWAL(); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 		} else {
-			if s.config.LogStoreConfig.Backend == LogStoreBackendWAL {
-				// User configured the new storage, but still has old raft.db. Warn
-				// them!
-				s.logger.Warn("BoltDB file raft.db found, IGNORING raft_logstore.backend which is set to 'wal'")
-			}
 			s.config.LogStoreConfig.Backend = LogStoreBackendBoltDB
 			// Create the backend raft store for logs and stable storage.
 			store, err := raftboltdb.New(raftboltdb.Options{
@@ -1096,11 +1093,14 @@ func (s *Server) setupRaft() error {
 
 		// See if log verification is enabled
 		if s.config.LogStoreConfig.Verification.Enabled {
+			if s.config.LogStoreConfig.Verification.Interval == 0 {
+				s.config.LogStoreConfig.Verification.Interval = 1 * time.Minute
+			}
 			mc := walmetrics.NewGoMetricsCollector([]string{"raft", "logstore", "verifier"}, nil, nil)
 			reportFn := makeLogVerifyReportFn(s.logger.Named("raft.logstore.verifier"))
-			verifier := verifier.NewLogStore(log, isLogVerifyCheckpoint, reportFn, mc)
-			s.raftStore = verifier
-			log = verifier
+			v := verifier.NewLogStore(log, isLogVerifyCheckpoint, reportFn, mc)
+			s.raftStore = v
+			log = v
 		}
 
 		// Wrap the store in a LogCache to improve performance.
diff --git a/agent/consul/server_test.go b/agent/consul/server_test.go
index f157fa6dd517..96f028635333 100644
--- a/agent/consul/server_test.go
+++ b/agent/consul/server_test.go
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ import (
 	"github.com/hashicorp/go-uuid"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/memberlist"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/raft"
+	raftboltdb "github.com/hashicorp/raft-boltdb/v2"
+	raftwal "github.com/hashicorp/raft-wal"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/raft-wal/verifier"
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/agent/connect"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/agent/consul/multilimiter"
@@ -2330,3 +2333,88 @@ func TestServer_ControllerDependencies(t *testing.T) {
 	// expected := golden.Get(t, actual, markdownFileName)
 	// require.Equal(t, expected, actual)
 }
+
+func TestServer_RaftBackend_Default(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	// Start up a server and then stop it.
+	_, s1 := testServerWithConfig(t, func(config *Config) {
+		config.LogStoreConfig.Backend = LogStoreBackendDefault
+		config.LogStoreConfig.Verification.Enabled = false
+	})
+	_, ok := s1.raftStore.(*raftwal.WAL)
+	defer func() {
+		if err := s1.Shutdown(); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
+		}
+	}()
+	require.True(t, ok)
+
+}
+
+func TestServer_RaftBackend_Verifier_WAL(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	// Start up a server and then stop it.
+	_, s1 := testServerWithConfig(t, func(config *Config) {
+		config.LogStoreConfig.Backend = LogStoreBackendDefault
+		config.LogStoreConfig.Verification.Enabled = true
+	})
+	_, ok := s1.raftStore.(*verifier.LogStore)
+	defer func() {
+		if err := s1.Shutdown(); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
+		}
+	}()
+	require.True(t, ok)
+
+}
+
+func TestServer_RaftBackend_WAL(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	// Start up a server and then stop it.
+	_, s1 := testServerWithConfig(t, func(config *Config) {
+		config.LogStoreConfig.Backend = LogStoreBackendWAL
+		config.LogStoreConfig.Verification.Enabled = false
+	})
+	_, ok := s1.raftStore.(*raftwal.WAL)
+	defer func() {
+		if err := s1.Shutdown(); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
+		}
+	}()
+	require.True(t, ok)
+
+}
+
+func TestServer_RaftBackend_Verifier_BoltDB(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	// Start up a server and then stop it.
+	_, s1 := testServerWithConfig(t, func(config *Config) {
+		config.LogStoreConfig.Backend = LogStoreBackendBoltDB
+		config.LogStoreConfig.Verification.Enabled = true
+	})
+	_, ok := s1.raftStore.(*verifier.LogStore)
+	defer func() {
+		if err := s1.Shutdown(); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
+		}
+	}()
+	require.True(t, ok)
+
+}
+
+func TestServer_RaftBackend_BoltDB(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	// Start up a server and then stop it.
+	_, s1 := testServerWithConfig(t, func(config *Config) {
+		config.LogStoreConfig.Backend = LogStoreBackendBoltDB
+		config.LogStoreConfig.Verification.Enabled = false
+	})
+	_, ok := s1.raftStore.(*raftboltdb.BoltStore)
+	defer func() {
+		if err := s1.Shutdown(); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
+		}
+	}()
+	require.True(t, ok)
+
+}