diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/__jest__/client_integration/edit_policy/edit_policy.test.ts b/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/__jest__/client_integration/edit_policy/edit_policy.test.ts
index 77a4cb95852c4..11fadf51f27f8 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/__jest__/client_integration/edit_policy/edit_policy.test.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/__jest__/client_integration/edit_policy/edit_policy.test.ts
@@ -283,7 +283,11 @@ describe('<EditPolicy />', () => {
         const entirePolicy = JSON.parse(JSON.parse(latestRequest.requestBody).body);
         expect(entirePolicy.phases.cold).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
           Object {
-            "actions": Object {},
+            "actions": Object {
+              "set_priority": Object {
+                "priority": 0,
+              },
+            },
             "min_age": "0d",
           }
         `);
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/public/application/sections/edit_policy/form_schema.ts b/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/public/application/sections/edit_policy/form_schema.ts
index fb33a129b1429..070f03f74b954 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/public/application/sections/edit_policy/form_schema.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/public/application/sections/edit_policy/form_schema.ts
@@ -284,6 +284,7 @@ export const schema: FormSchema<FormInternal> = {
         },
         set_priority: {
           priority: {
+            defaultValue: '0' as any,
             label: i18nTexts.editPolicy.setPriorityFieldLabel,
             validations: [{ validator: ifExistsNumberNonNegative }],
             serializer: serializers.stringToNumber,
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/public/application/sections/edit_policy/form_validations.ts b/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/public/application/sections/edit_policy/form_validations.ts
index b51f33b3012e6..9c855ccb41624 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/public/application/sections/edit_policy/form_validations.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/public/application/sections/edit_policy/form_validations.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ const createIfNumberExistsValidator = ({
   return (arg) => {
     if (arg.value) {
       return numberGreaterThanField({
-        than: 0,
+        than,
         message,
       })({
         ...arg,