diff --git a/pkg/kv/kvserver/flow_control_integration_test.go b/pkg/kv/kvserver/flow_control_integration_test.go
index 8d658d14872a..84ca617f4a16 100644
--- a/pkg/kv/kvserver/flow_control_integration_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kv/kvserver/flow_control_integration_test.go
@@ -774,6 +774,7 @@ func TestFlowControlRaftSnapshot(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	st := cluster.MakeTestingClusterSettings()
 	kvflowcontrol.Enabled.Override(ctx, &st.SV, true)
+	kvflowcontrol.Mode.Override(ctx, &st.SV, int64(kvflowcontrol.ApplyToAll))
 
 	for i := 0; i < numServers; i++ {
 		stickyServerArgs[i] = base.TestServerArgs{
diff --git a/pkg/kv/kvserver/kvflowcontrol/kvflowcontrol.go b/pkg/kv/kvserver/kvflowcontrol/kvflowcontrol.go
index 0046a858f26a..a6e1609d4296 100644
--- a/pkg/kv/kvserver/kvflowcontrol/kvflowcontrol.go
+++ b/pkg/kv/kvserver/kvflowcontrol/kvflowcontrol.go
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ var Mode = settings.RegisterEnumSetting(
 	settings.SystemOnly,
 	"kvadmission.flow_control.mode",
 	"determines the 'mode' of flow control we use for replication traffic in KV, if enabled",
-	ApplyToAll.String(),
+	ApplyToElastic.String(),
 	map[int64]string{
 		int64(ApplyToElastic): modeDict[ApplyToElastic],
 		int64(ApplyToAll):     modeDict[ApplyToAll],
diff --git a/pkg/kv/kvserver/kvflowcontrol/kvflowcontroller/kvflowcontroller_test.go b/pkg/kv/kvserver/kvflowcontrol/kvflowcontroller/kvflowcontroller_test.go
index 56f05ce9fe80..651fb361dab7 100644
--- a/pkg/kv/kvserver/kvflowcontrol/kvflowcontroller/kvflowcontroller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kv/kvserver/kvflowcontrol/kvflowcontroller/kvflowcontroller_test.go
@@ -189,6 +189,7 @@ func TestInspectController(t *testing.T) {
 	st := cluster.MakeTestingClusterSettings()
 	elasticTokensPerStream.Override(ctx, &st.SV, 8<<20 /* 8 MiB */)
 	regularTokensPerStream.Override(ctx, &st.SV, 16<<20 /* 16 MiB */)
+	kvflowcontrol.Mode.Override(ctx, &st.SV, int64(kvflowcontrol.ApplyToAll))
 	controller := New(metric.NewRegistry(), st, hlc.NewClockForTesting(nil))
 
 	// No streams connected -- inspect state should be empty.