diff --git a/common/docs/containers.conf.5.md b/common/docs/containers.conf.5.md
index a7f233709c..086cc76beb 100644
--- a/common/docs/containers.conf.5.md
+++ b/common/docs/containers.conf.5.md
@@ -992,7 +992,7 @@ Number of CPU's a machine is created with.
 
 The size of the disk in GB created when init-ing a podman-machine VM
 
-**image**=""
+**image**="docker://quay.io/podman/machine-os"
 
 Image used when creating a new VM using `podman machine init`.
 Can be specified as a registry with a bootable OCI artifact, download URL, or a local path.
diff --git a/common/pkg/config/config_local_test.go b/common/pkg/config/config_local_test.go
index 81c37d6858..7d95623d1b 100644
--- a/common/pkg/config/config_local_test.go
+++ b/common/pkg/config/config_local_test.go
@@ -480,7 +480,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Config Local", func() {
 		// Given
 		config, err := newLocked(&Options{}, &paths{})
 		gomega.Expect(err).ToNot(gomega.HaveOccurred())
-		gomega.Expect(config.Machine.Image).To(gomega.Equal(""))
+		gomega.Expect(config.Machine.Image).To(gomega.Equal("docker://quay.io/podman/machine-os"))
 		// When
 		config2, err := newLocked(&Options{}, &paths{etc: "testdata/containers_default.conf"})
 		// Then
diff --git a/common/pkg/config/containers.conf b/common/pkg/config/containers.conf
index 2e392d048e..fd337831c9 100644
--- a/common/pkg/config/containers.conf
+++ b/common/pkg/config/containers.conf
@@ -909,7 +909,7 @@ default_sysctls = [
 # "https://example.com/linux/amd64/foobar.ami" on a Linux AMD machine.
 # If unspecified, the default Podman machine image will be used.
 #
-#image = ""
+#image = "docker://quay.io/podman/machine-os"
 
 # Memory in MB a machine is created with.
 #
diff --git a/common/pkg/config/default.go b/common/pkg/config/default.go
index 3bf0bc1692..de886d1f71 100644
--- a/common/pkg/config/default.go
+++ b/common/pkg/config/default.go
@@ -305,14 +305,11 @@ func defaultMachineConfig() MachineConfig {
 	return MachineConfig{
 		CPUs:     uint64(cpus),
 		DiskSize: 100,
-		// TODO: Set machine image default here
-		// Currently the default is set in Podman as we need time to stabilize
-		// VM images and locations between different providers.
-		Image:   "",
-		Memory:  2048,
-		User:    getDefaultMachineUser(),
-		Volumes: attributedstring.NewSlice(getDefaultMachineVolumes()),
-		Rosetta: true,
+		Image:    "docker://quay.io/podman/machine-os",
+		Memory:   2048,
+		User:     getDefaultMachineUser(),
+		Volumes:  attributedstring.NewSlice(getDefaultMachineVolumes()),
+		Rosetta:  true,
 	}
 }