diff --git a/packages/manager/.changeset/pr-13221-changed-1766474458876.md b/packages/manager/.changeset/pr-13221-changed-1766474458876.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..07d6e24c7af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/manager/.changeset/pr-13221-changed-1766474458876.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@linode/manager": Changed
+---
+
+Default selection of network interface type to linode interface in Linode create flow ([#13221](https://github.com/linode/manager/pull/13221))
diff --git a/packages/manager/cypress/e2e/core/linodes/create-linode-with-firewall.spec.ts b/packages/manager/cypress/e2e/core/linodes/create-linode-with-firewall.spec.ts
index bfae1112c27..b87f8dea920 100644
--- a/packages/manager/cypress/e2e/core/linodes/create-linode-with-firewall.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/manager/cypress/e2e/core/linodes/create-linode-with-firewall.spec.ts
@@ -421,6 +421,9 @@ describe('Create Linode with Firewall (Linode Interfaces)', () => {
     // Confirm the Linode Interfaces section is shown.
     assertNewLinodeInterfacesIsAvailable();
 
+    // Switch to legacy Config Interfaces
+    linodeCreatePage.selectLegacyConfigInterfacesType();
+
     // Confirm that mocked Firewall is shown in the Autocomplete, and then select it.
     cy.findByLabelText('Firewall').should('be.visible');
     cy.get('[data-qa-autocomplete="Firewall"]').within(() => {
@@ -491,9 +494,6 @@ describe('Create Linode with Firewall (Linode Interfaces)', () => {
     // Confirm the Linode Interfaces section is shown.
     assertNewLinodeInterfacesIsAvailable();
 
-    // Switch to Linode Interfaces
-    linodeCreatePage.selectLinodeInterfacesType();
-
     // Confirm that mocked Firewall is shown in the Autocomplete, and then select it.
     cy.findByLabelText('Public Interface Firewall').should('be.visible');
     cy.get('[data-qa-autocomplete="Public Interface Firewall"]').within(() => {
@@ -566,6 +566,9 @@ describe('Create Linode with Firewall (Linode Interfaces)', () => {
     // Confirm the Linode Interfaces section is shown.
     assertNewLinodeInterfacesIsAvailable();
 
+    // Switch to legacy Config Interfaces
+    linodeCreatePage.selectLegacyConfigInterfacesType();
+
     cy.findByText('Create Firewall').should('be.visible').click();
 
     ui.drawer
@@ -661,9 +664,6 @@ describe('Create Linode with Firewall (Linode Interfaces)', () => {
     // Confirm the Linode Interfaces section is shown.
     assertNewLinodeInterfacesIsAvailable();
 
-    // Switch to Linode Interfaces
-    linodeCreatePage.selectLinodeInterfacesType();
-
     cy.findByText('Create Firewall').should('be.visible').click();
 
     ui.drawer
@@ -766,6 +766,9 @@ describe('Create Linode with Firewall (Linode Interfaces)', () => {
     // Confirm the Linode Interfaces section is shown.
     assertNewLinodeInterfacesIsAvailable();
 
+    // Switch to legacy Config Interfaces
+    linodeCreatePage.selectLegacyConfigInterfacesType();
+
     // Creating the linode without a firewall should display a warning.
     ui.button
       .findByTitle('Create Linode')
@@ -869,9 +872,6 @@ describe('Create Linode with Firewall (Linode Interfaces)', () => {
     // Confirm the Linode Interfaces section is shown.
     assertNewLinodeInterfacesIsAvailable();
 
-    // Switch to Linode Interfaces
-    linodeCreatePage.selectLinodeInterfacesType();
-
     // Creating the linode without a firewall should display a warning.
     ui.button
       .findByTitle('Create Linode')
diff --git a/packages/manager/cypress/e2e/core/linodes/create-linode-with-vlan.spec.ts b/packages/manager/cypress/e2e/core/linodes/create-linode-with-vlan.spec.ts
index 1b4a1c62f3e..1ed9356b23b 100644
--- a/packages/manager/cypress/e2e/core/linodes/create-linode-with-vlan.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/manager/cypress/e2e/core/linodes/create-linode-with-vlan.spec.ts
@@ -319,6 +319,9 @@ describe('Create Linode with VLANs (Linode Interfaces)', () => {
     // Confirm the Linode Interfaces section is shown.
     assertNewLinodeInterfacesIsAvailable();
 
+    // Switch to legacy Config Interfaces
+    linodeCreatePage.selectLegacyConfigInterfacesType();
+
     // select existing VLAN.
     linodeCreatePage.selectInterface('vlan');
     // Confirm that mocked VLAN is shown in the Autocomplete, and then select it.
@@ -400,9 +403,6 @@ describe('Create Linode with VLANs (Linode Interfaces)', () => {
     // Confirm the Linode Interfaces section is shown.
     assertNewLinodeInterfacesIsAvailable();
 
-    // Switch to Linode Interfaces
-    linodeCreatePage.selectLinodeInterfacesType();
-
     // Select VLAN card
     linodeCreatePage.selectInterface('vlan');
 
@@ -485,6 +485,9 @@ describe('Create Linode with VLANs (Linode Interfaces)', () => {
     // Confirm the Linode Interfaces section is shown.
     assertNewLinodeInterfacesIsAvailable();
 
+    // Switch to legacy Config Interfaces
+    linodeCreatePage.selectLegacyConfigInterfacesType();
+
     // Select VLAN card
     linodeCreatePage.selectInterface('vlan');
 
@@ -567,9 +570,6 @@ describe('Create Linode with VLANs (Linode Interfaces)', () => {
     // Confirm the Linode Interfaces section is shown.
     assertNewLinodeInterfacesIsAvailable();
 
-    // Switch to Linode Interfaces
-    linodeCreatePage.selectLinodeInterfacesType();
-
     // Select VLAN card
     linodeCreatePage.selectInterface('vlan');
 
diff --git a/packages/manager/cypress/e2e/core/linodes/create-linode-with-vpc.spec.ts b/packages/manager/cypress/e2e/core/linodes/create-linode-with-vpc.spec.ts
index ea1688c42d8..0f9fa5ab253 100644
--- a/packages/manager/cypress/e2e/core/linodes/create-linode-with-vpc.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/manager/cypress/e2e/core/linodes/create-linode-with-vpc.spec.ts
@@ -476,6 +476,9 @@ describe('Create Linode with VPCs (Linode Interfaces)', () => {
     // Confirm the Linode Interfaces section is shown.
     assertNewLinodeInterfacesIsAvailable();
 
+    // Switch to legacy Config Interfaces
+    linodeCreatePage.selectLegacyConfigInterfacesType();
+
     // Select VPC
     linodeCreatePage.selectInterface('vpc');
 
@@ -612,9 +615,6 @@ describe('Create Linode with VPCs (Linode Interfaces)', () => {
     // Confirm the Linode Interfaces section is shown.
     assertNewLinodeInterfacesIsAvailable();
 
-    // Switch to Linode Interfaces
-    linodeCreatePage.selectLinodeInterfacesType();
-
     // Select VPC option
     linodeCreatePage.selectInterface('vpc');
 
@@ -750,6 +750,9 @@ describe('Create Linode with VPCs (Linode Interfaces)', () => {
     // Confirm the Linode Interfaces section is shown.
     assertNewLinodeInterfacesIsAvailable();
 
+    // Switch to legacy Config Interfaces
+    linodeCreatePage.selectLegacyConfigInterfacesType();
+
     // Select VPC card
     linodeCreatePage.selectInterface('vpc');
 
@@ -933,9 +936,6 @@ describe('Create Linode with VPCs (Linode Interfaces)', () => {
     // Confirm the Linode Interfaces section is shown.
     assertNewLinodeInterfacesIsAvailable();
 
-    // Switch to Linode Interfaces
-    linodeCreatePage.selectLinodeInterfacesType();
-
     // Select VPC card
     linodeCreatePage.selectInterface('vpc');
 
diff --git a/packages/manager/src/features/Linodes/LinodeCreate/Networking/InterfaceGeneration.tsx b/packages/manager/src/features/Linodes/LinodeCreate/Networking/InterfaceGeneration.tsx
index bd4cf8cf802..9020bfd894b 100644
--- a/packages/manager/src/features/Linodes/LinodeCreate/Networking/InterfaceGeneration.tsx
+++ b/packages/manager/src/features/Linodes/LinodeCreate/Networking/InterfaceGeneration.tsx
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ export const InterfaceGeneration = () => {
             aria-labelledby="interface-generation"
             onChange={field.onChange}
             sx={{ my: '0px !important' }}
-            value={field.value ?? 'legacy_config'}
+            value={field.value ?? 'linode'}
           >
             <FormControlLabel
               control={<Radio />}
diff --git a/packages/manager/src/features/Linodes/LinodeCreate/utilities.test.tsx b/packages/manager/src/features/Linodes/LinodeCreate/utilities.test.tsx
index 9184714117a..10ffa39e821 100644
--- a/packages/manager/src/features/Linodes/LinodeCreate/utilities.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/manager/src/features/Linodes/LinodeCreate/utilities.test.tsx
@@ -434,14 +434,6 @@ describe('getIsValidLinodeLabelCharacter', () => {
 });
 
 describe('getDefaultInterfaceGenerationFromAccountSetting', () => {
-  it('returns "legacy_config" for "legacy_config_default_but_linode_allowed"', () => {
-    expect(
-      getDefaultInterfaceGenerationFromAccountSetting(
-        'legacy_config_default_but_linode_allowed'
-      )
-    ).toBe('legacy_config');
-  });
-
   it('returns "legacy_config" for "legacy_config_only"', () => {
     expect(
       getDefaultInterfaceGenerationFromAccountSetting('legacy_config_only')
@@ -454,6 +446,14 @@ describe('getDefaultInterfaceGenerationFromAccountSetting', () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it('returns "linode" for "legacy_config_default_but_linode_allowed"', () => {
+    expect(
+      getDefaultInterfaceGenerationFromAccountSetting(
+        'legacy_config_default_but_linode_allowed'
+      )
+    ).toBe('linode');
+  });
+
   it('returns "linode" for "linode_default_but_legacy_config_allowed"', () => {
     expect(
       getDefaultInterfaceGenerationFromAccountSetting(
diff --git a/packages/manager/src/features/Linodes/LinodeCreate/utilities.ts b/packages/manager/src/features/Linodes/LinodeCreate/utilities.ts
index 60cd2d430e7..a30cf672123 100644
--- a/packages/manager/src/features/Linodes/LinodeCreate/utilities.ts
+++ b/packages/manager/src/features/Linodes/LinodeCreate/utilities.ts
@@ -616,14 +616,13 @@ export const getDefaultInterfaceGenerationFromAccountSetting = (
 ): InterfaceGenerationType | undefined => {
   if (
     accountSetting === 'linode_only' ||
-    accountSetting === 'linode_default_but_legacy_config_allowed'
+    accountSetting === 'linode_default_but_legacy_config_allowed' ||
+    accountSetting === 'legacy_config_default_but_linode_allowed'
   ) {
+    // Default selection is to the Linode interface to encourage new customer accounts to adopt it safely when using Cloud Manager.
     return 'linode';
   }
-  if (
-    accountSetting === 'legacy_config_only' ||
-    accountSetting === 'legacy_config_default_but_linode_allowed'
-  ) {
+  if (accountSetting === 'legacy_config_only') {
     return 'legacy_config';
   }
   return undefined;