diff --git a/db/config.c b/db/config.c
index 84d4662857..75ef771c76 100644
--- a/db/config.c
+++ b/db/config.c
@@ -1261,6 +1261,8 @@ static int read_lrl_option(struct dbenv *dbenv, char *line,
     } else if (tokcmp(tok, ltok, "enable_snapshot_isolation") == 0) {
         gbl_snapisol = 1;
         gbl_use_modsnap_for_snapshot = 1;
+        if (gbl_sql_tranlevel_default == gbl_snapshot_impl)
+            gbl_sql_tranlevel_default = TRANLEVEL_MODSNAP;
         gbl_snapshot_impl = TRANLEVEL_MODSNAP;
         gbl_modsnap_asof = 1;
     } else if (tokcmp(tok, ltok, "enable_serial_isolation") == 0) {
diff --git a/db/process_message.c b/db/process_message.c
index 770f0564b4..c1087dc0f1 100644
--- a/db/process_message.c
+++ b/db/process_message.c
@@ -5144,6 +5144,8 @@ int process_command(struct dbenv *dbenv, char *line, int lline, int st)
         }
     } else if (tokcmp(tok, ltok, "do_not_use_modsnap_for_snapshot") == 0) {
         gbl_use_modsnap_for_snapshot = 0;
+        if (gbl_sql_tranlevel_default == gbl_snapshot_impl)
+            gbl_sql_tranlevel_default = TRANLEVEL_SNAPISOL;
         gbl_snapshot_impl = TRANLEVEL_SNAPISOL;
     } else if (tokcmp(tok, ltok, "del_llmeta_comdb2_seqno") == 0) {
         bdb_del_seqno(NULL);
diff --git a/plugins/newsql/newsql.c b/plugins/newsql/newsql.c
index e9a57e8d3c..8f0752b040 100644
--- a/plugins/newsql/newsql.c
+++ b/plugins/newsql/newsql.c
@@ -1746,9 +1746,18 @@ int process_set_commands(struct sqlclntstate *clnt, CDB2SQLQUERY *sql_query)
                                  sqlstr);
                         rc = ii + 1;
                     } else if (clnt->dbtran.mode != TRANLEVEL_SOSQL) {
-                        snprintf(err, sizeof(err),
-                                 "transaction chunks require SOCKSQL transaction mode");
-                        rc = ii + 1;
+                        int snapshot_by_default =
+                            (clnt->dbtran.mode == TRANLEVEL_MODSNAP && gbl_sql_tranlevel_default == TRANLEVEL_MODSNAP);
+                        if (snapshot_by_default) {
+                            logmsg(LOGMSG_DEBUG, "snapshot is on by default, use socksql instead\n");
+                            clnt->dbtran.mode = TRANLEVEL_SOSQL;
+                            clnt->dbtran.maxchunksize = tmp;
+                            /* in chunked mode, we disable verify retries */
+                            clnt->verifyretry_off = 1;
+                        } else {
+                            snprintf(err, sizeof(err), "transaction chunks require SOCKSQL transaction mode");
+                            rc = ii + 1;
+                        }
                     } else {
                         clnt->dbtran.maxchunksize = tmp;
                         /* in chunked mode, we disable verify retries */
@@ -1792,9 +1801,15 @@ int process_set_commands(struct sqlclntstate *clnt, CDB2SQLQUERY *sql_query)
                     if (clnt->dbtran.mode == TRANLEVEL_INVALID) {
                         rc = ii + 1;
                     } else if (clnt->dbtran.mode != TRANLEVEL_SOSQL && clnt->dbtran.maxchunksize) {
-                        snprintf(err, sizeof(err),
-                                 "transaction chunks require SOCKSQL transaction mode");
-                        rc = ii + 1;
+                        int snapshot_by_default =
+                            (clnt->dbtran.mode == TRANLEVEL_MODSNAP && gbl_sql_tranlevel_default == TRANLEVEL_MODSNAP);
+                        if (snapshot_by_default) {
+                            logmsg(LOGMSG_DEBUG, "snapshot is on by default, use socksql instead\n");
+                            clnt->dbtran.mode = TRANLEVEL_SOSQL;
+                        } else {
+                            snprintf(err, sizeof(err), "transaction chunks require SOCKSQL transaction mode");
+                            rc = ii + 1;
+                        }
                     }
                 }
             } else if (strncasecmp(sqlstr, "timeout", 7) == 0) {
diff --git a/tests/chunk_txn_effects.test/snapshot.testopts b/tests/chunk_txn_effects.test/snapshot.testopts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..38a0e8c63f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/chunk_txn_effects.test/snapshot.testopts
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+enable_snapshot_isolation
+sql_tranlevel_default snapshot