diff --git a/src/init/features/dataconnect/index.ts b/src/init/features/dataconnect/index.ts
index c39d277237d..734bf270bca 100644
--- a/src/init/features/dataconnect/index.ts
+++ b/src/init/features/dataconnect/index.ts
@@ -40,6 +40,9 @@ import {
 import { configstore } from "../../../configstore";
 import { trackGA4 } from "../../../track";
 
+// Default GCP region for Data Connect
+export const FDC_DEFAULT_REGION = "us-east4";
+
 const DATACONNECT_YAML_TEMPLATE = readTemplateSync("init/dataconnect/dataconnect.yaml");
 const CONNECTOR_YAML_TEMPLATE = readTemplateSync("init/dataconnect/connector.yaml");
 const SCHEMA_TEMPLATE = readTemplateSync("init/dataconnect/schema.gql");
@@ -125,6 +128,8 @@ export async function askQuestions(setup: Setup): Promise<void> {
     }
     if (hasBilling) {
       await promptForCloudSQL(setup, info);
+    } else if (info.appDescription) {
+      await promptForLocation(setup, info);
     }
   }
   setup.featureInfo = setup.featureInfo || {};
@@ -148,7 +153,7 @@ export async function actuate(setup: Setup, config: Config, options: any): Promi
   // Populate the default values of required fields.
   info.serviceId = info.serviceId || defaultServiceId();
   info.cloudSqlInstanceId = info.cloudSqlInstanceId || `${info.serviceId.toLowerCase()}-fdc`;
-  info.locationId = info.locationId || `us-central1`;
+  info.locationId = info.locationId || FDC_DEFAULT_REGION;
   info.cloudSqlDatabase = info.cloudSqlDatabase || `fdcdb`;
 
   try {
@@ -435,10 +440,10 @@ function subDataconnectYamlValues(replacementValues: {
 }): string {
   const replacements: Record<string, string> = {
     serviceId: "__serviceId__",
+    locationId: "__location__",
     cloudSqlDatabase: "__cloudSqlDatabase__",
     cloudSqlInstanceId: "__cloudSqlInstanceId__",
     connectorDirs: "__connectorDirs__",
-    locationId: "__location__",
   };
   let replaced = DATACONNECT_YAML_TEMPLATE;
   for (const [k, v] of Object.entries(replacementValues)) {
@@ -614,12 +619,7 @@ async function promptForCloudSQL(setup: Setup, info: RequiredInfo): Promise<void
   }
 
   if (info.locationId === "") {
-    const choices = await locationChoices(setup);
-    info.locationId = await select<string>({
-      message: "What location would like to use?",
-      choices,
-      default: "us-east4",
-    });
+    await promptForLocation(setup, info);
     info.shouldProvisionCSQL = await confirm({
       message: `Would you like to provision your Cloud SQL instance and database now?`,
       default: true,
@@ -642,6 +642,17 @@ async function promptForCloudSQL(setup: Setup, info: RequiredInfo): Promise<void
   return;
 }
 
+async function promptForLocation(setup: Setup, info: RequiredInfo): Promise<void> {
+  if (info.locationId === "") {
+    const choices = await locationChoices(setup);
+    info.locationId = await select<string>({
+      message: "What location would you like to use?",
+      choices,
+      default: FDC_DEFAULT_REGION,
+    });
+  }
+}
+
 async function locationChoices(setup: Setup) {
   if (setup.projectId) {
     const locations = await listLocations(setup.projectId);
diff --git a/src/mcp/tools/core/init.ts b/src/mcp/tools/core/init.ts
index 32e23817e82..46075a01df7 100644
--- a/src/mcp/tools/core/init.ts
+++ b/src/mcp/tools/core/init.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import {
   validateAppExists,
 } from "../../../init/features/ailogic/utils";
 import { getFirebaseProject } from "../../../management/projects";
+import { FDC_DEFAULT_REGION } from "../../../init/features/dataconnect";
 
 export const init = tool(
   {
@@ -82,7 +83,7 @@ export const init = tool(
             location_id: z
               .string()
               .optional()
-              .default("us-central1")
+              .default(FDC_DEFAULT_REGION)
               .describe("The GCP region ID to set up the Firebase Data Connect service."),
             cloudsql_instance_id: z
               .string()