diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 99d52beaa0b83e..dadc45594b80e1 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ Release channels have their own copy of this changelog:
   * The default for `--use-snapshot-archives-at-startup` is now `when-newest` (#33883)
     * The default for `solana-ledger-tool`, however, remains `always` (#34228)
   * Added `central-scheduler` option for `--block-production-method` (#33890)
+    * `central-scheduler` as default option for `--block-production-method` (#34891)
   * Updated to Borsh v1
   * Added allow_commission_decrease_at_any_time feature which will allow commission on a vote account to be
     decreased even in the second half of epochs when the commission_updates_only_allowed_in_first_half_of_epoch
diff --git a/core/src/validator.rs b/core/src/validator.rs
index 4e96a3c2b5b4ff..23045aa3557e74 100644
--- a/core/src/validator.rs
+++ b/core/src/validator.rs
@@ -168,8 +168,8 @@ impl BlockVerificationMethod {
 #[derive(Clone, EnumString, EnumVariantNames, Default, IntoStaticStr, Display)]
 #[strum(serialize_all = "kebab-case")]
 pub enum BlockProductionMethod {
-    #[default]
     ThreadLocalMultiIterator,
+    #[default]
     CentralScheduler,
 }
 
diff --git a/local-cluster/tests/local_cluster.rs b/local-cluster/tests/local_cluster.rs
index aa919e75f0366d..5a4ca6e4cb6cc1 100644
--- a/local-cluster/tests/local_cluster.rs
+++ b/local-cluster/tests/local_cluster.rs
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ use {
         },
         optimistic_confirmation_verifier::OptimisticConfirmationVerifier,
         replay_stage::DUPLICATE_THRESHOLD,
-        validator::{BlockVerificationMethod, ValidatorConfig},
+        validator::{BlockProductionMethod, BlockVerificationMethod, ValidatorConfig},
     },
     solana_download_utils::download_snapshot_archive,
     solana_entry::entry::create_ticks,
@@ -349,11 +349,16 @@ fn test_forwarding() {
     solana_logger::setup_with_default(RUST_LOG_FILTER);
     // Set up a cluster where one node is never the leader, so all txs sent to this node
     // will be have to be forwarded in order to be confirmed
+    // Only ThreadLocalMultiIterator banking stage forwards transactions,
+    // so must use that block-production-method.
     let mut config = ClusterConfig {
         node_stakes: vec![DEFAULT_NODE_STAKE * 100, DEFAULT_NODE_STAKE],
         cluster_lamports: DEFAULT_CLUSTER_LAMPORTS + DEFAULT_NODE_STAKE * 100,
         validator_configs: make_identical_validator_configs(
-            &ValidatorConfig::default_for_test(),
+            &ValidatorConfig {
+                block_production_method: BlockProductionMethod::ThreadLocalMultiIterator,
+                ..ValidatorConfig::default_for_test()
+            },
             2,
         ),
         ..ClusterConfig::default()
@@ -4257,7 +4262,10 @@ fn test_leader_failure_4() {
     solana_logger::setup_with_default(RUST_LOG_FILTER);
     error!("test_leader_failure_4");
     let num_nodes = 4;
-    let validator_config = ValidatorConfig::default_for_test();
+    let validator_config = ValidatorConfig {
+        block_production_method: BlockProductionMethod::ThreadLocalMultiIterator,
+        ..ValidatorConfig::default_for_test()
+    };
     let mut config = ClusterConfig {
         cluster_lamports: DEFAULT_CLUSTER_LAMPORTS,
         node_stakes: vec![DEFAULT_NODE_STAKE; 4],