diff --git a/cmd/start.go b/cmd/start.go
index 40204e82f..763d99f47 100644
--- a/cmd/start.go
+++ b/cmd/start.go
@@ -95,7 +95,12 @@ const (
 	defaultMemory            = 2
 	defaultDisk              = 60
 	defaultKubernetesVersion = kubernetes.DefaultVersion
-	defaultNetworkDriver     = "gvproxy"
+
+	defaultNetworkDriver = "gvproxy"
+
+	defaultVMType        = "qemu"
+	defaultMountTypeQEMU = "sshfs"
+	defaultMountTypeVZ   = "virtiofs"
 )
 
 var defaultKubernetesDisable = []string{"traefik"}
@@ -115,13 +120,10 @@ var startCmdArgs struct {
 
 func init() {
 	runtimes := strings.Join(environment.ContainerRuntimes(), ", ")
-	networkDrivers := strings.Join([]string{"slirp", gvproxy.Name}, ", ")
+	networkDrivers := strings.Join([]string{gvproxy.Name, "slirp"}, ", ")
 	defaultArch := string(environment.HostArch())
 
-	defaultMountType := "9p"
-	defaultVMType := "qemu"
-
-	mounts := strings.Join([]string{defaultMountType, "sshfs", "virtiofs"}, ", ")
+	mounts := strings.Join([]string{defaultMountTypeQEMU, "9p", "virtiofs"}, ", ")
 	types := strings.Join([]string{defaultVMType, "vz"}, ", ")
 
 	root.Cmd().AddCommand(startCmd)
@@ -148,7 +150,7 @@ func init() {
 
 	// mounts
 	startCmd.Flags().StringSliceVarP(&startCmdArgs.Flags.Mounts, "mount", "V", nil, "directories to mount, suffix ':w' for writable")
-	startCmd.Flags().StringVar(&startCmdArgs.MountType, "mount-type", defaultMountType, "volume driver for the mount ("+mounts+")")
+	startCmd.Flags().StringVar(&startCmdArgs.MountType, "mount-type", defaultMountTypeQEMU, "volume driver for the mount ("+mounts+")")
 
 	// ssh agent
 	startCmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&startCmdArgs.ForwardAgent, "ssh-agent", "s", false, "forward SSH agent to the VM")
@@ -214,6 +216,35 @@ func mountsFromFlag(mounts []string) []config.Mount {
 	return mnts
 }
 
+func setDefaults(cmd *cobra.Command) {
+	if util.MacOS13OrNewer() {
+		// changing to vz implies changing mount type to virtiofs
+		if cmd.Flag("vm-type").Changed && startCmdArgs.VMType == "vz" && !cmd.Flag("mount-type").Changed {
+			startCmdArgs.MountType = "virtiofs"
+			cmd.Flag("mount-type").Changed = true
+		}
+	}
+
+	// mount type
+	{
+		// convert mount type for qemu
+		if startCmdArgs.VMType != "vz" && startCmdArgs.MountType == defaultMountTypeVZ {
+			startCmdArgs.MountType = defaultMountTypeQEMU
+			if cmd.Flag("mount-type").Changed {
+				log.Warnf("%s is only available for 'vz' vmType, using %s", defaultMountTypeVZ, defaultMountTypeQEMU)
+			}
+		}
+		// convert mount type for vz
+		if startCmdArgs.VMType == "vz" && startCmdArgs.MountType == "9p" {
+			startCmdArgs.MountType = "virtiofs"
+			if cmd.Flag("mount-type").Changed {
+				log.Warnf("9p is only available for 'qemu' vmType, using %s", defaultMountTypeVZ)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+}
+
 func prepareConfig(cmd *cobra.Command) {
 	current, err := configmanager.Load()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -233,25 +264,14 @@ func prepareConfig(cmd *cobra.Command) {
 	startCmdArgs.Network.DNSHosts = dnsHostsFromFlag(startCmdArgs.Flags.DNSHosts)
 	startCmdArgs.ActivateRuntime = &startCmdArgs.Flags.ActivateRuntime
 
+	// set relevant missing default values
+	setDefaults(cmd)
+
 	// handle macOS virtualization.framework transition
 	{
 		if current.VMType == "" {
 			current.VMType = "qemu"
 		}
-		// convert mount type for qemu
-		if startCmdArgs.VMType != "vz" && startCmdArgs.MountType == "virtiofs" {
-			startCmdArgs.MountType = "9p"
-			if cmd.Flag("mount-type").Changed {
-				log.Warnln("virtiofs is only available for 'vz' vmType, using 9p")
-			}
-		}
-		// convert mount type for vz
-		if startCmdArgs.VMType == "vz" && startCmdArgs.MountType == "9p" {
-			startCmdArgs.MountType = "virtiofs"
-			if cmd.Flag("mount-type").Changed {
-				log.Warnln("9p is only available for 'qemu' vmType, using virtiofs")
-			}
-		}
 	}
 	// if there is no existing settings
 	if current.Empty() {
diff --git a/embedded/defaults/colima.yaml b/embedded/defaults/colima.yaml
index b26948e27..1f0c3a3cb 100644
--- a/embedded/defaults/colima.yaml
+++ b/embedded/defaults/colima.yaml
@@ -122,8 +122,8 @@ vmType: qemu
 # sshfs is faster than 9p but the least reliable of the options (when there are lots
 # of concurrent reads or writes).
 #
-# Default: virtiofs (for vz), 9p (for qemu)
-mountType: 9p
+# Default: virtiofs (for vz), sshfs (for qemu)
+mountType: sshfs
 
 # The CPU type for the virtual machine (requires vmType `qemu`).
 # Options available for host emulation can be checked with: `qemu-system-$(arch) -cpu help`.
diff --git a/environment/vm/lima/yaml.go b/environment/vm/lima/yaml.go
index 6f9ee11a7..7feb22570 100644
--- a/environment/vm/lima/yaml.go
+++ b/environment/vm/lima/yaml.go
@@ -310,6 +310,15 @@ func newConf(ctx context.Context, conf config.Config) (l Config, err error) {
 		Script: `readlink /sbin/fstrim || fstrim -a`,
 	})
 
+	// workaround for slow virtiofs https://github.com/drud/ddev/issues/4466#issuecomment-1361261185
+	// TODO: remove when fixed upstream
+	if l.MountType == VIRTIOFS {
+		l.Provision = append(l.Provision, Provision{
+			Mode:   ProvisionModeSystem,
+			Script: `stat /sys/class/block/vda/queue/write_cache && echo 'write through' > /sys/class/block/vda/queue/write_cache`,
+		})
+	}
+
 	if len(conf.Mounts) == 0 {
 		l.Mounts = append(l.Mounts,
 			Mount{Location: "~", Writable: true},
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index c565e4c0a..ff1b3a219 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -18,13 +18,11 @@ require (
 	github.com/google/btree v1.0.1 // indirect
 	github.com/google/gopacket v1.1.19 // indirect
 	github.com/insomniacslk/dhcp v0.0.0-20220504074936-1ca156eafb9f // indirect
-	github.com/kr/pretty v0.2.1 // indirect
 	github.com/linuxkit/virtsock v0.0.0-20220523201153-1a23e78aa7a2 // indirect
 	github.com/mdlayher/socket v0.2.0 // indirect
 	github.com/mdlayher/vsock v1.1.1 // indirect
 	github.com/miekg/dns v1.1.50 // indirect
 	github.com/pkg/errors v0.9.1 // indirect
-	github.com/stretchr/testify v1.8.0 // indirect
 	github.com/u-root/uio v0.0.0-20210528114334-82958018845c // indirect
 	golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20220722155217-630584e8d5aa // indirect
 	golang.org/x/mod v0.6.0-dev.0.20220419223038-86c51ed26bb4 // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index a198628e8..6ff70a57b 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -223,6 +223,7 @@ github.com/google/go-cmp v0.5.4/go.mod h1:v8dTdLbMG2kIc/vJvl+f65V22dbkXbowE6jgT/
 github.com/google/go-cmp v0.5.5/go.mod h1:v8dTdLbMG2kIc/vJvl+f65V22dbkXbowE6jgT/gNBxE=
 github.com/google/go-cmp v0.5.6/go.mod h1:v8dTdLbMG2kIc/vJvl+f65V22dbkXbowE6jgT/gNBxE=
 github.com/google/go-cmp v0.5.7/go.mod h1:n+brtR0CgQNWTVd5ZUFpTBC8YFBDLK/h/bpaJ8/DtOE=
+github.com/google/go-cmp v0.5.8 h1:e6P7q2lk1O+qJJb4BtCQXlK8vWEO8V1ZeuEdJNOqZyg=
 github.com/google/go-cmp v0.5.8/go.mod h1:17dUlkBOakJ0+DkrSSNjCkIjxS6bF9zb3elmeNGIjoY=
 github.com/google/gofuzz v0.0.0-20161122191042-44d81051d367/go.mod h1:HP5RmnzzSNb993RKQDq4+1A4ia9nllfqcQFTQJedwGI=
 github.com/google/gofuzz v1.0.0/go.mod h1:dBl0BpW6vV/+mYPU4Po3pmUjxk6FQPldtuIdl/M65Eg=
@@ -333,12 +334,14 @@ github.com/mattn/go-isatty v0.0.3/go.mod h1:M+lRXTBqGeGNdLjl/ufCoiOlB5xdOkqRJdNx
 github.com/mattn/go-isatty v0.0.12 h1:wuysRhFDzyxgEmMf5xjvJ2M9dZoWAXNNr5LSBS7uHXY=
 github.com/mattn/go-isatty v0.0.12/go.mod h1:cbi8OIDigv2wuxKPP5vlRcQ1OAZbq2CE4Kysco4FUpU=
 github.com/matttproud/golang_protobuf_extensions v1.0.1/go.mod h1:D8He9yQNgCq6Z5Ld7szi9bcBfOoFv/3dc6xSMkL2PC0=
+github.com/mdlayher/ethernet v0.0.0-20190606142754-0394541c37b7 h1:lez6TS6aAau+8wXUP3G9I3TGlmPFEq2CTxBaRqY6AGE=
 github.com/mdlayher/ethernet v0.0.0-20190606142754-0394541c37b7/go.mod h1:U6ZQobyTjI/tJyq2HG+i/dfSoFUt8/aZCM+GKtmFk/Y=
 github.com/mdlayher/netlink v0.0.0-20190409211403-11939a169225/go.mod h1:eQB3mZE4aiYnlUsyGGCOpPETfdQq4Jhsgf1fk3cwQaA=
 github.com/mdlayher/netlink v1.0.0/go.mod h1:KxeJAFOFLG6AjpyDkQ/iIhxygIUKD+vcwqcnu43w/+M=
 github.com/mdlayher/netlink v1.1.0/go.mod h1:H4WCitaheIsdF9yOYu8CFmCgQthAPIWZmcKp9uZHgmY=
 github.com/mdlayher/netlink v1.1.1/go.mod h1:WTYpFb/WTvlRJAyKhZL5/uy69TDDpHHu2VZmb2XgV7o=
 github.com/mdlayher/raw v0.0.0-20190606142536-fef19f00fc18/go.mod h1:7EpbotpCmVZcu+KCX4g9WaRNuu11uyhiW7+Le1dKawg=
+github.com/mdlayher/raw v0.0.0-20191009151244-50f2db8cc065 h1:aFkJ6lx4FPip+S+Uw4aTegFMct9shDvP+79PsSxpm3w=
 github.com/mdlayher/raw v0.0.0-20191009151244-50f2db8cc065/go.mod h1:7EpbotpCmVZcu+KCX4g9WaRNuu11uyhiW7+Le1dKawg=
 github.com/mdlayher/socket v0.2.0 h1:EY4YQd6hTAg2tcXF84p5DTHazShE50u5HeBzBaNgjkA=
 github.com/mdlayher/socket v0.2.0/go.mod h1:QLlNPkFR88mRUNQIzRBMfXxwKal8H7u1h3bL1CV+f0E=