diff --git a/cmd/utils/flags.go b/cmd/utils/flags.go
index 18c0167eee..3f334dc7c0 100644
--- a/cmd/utils/flags.go
+++ b/cmd/utils/flags.go
@@ -1938,6 +1938,9 @@ func SetEthConfig(ctx *cli.Context, stack *node.Node, cfg *ethconfig.Config) {
 	if ctx.String(GCModeFlag.Name) == "archive" && cfg.TransactionHistory != 0 {
 		cfg.TransactionHistory = 0
 		log.Warn("Disabled transaction unindexing for archive node")
+
+		cfg.StateScheme = rawdb.HashScheme
+		log.Warn("Forcing hash state-scheme for archive mode")
 	}
 	if ctx.IsSet(CacheFlag.Name) || ctx.IsSet(CacheTrieFlag.Name) {
 		cfg.TrieCleanCache = ctx.Int(CacheFlag.Name) * ctx.Int(CacheTrieFlag.Name) / 100
diff --git a/core/rawdb/accessors_trie.go b/core/rawdb/accessors_trie.go
index 35ede96643..886c1c469b 100644
--- a/core/rawdb/accessors_trie.go
+++ b/core/rawdb/accessors_trie.go
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ func ValidateStateScheme(stateScheme string) bool {
 // the stored state.
 //
 //   - If the provided scheme is none, use the scheme consistent with persistent
-//     state, or fallback to hash-based scheme if state is empty.
+//     state, or fallback to path-based scheme if state is empty.
 //
 //   - If the provided scheme is hash, use hash-based scheme or error out if not
 //     compatible with persistent state scheme.
@@ -338,10 +338,8 @@ func ParseStateScheme(provided string, disk ethdb.Database) (string, error) {
 	stored := ReadStateScheme(disk)
 	if provided == "" {
 		if stored == "" {
-			// use default scheme for empty database, flip it when
-			// path mode is chosen as default
-			log.Info("State scheme set to default", "scheme", "hash")
-			return HashScheme, nil
+			log.Info("State scheme set to default", "scheme", "path")
+			return PathScheme, nil // use default scheme for empty database
 		}
 		log.Info("State scheme set to already existing disk db", "scheme", stored)
 		return stored, nil // reuse scheme of persistent scheme
diff --git a/graphql/graphql_test.go b/graphql/graphql_test.go
index 1dda102058..f3f9d1778a 100644
--- a/graphql/graphql_test.go
+++ b/graphql/graphql_test.go
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/consensus/beacon"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/consensus/ethash"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/core"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/core/rawdb"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/core/types"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/core/vm"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto"
@@ -452,6 +453,7 @@ func newGQLService(t *testing.T, stack *node.Node, shanghai bool, gspec *core.Ge
 		TrieDirtyCache: 5,
 		TrieTimeout:    60 * time.Minute,
 		SnapshotCache:  5,
+		StateScheme:    rawdb.HashScheme,
 	}
 	var engine consensus.Engine = ethash.NewFaker()
 	if shanghai {
diff --git a/triedb/pathdb/database.go b/triedb/pathdb/database.go
index e9edf0dcfa..15183cb031 100644
--- a/triedb/pathdb/database.go
+++ b/triedb/pathdb/database.go
@@ -215,7 +215,6 @@ func New(diskdb ethdb.Database, config *Config) *Database {
 			log.Crit("Failed to disable database", "err", err) // impossible to happen
 		}
 	}
-	log.Warn("Path-based state scheme is an experimental feature", "sync", db.config.SyncFlush)
 	return db
 }