diff --git a/.changes/nextrelease/update-default-retries.json b/.changes/nextrelease/update-default-retries.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..296ffdc1b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/nextrelease/update-default-retries.json
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+[
+  {
+    "type": "enhancement",
+    "category": "Retry",
+    "description": "Updates default retry mode from `legacy` to `standard` ."
+  }
+]
diff --git a/src/Retry/ConfigurationProvider.php b/src/Retry/ConfigurationProvider.php
index db641f2204..5149a912c3 100644
--- a/src/Retry/ConfigurationProvider.php
+++ b/src/Retry/ConfigurationProvider.php
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ class ConfigurationProvider extends AbstractConfigurationProvider
     implements ConfigurationProviderInterface
 {
     const DEFAULT_MAX_ATTEMPTS = 3;
-    const DEFAULT_MODE = 'legacy';
+    const DEFAULT_MODE = 'standard';
     const ENV_MAX_ATTEMPTS = 'AWS_MAX_ATTEMPTS';
     const ENV_MODE = 'AWS_RETRY_MODE';
     const ENV_PROFILE = 'AWS_PROFILE';
diff --git a/tests/Retry/ConfigurationProviderTest.php b/tests/Retry/ConfigurationProviderTest.php
index f1541f9a69..ae5ae49683 100644
--- a/tests/Retry/ConfigurationProviderTest.php
+++ b/tests/Retry/ConfigurationProviderTest.php
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ function (ConfigurationException $e) {
     public function testCreatesDefaultFromFallback()
     {
         $this->clearEnv();
-        $expected  = new Configuration('legacy', 3);
+        $expected  = new Configuration('standard', 3);
         /** @var ConfigurationInterface $result */
         $result = call_user_func(ConfigurationProvider::fallback())->wait();
         $this->assertSame($expected->toArray(), $result->toArray());
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ public function testUsesIniWithUseAwsConfigFileTrue()
     public function testIgnoresIniWithUseAwsConfigFileFalse()
     {
         $dir = $this->clearEnv();
-        $expected = new Configuration('legacy', 3);
+        $expected = new Configuration('standard', 3);
         file_put_contents($dir . '/config', $this->iniFile);
         putenv('HOME=' . dirname("garbageDirectory"));
         /** @var ConfigurationInterface $result */