diff --git a/server/channels/app/platform/searchengine_test.go b/server/channels/app/platform/searchengine_test.go
index 24b97dc05da..52332272c45 100644
--- a/server/channels/app/platform/searchengine_test.go
+++ b/server/channels/app/platform/searchengine_test.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/mattermost/mattermost/server/public/model"
 	"github.com/mattermost/mattermost/server/public/shared/mlog"
 	"github.com/mattermost/mattermost/server/public/shared/request"
+	storemocks "github.com/mattermost/mattermost/server/v8/channels/store/storetest/mocks"
 	"github.com/mattermost/mattermost/server/v8/channels/testlib"
 	"github.com/mattermost/mattermost/server/v8/platform/services/searchengine"
 	searchenginemocks "github.com/mattermost/mattermost/server/v8/platform/services/searchengine/mocks"
@@ -64,6 +65,14 @@ func setupWatcherTest(t *testing.T) (*searchEngineWatcher, *searchenginemocks.Se
 	engineMock.On("IsHealthy").Return(true).Maybe()
 	engineMock.On("SetHealthy", mock.Anything).Maybe()
 
+	// Make backfillPostsChannelType return immediately by indicating the backfill
+	// is already done. This prevents the goroutine from calling unmocked store
+	// methods in tests that only exercise watcher retry/health logic.
+	systemMock := &storemocks.SystemStore{}
+	systemMock.On("GetByName", model.SystemPostChannelTypeBackfillComplete).
+		Return(&model.System{Name: model.SystemPostChannelTypeBackfillComplete, Value: "true"}, nil).Maybe()
+	ps.Store.(*storemocks.Store).On("System").Return(systemMock).Maybe()
+
 	ps.SearchEngine = searchengine.NewBroker(ps.Config())
 	ps.SearchEngine.ElasticsearchEngine = engineMock
 
diff --git a/server/public/model/config.go b/server/public/model/config.go
index 0f907f513a7..e7bd85b0606 100644
--- a/server/public/model/config.go
+++ b/server/public/model/config.go
@@ -3273,7 +3273,7 @@ func (s *ElasticsearchSettings) SetDefaults() {
 	}
 
 	if s.EnableSearchPublicChannelsWithoutMembership == nil {
-		s.EnableSearchPublicChannelsWithoutMembership = NewPointer(false)
+		s.EnableSearchPublicChannelsWithoutMembership = NewPointer(true)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/server/public/model/config_test.go b/server/public/model/config_test.go
index ad51560fea7..7456b9275ef 100644
--- a/server/public/model/config_test.go
+++ b/server/public/model/config_test.go
@@ -3001,3 +3001,17 @@ func TestExperimentalSettingsEnableWatermarkDefault(t *testing.T) {
 		require.True(t, *cfg.ExperimentalSettings.EnableWatermark)
 	})
 }
+
+func TestElasticsearchSettingsSetDefaults(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("EnableSearchPublicChannelsWithoutMembership defaults to true when nil", func(t *testing.T) {
+		s := ElasticsearchSettings{}
+		s.SetDefaults()
+		require.True(t, *s.EnableSearchPublicChannelsWithoutMembership)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("EnableSearchPublicChannelsWithoutMembership preserves explicit false", func(t *testing.T) {
+		s := ElasticsearchSettings{EnableSearchPublicChannelsWithoutMembership: NewPointer(false)}
+		s.SetDefaults()
+		require.False(t, *s.EnableSearchPublicChannelsWithoutMembership)
+	})
+}