diff --git a/client/rest-high-level/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/eql/EqlSearchRequest.java b/client/rest-high-level/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/eql/EqlSearchRequest.java
index 49b9160325104..b7ae9fbba134e 100644
--- a/client/rest-high-level/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/eql/EqlSearchRequest.java
+++ b/client/rest-high-level/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/eql/EqlSearchRequest.java
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ public class EqlSearchRequest implements Validatable, ToXContentObject {
     private QueryBuilder filter = null;
     private String timestampField = "@timestamp";
     private String eventCategoryField = "event.category";
-    private String resultPosition = "head";
+    private String resultPosition = "tail";
 
     private int size = 10;
     private int fetchSize = 1000;
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/eql/qa/common/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/eql/stats/EqlUsageRestTestCase.java b/x-pack/plugin/eql/qa/common/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/eql/stats/EqlUsageRestTestCase.java
index 0883a6e165a64..6acb17fb5fbb0 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/eql/qa/common/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/eql/stats/EqlUsageRestTestCase.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/eql/qa/common/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/eql/stats/EqlUsageRestTestCase.java
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ public void testEqlRestUsage() throws IOException {
             DataLoader.loadDatasetIntoEs(highLevelClient(), this::createParser);
         }
 
+        String defaultPipe = "pipe_tail";
         //
         // random event queries
         //
@@ -145,7 +146,7 @@ public void testEqlRestUsage() throws IOException {
             runEql("sequence [process where serial_event_id == 1] [process where serial_event_id == 2]");
         }
         responseAsMap = getStats();
-        metricsToCheck = unmodifiableSet(new HashSet<>(Arrays.asList("sequence", "sequence_queries_two", "pipe_head")));
+        metricsToCheck = unmodifiableSet(new HashSet<>(Arrays.asList("sequence", "sequence_queries_two", defaultPipe)));
         assertFeaturesMetrics(randomSequenceExecutions, responseAsMap, metricsToCheck);
         assertFeaturesMetricsExcept(responseAsMap, metricsToCheck);
         assertAllQueryMetrics(allTotalQueries, responseAsMap);
@@ -198,8 +199,8 @@ public void testEqlRestUsage() throws IOException {
                 "  [process where opcode == 2] by user");
         }
         responseAsMap = getStats();
-        metricsToCheck = unmodifiableSet(new HashSet<>(Arrays.asList("sequence", "sequence_queries_three", "pipe_head", "join_keys_one",
-            "sequence_maxspan")));
+        metricsToCheck = unmodifiableSet(new HashSet<>(Arrays.asList("sequence", "sequence_queries_three", "join_keys_one",
+            "sequence_maxspan", defaultPipe)));
         assertFeaturesMetrics(randomThreeQueriesSequences, responseAsMap, metricsToCheck);
         assertFeaturesMetricsExcept(responseAsMap, metricsToCheck);
         assertAllQueryMetrics(allTotalQueries, responseAsMap);
@@ -236,7 +237,7 @@ public void testEqlRestUsage() throws IOException {
                 "  [process where opcode == 1]");
         }
         responseAsMap = getStats();
-        metricsToCheck = unmodifiableSet(new HashSet<>(Arrays.asList("sequence", "sequence_queries_two", "pipe_head", "join_keys_four")));
+        metricsToCheck = unmodifiableSet(new HashSet<>(Arrays.asList("sequence", "sequence_queries_two", "join_keys_four", defaultPipe)));
         assertFeaturesMetrics(randomFourJoinKeysExecutions, responseAsMap, metricsToCheck);
         assertFeaturesMetricsExcept(responseAsMap, metricsToCheck);
         assertAllQueryMetrics(allTotalQueries, responseAsMap);
@@ -252,8 +253,8 @@ public void testEqlRestUsage() throws IOException {
                 "  [process where opcode == 1]");
         }
         responseAsMap = getStats();
-        metricsToCheck = unmodifiableSet(new HashSet<>(Arrays.asList("sequence", "sequence_queries_two", "pipe_head",
-            "join_keys_five_or_more")));
+        metricsToCheck = unmodifiableSet(new HashSet<>(Arrays.asList("sequence", "sequence_queries_two",
+            "join_keys_five_or_more", defaultPipe)));
         assertFeaturesMetrics(randomFiveJoinKeysExecutions, responseAsMap, metricsToCheck);
         assertFeaturesMetricsExcept(responseAsMap, metricsToCheck);
         assertAllQueryMetrics(allTotalQueries, responseAsMap);
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/eql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/eql/action/EqlSearchRequest.java b/x-pack/plugin/eql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/eql/action/EqlSearchRequest.java
index 36113e3190334..65f4332d0503f 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/eql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/eql/action/EqlSearchRequest.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/eql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/eql/action/EqlSearchRequest.java
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ public class EqlSearchRequest extends ActionRequest implements IndicesRequest.Re
     private int size = RequestDefaults.SIZE;
     private int fetchSize = RequestDefaults.FETCH_SIZE;
     private String query;
-    private String resultPosition = "head";
+    private String resultPosition = "tail";
 
     // Async settings
     private TimeValue waitForCompletionTimeout = null;