diff --git a/independent-projects/tools/devtools-common/src/main/java/io/quarkus/devtools/codestarts/quarkus/QuarkusCodestartCatalog.java b/independent-projects/tools/devtools-common/src/main/java/io/quarkus/devtools/codestarts/quarkus/QuarkusCodestartCatalog.java
index 0db36a4b3ab0b..6768882a92df4 100644
--- a/independent-projects/tools/devtools-common/src/main/java/io/quarkus/devtools/codestarts/quarkus/QuarkusCodestartCatalog.java
+++ b/independent-projects/tools/devtools-common/src/main/java/io/quarkus/devtools/codestarts/quarkus/QuarkusCodestartCatalog.java
@@ -139,16 +139,16 @@ protected Collection<Codestart> select(QuarkusCodestartProjectInput projectInput
                 .collect(Collectors.toCollection(ArrayList::new));
 
         // include default codestarts depending on the versions and the extensions being chosen or not
-        Optional<ExtensionCodestart> selectedDefaultCodeStart = getSelectedDefaultCodeStart(projectInput);
+        Optional<String> selectedDefaultCodeStart = getSelectedDefaultCodeStart(projectInput);
 
         if (projectInput.getAppContent().contains(CODE)
                 && selectedDefaultCodeStart.isPresent()
                 && projectCodestarts.stream()
                         .noneMatch(c -> c.getType() == CodestartType.CODE && !c.getSpec().isPreselected())) {
             final Codestart defaultCodestart = codestarts.stream()
-                    .filter(c -> c.matches(selectedDefaultCodeStart.get().key()))
+                    .filter(c -> c.matches(selectedDefaultCodeStart.get()))
                     .findFirst().orElseThrow(() -> new CodestartStructureException(
-                            selectedDefaultCodeStart.get().key() + " codestart not found"));
+                            selectedDefaultCodeStart.get() + " codestart not found"));
             final String languageName = findLanguageName(projectCodestarts);
             if (defaultCodestart.implementsLanguage(languageName)) {
                 projectCodestarts.add(defaultCodestart);
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ protected Collection<Codestart> select(QuarkusCodestartProjectInput projectInput
         return projectCodestarts;
     }
 
-    private Optional<ExtensionCodestart> getSelectedDefaultCodeStart(QuarkusCodestartProjectInput projectInput) {
+    private Optional<String> getSelectedDefaultCodeStart(QuarkusCodestartProjectInput projectInput) {
         // This is very hackyish, we need a better data structure to do better
         Optional<ArtifactCoords> quarkusBom = projectInput.getBoms().stream()
                 .map(ArtifactCoords::fromString)
@@ -195,13 +195,17 @@ private Optional<ExtensionCodestart> getSelectedDefaultCodeStart(QuarkusCodestar
             if (projectInput.getExtensions().isEmpty() ||
                     (projectInput.getExtensions().size() == 1
                             && isLanguageExtension(projectInput.getExtensions().iterator().next()))) {
-                return Optional.of(ExtensionCodestart.RESTEASY_REACTIVE);
+                var defaultCodestart = projectInput.getDefaultCodestart();
+                if (defaultCodestart == null) {
+                    defaultCodestart = QuarkusCodestartCatalog.ExtensionCodestart.RESTEASY_REACTIVE.key();
+                }
+                return Optional.of(defaultCodestart);
             }
 
             return Optional.empty();
         }
 
-        return Optional.of(ExtensionCodestart.RESTEASY);
+        return Optional.of(ExtensionCodestart.RESTEASY.key());
     }
 
     private boolean isCoreBom(ArtifactCoords artifactCoords) {
diff --git a/independent-projects/tools/devtools-common/src/main/java/io/quarkus/devtools/codestarts/quarkus/QuarkusCodestartProjectInput.java b/independent-projects/tools/devtools-common/src/main/java/io/quarkus/devtools/codestarts/quarkus/QuarkusCodestartProjectInput.java
index 41222ba6cf44f..10f347c208793 100644
--- a/independent-projects/tools/devtools-common/src/main/java/io/quarkus/devtools/codestarts/quarkus/QuarkusCodestartProjectInput.java
+++ b/independent-projects/tools/devtools-common/src/main/java/io/quarkus/devtools/codestarts/quarkus/QuarkusCodestartProjectInput.java
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ public final class QuarkusCodestartProjectInput extends CodestartProjectInput {
     private final Collection<ArtifactCoords> extensions;
     private final Collection<ArtifactCoords> platforms;
     private final String example;
-    private Set<AppContent> appContent;
+    private final Set<AppContent> appContent;
+    private final String defaultCodestart;
 
     public QuarkusCodestartProjectInput(QuarkusCodestartProjectInputBuilder builder) {
         super(builder);
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@ public QuarkusCodestartProjectInput(QuarkusCodestartProjectInputBuilder builder)
         this.example = builder.example;
         this.buildTool = requireNonNull(builder.buildTool, "buildTool is required");
         this.appContent = builder.appContent;
+        this.defaultCodestart = builder.defaultCodestart;
     }
 
     public static QuarkusCodestartProjectInputBuilder builder() {
@@ -49,4 +51,8 @@ public Set<AppContent> getAppContent() {
     public BuildTool getBuildTool() {
         return buildTool;
     }
+
+    public String getDefaultCodestart() {
+        return defaultCodestart;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/independent-projects/tools/devtools-common/src/main/java/io/quarkus/devtools/codestarts/quarkus/QuarkusCodestartProjectInputBuilder.java b/independent-projects/tools/devtools-common/src/main/java/io/quarkus/devtools/codestarts/quarkus/QuarkusCodestartProjectInputBuilder.java
index 452f45a939c89..8652171d831ab 100644
--- a/independent-projects/tools/devtools-common/src/main/java/io/quarkus/devtools/codestarts/quarkus/QuarkusCodestartProjectInputBuilder.java
+++ b/independent-projects/tools/devtools-common/src/main/java/io/quarkus/devtools/codestarts/quarkus/QuarkusCodestartProjectInputBuilder.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ public class QuarkusCodestartProjectInputBuilder extends CodestartProjectInputBu
     Set<AppContent> appContent = new HashSet<>(FULL_CONTENT);
     String example;
     BuildTool buildTool = BuildTool.MAVEN;
+    String defaultCodestart;
 
     QuarkusCodestartProjectInputBuilder() {
         super();
@@ -146,6 +147,13 @@ public QuarkusCodestartProjectInputBuilder buildTool(BuildTool buildTool) {
         return this;
     }
 
+    public QuarkusCodestartProjectInputBuilder defaultCodestart(String defaultCodestart) {
+        if (defaultCodestart != null) {
+            this.defaultCodestart = defaultCodestart;
+        }
+        return this;
+    }
+
     public QuarkusCodestartProjectInput build() {
         return new QuarkusCodestartProjectInput(this);
     }
diff --git a/independent-projects/tools/devtools-common/src/main/java/io/quarkus/devtools/commands/handlers/CreateProjectCommandHandler.java b/independent-projects/tools/devtools-common/src/main/java/io/quarkus/devtools/commands/handlers/CreateProjectCommandHandler.java
index 0711461f91d0f..a696b9d5a5654 100644
--- a/independent-projects/tools/devtools-common/src/main/java/io/quarkus/devtools/commands/handlers/CreateProjectCommandHandler.java
+++ b/independent-projects/tools/devtools-common/src/main/java/io/quarkus/devtools/commands/handlers/CreateProjectCommandHandler.java
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ public QuarkusCommandOutcome execute(QuarkusCommandInvocation invocation) throws
                     .addData(toCodestartData(invocation.getValues()))
                     .addData(invocation.getValue(DATA, Collections.emptyMap()))
                     .messageWriter(invocation.log())
+                    .defaultCodestart(getDefaultCodestart(mainCatalog))
                     .build();
             invocation.log().info("-----------");
             if (!extensionsToAdd.isEmpty()) {
@@ -249,4 +250,20 @@ private void checkMinimumJavaVersion(String javaVersionString, List<Extension> e
                     .format("Some extensions are not compatible with the selected Java version (%s):\n %s", javaVersion, list));
         }
     }
+
+    private static String getDefaultCodestart(ExtensionCatalog catalog) {
+        var map = catalog.getMetadata();
+        if (map != null && !map.isEmpty()) {
+            var projectMetadata = map.get("project");
+            if (projectMetadata instanceof Map) {
+                var defaultCodestart = ((Map<?, ?>) projectMetadata).get("default-codestart");
+                if (defaultCodestart != null) {
+                    if (defaultCodestart instanceof String) {
+                        return defaultCodestart.toString();
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        return null;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/independent-projects/tools/devtools-testing/src/main/java/io/quarkus/devtools/testing/FakeExtensionCatalog.java b/independent-projects/tools/devtools-testing/src/main/java/io/quarkus/devtools/testing/FakeExtensionCatalog.java
index d03d08d91ece0..0bf3fa0ff5750 100644
--- a/independent-projects/tools/devtools-testing/src/main/java/io/quarkus/devtools/testing/FakeExtensionCatalog.java
+++ b/independent-projects/tools/devtools-testing/src/main/java/io/quarkus/devtools/testing/FakeExtensionCatalog.java
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.InputStream;
 import java.io.UncheckedIOException;
+import java.util.Map;
 
 import io.quarkus.devtools.codestarts.quarkus.QuarkusCodestartCatalog;
 import io.quarkus.registry.catalog.ExtensionCatalog;
@@ -36,4 +37,17 @@ public static ExtensionCatalog newFakeExtensionCatalog() {
             throw new UncheckedIOException(e);
         }
     }
+
+    public static String getDefaultCodestart() {
+        var map = FAKE_EXTENSION_CATALOG.getMetadata().get("project");
+        if (map != null) {
+            if (map instanceof Map) {
+                var defaultCodestart = ((Map<?, ?>) map).get("default-codestart");
+                if (defaultCodestart instanceof String) {
+                    return defaultCodestart.toString();
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        return null;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/independent-projects/tools/devtools-testing/src/main/resources/fake-catalog.json b/independent-projects/tools/devtools-testing/src/main/resources/fake-catalog.json
index 89aa29ee4265a..f38313854bd9b 100644
--- a/independent-projects/tools/devtools-testing/src/main/resources/fake-catalog.json
+++ b/independent-projects/tools/devtools-testing/src/main/resources/fake-catalog.json
@@ -427,6 +427,7 @@
   ],
   "metadata": {
     "project": {
+      "default-codestart": "resteasy-reactive",
       "properties": {
         "doc-root": "https://quarkus.io",
         "rest-assured-version": "4.3.2",
diff --git a/independent-projects/tools/devtools-testing/src/test/java/io/quarkus/devtools/codestarts/quarkus/QuarkusCodestartCatalogTest.java b/independent-projects/tools/devtools-testing/src/test/java/io/quarkus/devtools/codestarts/quarkus/QuarkusCodestartCatalogTest.java
index c316da61b6156..5f4b5e32140a7 100644
--- a/independent-projects/tools/devtools-testing/src/test/java/io/quarkus/devtools/codestarts/quarkus/QuarkusCodestartCatalogTest.java
+++ b/independent-projects/tools/devtools-testing/src/test/java/io/quarkus/devtools/codestarts/quarkus/QuarkusCodestartCatalogTest.java
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 import io.quarkus.devtools.codestarts.CodestartProjectDefinition;
 import io.quarkus.devtools.codestarts.CodestartType;
 import io.quarkus.devtools.project.BuildTool;
+import io.quarkus.devtools.testing.FakeExtensionCatalog;
 import io.quarkus.devtools.testing.SnapshotTesting;
 import io.quarkus.maven.dependency.ArtifactKey;
 
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ void loadTest() throws IOException {
 
     @Test
     void createProjectTestEmpty() throws IOException {
-        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = QuarkusCodestartProjectInput.builder()
+        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = newInputBuilder()
                 .noCode()
                 .noBuildToolWrapper()
                 .noDockerfiles()
@@ -68,7 +69,7 @@ void createProjectTestEmpty() throws IOException {
 
     @Test
     void createProjectTestNoExample() throws IOException {
-        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = QuarkusCodestartProjectInput.builder()
+        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = newInputBuilder()
                 .noCode()
                 .build();
         final CodestartProjectDefinition projectDefinition = getCatalog().createProject(input);
@@ -88,7 +89,7 @@ void createProjectTestNoExample() throws IOException {
 
     @Test
     void createProjectTestGradle() throws IOException {
-        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = QuarkusCodestartProjectInput.builder()
+        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = newInputBuilder()
                 .buildTool(BuildTool.GRADLE)
                 .build();
         final CodestartProjectDefinition projectDefinition = getCatalog().createProject(input);
@@ -98,7 +99,7 @@ void createProjectTestGradle() throws IOException {
 
     @Test
     void createProjectTestKotlin() throws IOException {
-        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = QuarkusCodestartProjectInput.builder()
+        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = newInputBuilder()
                 .addExtension(ArtifactKey.fromString("io.quarkus:quarkus-kotlin"))
                 .build();
         final CodestartProjectDefinition projectDefinition = getCatalog().createProject(input);
@@ -108,7 +109,7 @@ void createProjectTestKotlin() throws IOException {
 
     @Test
     void prepareProjectTestScala() throws IOException {
-        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = QuarkusCodestartProjectInput.builder()
+        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = newInputBuilder()
                 .addExtension(ArtifactKey.fromString("io.quarkus:quarkus-scala"))
                 .build();
         final CodestartProjectDefinition projectDefinition = getCatalog().createProject(input);
@@ -118,7 +119,7 @@ void prepareProjectTestScala() throws IOException {
 
     @Test
     void prepareProjectTestConfigYaml() throws IOException {
-        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = QuarkusCodestartProjectInput.builder()
+        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = newInputBuilder()
                 .addExtension(ArtifactKey.fromString("io.quarkus:quarkus-config-yaml"))
                 .build();
         final CodestartProjectDefinition projectDefinition = getCatalog().createProject(input);
@@ -128,7 +129,7 @@ void prepareProjectTestConfigYaml() throws IOException {
 
     @Test
     void prepareProjectTestResteasy() throws IOException {
-        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = QuarkusCodestartProjectInput.builder()
+        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = newInputBuilder()
                 .addExtension(ArtifactKey.fromString("io.quarkus:quarkus-resteasy"))
                 .build();
         final CodestartProjectDefinition projectDefinition = getCatalog().createProject(input);
@@ -141,6 +142,10 @@ void prepareProjectTestResteasy() throws IOException {
                         "resteasy-codestart");
     }
 
+    private static QuarkusCodestartProjectInputBuilder newInputBuilder() {
+        return QuarkusCodestartProjectInput.builder().defaultCodestart(FakeExtensionCatalog.getDefaultCodestart());
+    }
+
     private QuarkusCodestartCatalog getCatalog() throws IOException {
         return FAKE_QUARKUS_CODESTART_CATALOG;
     }
diff --git a/independent-projects/tools/devtools-testing/src/test/java/io/quarkus/devtools/codestarts/quarkus/QuarkusCodestartGenerationTest.java b/independent-projects/tools/devtools-testing/src/test/java/io/quarkus/devtools/codestarts/quarkus/QuarkusCodestartGenerationTest.java
index 3df62f156b9b5..3a7cc05b87f20 100644
--- a/independent-projects/tools/devtools-testing/src/test/java/io/quarkus/devtools/codestarts/quarkus/QuarkusCodestartGenerationTest.java
+++ b/independent-projects/tools/devtools-testing/src/test/java/io/quarkus/devtools/codestarts/quarkus/QuarkusCodestartGenerationTest.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.TestInfo;
 
 import io.quarkus.devtools.project.BuildTool;
+import io.quarkus.devtools.testing.FakeExtensionCatalog;
 import io.quarkus.devtools.testing.SnapshotTesting;
 import io.quarkus.devtools.testing.codestarts.QuarkusCodestartTesting;
 import io.quarkus.maven.dependency.ArtifactCoords;
@@ -38,7 +39,7 @@ private Map<String, Object> getGenerationTestInputData() {
 
     @Test
     void generateDefault(TestInfo testInfo) throws Throwable {
-        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = QuarkusCodestartProjectInput.builder()
+        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = newInputBuilder()
                 .noCode()
                 .noDockerfiles()
                 .noBuildToolWrapper()
@@ -60,9 +61,13 @@ void generateDefault(TestInfo testInfo) throws Throwable {
         assertThat(projectDir.resolve("src/main/java")).exists().isEmptyDirectory();
     }
 
+    private static QuarkusCodestartProjectInputBuilder newInputBuilder() {
+        return QuarkusCodestartProjectInput.builder().defaultCodestart(FakeExtensionCatalog.getDefaultCodestart());
+    }
+
     @Test
     void generateRESTEasyJavaCustom(TestInfo testInfo) throws Throwable {
-        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = QuarkusCodestartProjectInput.builder()
+        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = newInputBuilder()
                 .addData(getGenerationTestInputData())
                 .addExtension(ArtifactKey.fromString("io.quarkus:quarkus-resteasy"))
                 .putData(PROJECT_PACKAGE_NAME.key(), "com.andy")
@@ -101,7 +106,7 @@ void verifyIndexExtensionList(TestInfo testInfo) throws Throwable {
 
     @Test
     void generateMavenWithCustomDep(TestInfo testInfo) throws Throwable {
-        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = QuarkusCodestartProjectInput.builder()
+        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = newInputBuilder()
                 .addData(getGenerationTestInputData())
                 .addBoms(QuarkusCodestartTesting.getPlatformBoms())
                 .addExtension(ArtifactCoords.fromString("io.quarkus:quarkus-resteasy:1.8"))
@@ -127,7 +132,7 @@ void generateMavenWithCustomDep(TestInfo testInfo) throws Throwable {
 
     @Test
     void generateRESTEasyKotlinCustom(TestInfo testInfo) throws Throwable {
-        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = QuarkusCodestartProjectInput.builder()
+        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = newInputBuilder()
                 .addData(getGenerationTestInputData())
                 .addExtension(ArtifactKey.fromString("io.quarkus:quarkus-resteasy"))
                 .addExtension(ArtifactKey.fromString("io.quarkus:quarkus-kotlin"))
@@ -160,7 +165,7 @@ void generateRESTEasyKotlinCustom(TestInfo testInfo) throws Throwable {
 
     @Test
     void generateRESTEasyScalaCustom(TestInfo testInfo) throws Throwable {
-        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = QuarkusCodestartProjectInput.builder()
+        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = newInputBuilder()
                 .addData(getGenerationTestInputData())
                 .addExtension(ArtifactKey.fromString("io.quarkus:quarkus-resteasy"))
                 .addExtension(ArtifactKey.fromString("io.quarkus:quarkus-scala"))
@@ -193,7 +198,7 @@ void generateRESTEasyScalaCustom(TestInfo testInfo) throws Throwable {
 
     @Test
     void generateMavenDefaultJava(TestInfo testInfo) throws Throwable {
-        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = QuarkusCodestartProjectInput.builder()
+        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = newInputBuilder()
                 .addData(getGenerationTestInputData())
                 .build();
         final Path projectDir = testDirPath.resolve("maven-default-java");
@@ -211,7 +216,7 @@ void generateMavenDefaultJava(TestInfo testInfo) throws Throwable {
 
     @Test
     void generateGradleDefaultJava(TestInfo testInfo) throws Throwable {
-        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = QuarkusCodestartProjectInput.builder()
+        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = newInputBuilder()
                 .buildTool(BuildTool.GRADLE)
                 .addData(getGenerationTestInputData())
                 .build();
@@ -230,7 +235,7 @@ void generateGradleDefaultJava(TestInfo testInfo) throws Throwable {
 
     @Test
     void generateMavenResteasyJava(TestInfo testInfo) throws Throwable {
-        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = QuarkusCodestartProjectInput.builder()
+        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = newInputBuilder()
                 .addExtension(ArtifactKey.fromString("io.quarkus:quarkus-resteasy"))
                 .addData(getGenerationTestInputData())
                 .build();
@@ -249,7 +254,7 @@ void generateMavenResteasyJava(TestInfo testInfo) throws Throwable {
 
     @Test
     void generateMavenConfigYamlJava(TestInfo testInfo) throws Throwable {
-        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = QuarkusCodestartProjectInput.builder()
+        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = newInputBuilder()
                 .addExtension(ArtifactKey.fromString("io.quarkus:quarkus-config-yaml"))
                 .addData(getGenerationTestInputData())
                 .build();
@@ -264,7 +269,7 @@ void generateMavenConfigYamlJava(TestInfo testInfo) throws Throwable {
 
     @Test
     public void generateGradleWrapperGithubAction(TestInfo testInfo) throws Throwable {
-        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = QuarkusCodestartProjectInput.builder()
+        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = newInputBuilder()
                 .buildTool(BuildTool.GRADLE)
                 .addData(getGenerationTestInputData())
                 .addCodestarts(Collections.singletonList("tooling-github-action"))
@@ -280,7 +285,7 @@ public void generateGradleWrapperGithubAction(TestInfo testInfo) throws Throwabl
 
     @Test
     public void generateGradleNoWrapperGithubAction(TestInfo testInfo) throws Throwable {
-        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = QuarkusCodestartProjectInput.builder()
+        final QuarkusCodestartProjectInput input = newInputBuilder()
                 .buildTool(BuildTool.GRADLE)
                 .noBuildToolWrapper()
                 .addData(getGenerationTestInputData())