diff --git a/dist/dist-packages/linux/openziti-router/bootstrap.bash b/dist/dist-packages/linux/openziti-router/bootstrap.bash
index 2aa51bed9..30720e5c9 100755
--- a/dist/dist-packages/linux/openziti-router/bootstrap.bash
+++ b/dist/dist-packages/linux/openziti-router/bootstrap.bash
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ function bootstrap() {
 : "${ZITI_ROUTER_ADVERTISED_ADDRESS:=${HOSTNAME:=$(hostname -f)}}"
 : "${ZITI_ROUTER_NAME:=${HOSTNAME%%.*}}"
 : "${ZITI_CTRL_ADVERTISED_PORT:=1280}"
+: "${ZITI_ROUTER_MODE:=none}"
 export  ZITI_ROUTER_NAME \
         ZITI_ROUTER_ADVERTISED_ADDRESS \
         ZITI_CTRL_ADVERTISED_PORT \
diff --git a/dist/dist-packages/linux/openziti-router/postinstall.bash b/dist/dist-packages/linux/openziti-router/postinstall.bash
index 8a62ba803..f4c14657c 100755
--- a/dist/dist-packages/linux/openziti-router/postinstall.bash
+++ b/dist/dist-packages/linux/openziti-router/postinstall.bash
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ promptEnrollToken() {
 promptRouterMode() {
     # if undefined or default value in env file, prompt for router mode, preserving default if no answer
     if [[ -z "${ZITI_ROUTER_MODE:-}" ]]; then
-        if ZITI_ROUTER_MODE="$(prompt 'Enter the router mode (eg. host, tproxy, proxy) [host]: ' || echo 'host')"; then
+        if ZITI_ROUTER_MODE="$(prompt 'Enter the router mode (eg. host, tproxy, proxy) [none]: ' || echo 'none')"; then
             sed -Ei "s/^(ZITI_ROUTER_MODE)=.*/\1=${ZITI_ROUTER_MODE}/" /opt/openziti/etc/router/env
         fi
     fi