diff --git a/java/src/org/openqa/selenium/grid/commands/DefaultStandaloneConfig.java b/java/src/org/openqa/selenium/grid/commands/DefaultStandaloneConfig.java
index b3df88c9934ca..f4dfe1ff01c7f 100644
--- a/java/src/org/openqa/selenium/grid/commands/DefaultStandaloneConfig.java
+++ b/java/src/org/openqa/selenium/grid/commands/DefaultStandaloneConfig.java
@@ -25,7 +25,10 @@ class DefaultStandaloneConfig extends MapConfig {
   DefaultStandaloneConfig() {
     super(
         Map.of(
+            "events", Map.of("implementation", "org.openqa.selenium.events.local.GuavaEventBus"),
             "sessions",
-            Map.of("implementation", "org.openqa.selenium.grid.sessionmap.local.LocalSessionMap")));
+                Map.of(
+                    "implementation",
+                    "org.openqa.selenium.grid.sessionmap.local.LocalSessionMap")));
   }
 }
diff --git a/java/src/org/openqa/selenium/grid/server/EventBusOptions.java b/java/src/org/openqa/selenium/grid/server/EventBusOptions.java
index 4505e2abe8361..a78e833186465 100644
--- a/java/src/org/openqa/selenium/grid/server/EventBusOptions.java
+++ b/java/src/org/openqa/selenium/grid/server/EventBusOptions.java
@@ -25,8 +25,7 @@
 public class EventBusOptions {
 
   static final String EVENTS_SECTION = "events";
-  private static final String GUAVA_BUS_CLASS = "org.openqa.selenium.events.local.GuavaEventBus";
-  private static final String ZEROMQ_BUS_CLASS = "org.openqa.selenium.events.zeromq.ZeroMqEventBus";
+  private static final String DEFAULT_CLASS = "org.openqa.selenium.events.zeromq.ZeroMqEventBus";
   private static final int DEFAULT_HEARTBEAT_PERIOD = 60;
   private final Config config;
   private volatile EventBus bus;
@@ -57,13 +56,6 @@ public Duration getHeartbeatPeriod() {
   }
 
   private EventBus createBus() {
-    // Determine default implementation based on EventBus configuration:
-    // - If publish/subscribe endpoints are configured: use ZeroMqEventBus (distributed mode)
-    // - Otherwise: use GuavaEventBus (standalone mode, in-process, more efficient)
-    boolean hasZmqConfig =
-        config.get(EVENTS_SECTION, "publish").isPresent()
-            || config.get(EVENTS_SECTION, "subscribe").isPresent();
-    String defaultClass = hasZmqConfig ? ZEROMQ_BUS_CLASS : GUAVA_BUS_CLASS;
-    return config.getClass(EVENTS_SECTION, "implementation", EventBus.class, defaultClass);
+    return config.getClass(EVENTS_SECTION, "implementation", EventBus.class, DEFAULT_CLASS);
   }
 }