diff --git a/cmd/arcaflow/main.go b/cmd/arcaflow/main.go
index 66f8533b..7ec17213 100644
--- a/cmd/arcaflow/main.go
+++ b/cmd/arcaflow/main.go
@@ -53,18 +53,6 @@ func main() {
 		Stdout:      os.Stderr,
 	})
 
-	defaultConfig := `
-log:
-  level: info
-deployers:
-  image:
-    deployer_name: podman
-    deployment:
-      imagePullPolicy: IfNotPresent
-logged_outputs:
-  error:
-    level: info`
-
 	configFile := ""
 	input := ""
 	dir := "."
@@ -133,12 +121,9 @@ logged_outputs:
 	}
 
 	var configData any
-	if len(configFile) == 0 {
-		if err := yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(defaultConfig), &configData); err != nil {
-			tempLogger.Errorf("Failed to load default configuration", err)
-			os.Exit(ExitCodeInvalidData)
-		}
-	} else {
+	// If no config file is passed, we use an empty map to accept the schema defaults
+	configData = make(map[string]any)
+	if len(configFile) > 0 {
 		configFilePath, err := fileCtx.AbsPathByKey(RequiredFileKeyConfig)
 		if err != nil {
 			tempLogger.Errorf("Unable to find configuration file %s (%v)", configFile, err)
diff --git a/config/load_test.go b/config/load_test.go
index daabe002..a815da7e 100644
--- a/config/load_test.go
+++ b/config/load_test.go
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 package config_test
 
 import (
-	"go.arcalot.io/log/v2"
 	"testing"
 
+	"go.arcalot.io/log/v2"
+
 	"go.arcalot.io/lang"
 	"go.flow.arcalot.io/engine/config"
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
@@ -19,7 +20,7 @@ var configLoadData = map[string]struct {
 		expectedOutput: &config.Config{
 			TypeHintPlugins: nil,
 			LocalDeployers: map[string]any{
-				"image": map[string]string{"deployer_name": "docker"},
+				"image": map[string]string{"deployer_name": "podman"},
 			},
 			Log: log.Config{
 				Level:       log.LevelInfo,
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ log:
 		expectedOutput: &config.Config{
 			TypeHintPlugins: nil,
 			LocalDeployers: map[string]any{
-				"image": map[string]string{"deployer_name": "docker"},
+				"image": map[string]string{"deployer_name": "podman"},
 			},
 			Log: log.Config{
 				Level:       log.LevelDebug,
@@ -70,7 +71,7 @@ plugins:
 				"quay.io/arcalot/example-plugin:latest",
 			},
 			LocalDeployers: map[string]any{
-				"image": map[string]string{"deployer_name": "docker"},
+				"image": map[string]string{"deployer_name": "podman"},
 			},
 			Log: log.Config{
 				Level:       log.LevelInfo,
diff --git a/config/schema.go b/config/schema.go
index 9bd216e5..25ff6eea 100644
--- a/config/schema.go
+++ b/config/schema.go
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ func getConfigSchema() *schema.TypedScopeSchema[*Config] {
 					nil,
 					nil,
 					nil,
-					schema.PointerTo(`{"image": {"deployer_name": "docker"}}`),
+					schema.PointerTo(`{"image": {"deployer_name": "podman"}}`),
 					nil,
 				),
 				"logged_outputs": schema.NewPropertySchema(
diff --git a/engine_test.go b/engine_test.go
index 50f524a0..9f167ac0 100644
--- a/engine_test.go
+++ b/engine_test.go
@@ -3,9 +3,10 @@ package engine_test
 import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
-	"go.flow.arcalot.io/engine/loadfile"
 	"testing"
 
+	"go.flow.arcalot.io/engine/loadfile"
+
 	log "go.arcalot.io/log/v2"
 	"go.flow.arcalot.io/engine"
 	"go.flow.arcalot.io/engine/workflow"
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@ func createTestEngine(t *testing.T) engine.WorkflowEngine {
 	cfg.Log.Level = log.LevelDebug
 	cfg.Log.Destination = log.DestinationTest
 	cfg.LocalDeployers["image"] = map[string]any{
-		"deployer_name": "docker",
+		"deployer_name": "podman",
 		"deployment": map[string]any{
 			"imagePullPolicy": "IfNotPresent",
 		},