diff --git a/package/Dockerfile b/package/Dockerfile
index 9ac1bed66ed..b126b4276be 100644
--- a/package/Dockerfile
+++ b/package/Dockerfile
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@ WORKDIR /var/lib/rancher
 ARG ARCH=amd64
 ARG ETCD_UNSUPPORTED_ARCH
 ARG IMAGE_REPO=rancher
-ARG SYSTEM_CHART_DEFAULT_BRANCH=release-v2.8
-ARG CHART_DEFAULT_BRANCH=release-v2.8
+ARG SYSTEM_CHART_DEFAULT_BRANCH=dev-v2.8
+ARG CHART_DEFAULT_BRANCH=dev-v2.8
 ARG PARTNER_CHART_DEFAULT_BRANCH=main
 ARG RKE2_CHART_DEFAULT_BRANCH=main
 # kontainer-driver-metadata branch to be set for specific branch other than dev/master, logic at rancher/rancher/pkg/settings/setting.go
diff --git a/pkg/settings/setting.go b/pkg/settings/setting.go
index 8143c895e56..b9acc86fd88 100644
--- a/pkg/settings/setting.go
+++ b/pkg/settings/setting.go
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ var (
 	ClusterTemplateEnforcement          = NewSetting("cluster-template-enforcement", "false")
 	InitialDockerRootDir                = NewSetting("initial-docker-root-dir", "/var/lib/docker")
 	SystemCatalog                       = NewSetting("system-catalog", "external") // Options are 'external' or 'bundled'
-	ChartDefaultBranch                  = NewSetting("chart-default-branch", "release-v2.8")
+	ChartDefaultBranch                  = NewSetting("chart-default-branch", "dev-v2.8")
 	SystemManagedChartsOperationTimeout = NewSetting("system-managed-charts-operation-timeout", "300s")
 	PartnerChartDefaultBranch           = NewSetting("partner-chart-default-branch", "main")
 	RKE2ChartDefaultBranch              = NewSetting("rke2-chart-default-branch", "main")
diff --git a/scripts/package-env b/scripts/package-env
index 187b0b88708..ccd00144b18 100644
--- a/scripts/package-env
+++ b/scripts/package-env
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@
 
 ARCH=${ARCH:-"amd64"}
 SYSTEM_CHART_REPO_DIR=build/system-charts
-SYSTEM_CHART_DEFAULT_BRANCH=${SYSTEM_CHART_DEFAULT_BRANCH:-"release-v2.8"}
+SYSTEM_CHART_DEFAULT_BRANCH=${SYSTEM_CHART_DEFAULT_BRANCH:-"dev-v2.8"}
 CHART_REPO_DIR=build/charts
-CHART_DEFAULT_BRANCH=${CHART_DEFAULT_BRANCH:-"release-v2.8"}
+CHART_DEFAULT_BRANCH=${CHART_DEFAULT_BRANCH:-"dev-v2.8"}
 
 IMAGE=${REPO}/rancher:${TAG}
 AGENT_IMAGE=${REPO}/rancher-agent:${AGENT_TAG}
diff --git a/tests/v2/codecoverage/package/Dockerfile b/tests/v2/codecoverage/package/Dockerfile
index 6bfd834efa0..b7611cc6e05 100644
--- a/tests/v2/codecoverage/package/Dockerfile
+++ b/tests/v2/codecoverage/package/Dockerfile
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@ WORKDIR /var/lib/rancher
 ARG ARCH=amd64
 ARG ETCD_UNSUPPORTED_ARCH
 ARG IMAGE_REPO=rancher
-ARG SYSTEM_CHART_DEFAULT_BRANCH=release-v2.8
-ARG CHART_DEFAULT_BRANCH=release-v2.8
+ARG SYSTEM_CHART_DEFAULT_BRANCH=dev-v2.8
+ARG CHART_DEFAULT_BRANCH=dev-v2.8
 ARG PARTNER_CHART_DEFAULT_BRANCH=main
 ARG RKE2_CHART_DEFAULT_BRANCH=main
 # kontainer-driver-metadata branch to be set for specific branch other than dev/master, logic at rancher/rancher/pkg/settings/setting.go