diff --git a/chromadb/api/configuration.py b/chromadb/api/configuration.py
index 7a8e1b04896..03488e92909 100644
--- a/chromadb/api/configuration.py
+++ b/chromadb/api/configuration.py
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ class HNSWConfigurationInternal(ConfigurationInternal):
             name="ef_search",
             validator=lambda value: isinstance(value, int) and value >= 1,
             is_static=False,
-            default_value=10,
+            default_value=100,
         ),
         "num_threads": ConfigurationDefinition(
             name="num_threads",
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ def __init__(
         self,
         space: str = "l2",
         ef_construction: int = 100,
-        ef_search: int = 10,
+        ef_search: int = 100,
         num_threads: int = cpu_count(),
         M: int = 16,
         resize_factor: float = 1.2,
diff --git a/chromadb/segment/impl/vector/hnsw_params.py b/chromadb/segment/impl/vector/hnsw_params.py
index b12c4281508..4387f188edf 100644
--- a/chromadb/segment/impl/vector/hnsw_params.py
+++ b/chromadb/segment/impl/vector/hnsw_params.py
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ def __init__(self, metadata: Metadata):
         metadata = metadata or {}
         self.space = str(metadata.get("hnsw:space", "l2"))
         self.construction_ef = int(metadata.get("hnsw:construction_ef", 100))
-        self.search_ef = int(metadata.get("hnsw:search_ef", 10))
+        self.search_ef = int(metadata.get("hnsw:search_ef", 100))
         self.M = int(metadata.get("hnsw:M", 16))
         self.num_threads = int(
             metadata.get("hnsw:num_threads", multiprocessing.cpu_count())