diff --git a/apmproxy/client.go b/apmproxy/client.go
index 7b161abe..58066acb 100644
--- a/apmproxy/client.go
+++ b/apmproxy/client.go
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ func NewClient(opts ...Option) (*Client, error) {
 			WriteTimeout:   defaultDataReceiverTimeout,
 			MaxHeaderBytes: 1 << 20,
 		},
-		sendStrategy: SyncFlush,
+		sendStrategy: Background,
 		flushCh:      make(chan struct{}),
 	}
 
diff --git a/docs/monitoring-aws-lambda.asciidoc b/docs/monitoring-aws-lambda.asciidoc
index 9615a4da..7c87d4b1 100644
--- a/docs/monitoring-aws-lambda.asciidoc
+++ b/docs/monitoring-aws-lambda.asciidoc
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ The timeout value, for the {apm-lambda-ext}'s HTTP client sending data to the AP
 [float]
 === `ELASTIC_APM_SEND_STRATEGY`
 Whether to synchronously flush APM agent data from the {apm-lambda-ext} to the APM Server at the end of the function invocation.
-The two accepted values are `background` and `syncflush`. The _default_ is `syncflush`.
+The two accepted values are `background` and `syncflush`. The _default_ is `background`.
 
 * The `background` strategy indicates that the {apm-lambda-ext} will not flush when it receives a signal that the function invocation
 has completed. It will instead send any remaining buffered data on the next function invocation. The result is that, if the
diff --git a/e2e-testing/sam-java/template.yml b/e2e-testing/sam-java/template.yml
index 0b9a4733..e21e87a1 100644
--- a/e2e-testing/sam-java/template.yml
+++ b/e2e-testing/sam-java/template.yml
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ Resources:
           ELASTIC_APM_CENTRAL_CONFIG: false
           ELASTIC_APM_CLOUD_PROVIDER: none
           ELASTIC_APM_SERVER_URL: http://localhost:8200
+          ELASTIC_APM_SEND_STRATEGY: syncflush
           AWS_LAMBDA_EXEC_WRAPPER: /opt/elastic-apm-handler
           ELASTIC_APM_APPLICATION_PACKAGES: true
           APM_AWS_EXTENSION_TEST_UUID: !Ref TestUUID
diff --git a/e2e-testing/sam-nodejs/template.yml b/e2e-testing/sam-nodejs/template.yml
index 23d5ddbe..8d1ed72c 100644
--- a/e2e-testing/sam-nodejs/template.yml
+++ b/e2e-testing/sam-nodejs/template.yml
@@ -46,4 +46,5 @@ Resources:
           ELASTIC_APM_CENTRAL_CONFIG: false
           ELASTIC_APM_CLOUD_PROVIDER: none
           ELASTIC_APM_SERVER_URL: http://localhost:8200
+          ELASTIC_APM_SEND_STRATEGY: syncflush
           APM_AWS_EXTENSION_TEST_UUID: !Ref TestUUID
diff --git a/e2e-testing/sam-python/template.yml b/e2e-testing/sam-python/template.yml
index e4c4682b..bd427fde 100644
--- a/e2e-testing/sam-python/template.yml
+++ b/e2e-testing/sam-python/template.yml
@@ -48,4 +48,5 @@ Resources:
           ELASTIC_APM_CENTRAL_CONFIG: false
           ELASTIC_APM_CLOUD_PROVIDER: none
           ELASTIC_APM_SERVER_URL: http://localhost:8200
+          ELASTIC_APM_SEND_STRATEGY: syncflush
           APM_AWS_EXTENSION_TEST_UUID: !Ref TestUUID
diff --git a/tf/main.tf b/tf/main.tf
index c68c701b..9b67a15a 100644
--- a/tf/main.tf
+++ b/tf/main.tf
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ module "lambda_function" {
     ELASTIC_APM_LOG_LEVEL         = var.log_level
     ELASTIC_APM_LAMBDA_APM_SERVER = module.ec_deployment.apm_url
     ELASTIC_APM_SECRET_TOKEN      = module.ec_deployment.apm_secret_token
+    ELASTIC_APM_SEND_STRATEGY     = "syncflush"
   }
 
   tags = {