diff --git a/_config b/_config
index c754d44..1b23716 100644
--- a/_config
+++ b/_config
@@ -404,6 +404,12 @@ Macros:
 :Macros
 %endif
 
+# requested by Marcus Rueckert and acked by Marcus Meissner 20241017
+%define default_firewall_backend nftables
+Macros:
+%default_firewall_backend nftables
+:Macros
+
 # slsaprovenance - as described at https://slsa.dev/provenance/v0.2
 # slsaprovenance diabled on Apr 28 2022
 # 07:29 < adrianS> DimStar: the slsafiles get not correctly generated, please disable the prjconf setting for now