diff --git a/conf/defaults.ini b/conf/defaults.ini
index 091140c7cc1..212c57353b2 100644
--- a/conf/defaults.ini
+++ b/conf/defaults.ini
@@ -1338,8 +1338,8 @@ execute_alerts = true
 # The timeout string is a possibly signed sequence of decimal numbers, followed by a unit suffix (ms, s, m, h, d), e.g. 30s or 1m.
 evaluation_timeout = 30s
 
-# Number of times we'll attempt to evaluate an alert rule before giving up on that evaluation. The default value is 1.
-max_attempts = 1
+# Number of times we'll attempt to evaluate an alert rule before giving up on that evaluation. The default value is 3.
+max_attempts = 3
 
 # Minimum interval to enforce between rule evaluations. Rules will be adjusted if they are less than this value or if they are not multiple of the scheduler interval (10s). Higher values can help with resource management as we'll schedule fewer evaluations over time.
 # The interval string is a possibly signed sequence of decimal numbers, followed by a unit suffix (ms, s, m, h, d), e.g. 30s or 1m.
diff --git a/conf/sample.ini b/conf/sample.ini
index 687f4052053..99dfb68fdb8 100644
--- a/conf/sample.ini
+++ b/conf/sample.ini
@@ -1322,8 +1322,8 @@
 # The timeout string is a possibly signed sequence of decimal numbers, followed by a unit suffix (ms, s, m, h, d), e.g. 30s or 1m.
 ;evaluation_timeout = 30s
 
-# Number of times we'll attempt to evaluate an alert rule before giving up on that evaluation. The default value is 1.
-;max_attempts = 1
+# Number of times we'll attempt to evaluate an alert rule before giving up on that evaluation. The default value is 3.
+;max_attempts = 3
 
 # Minimum interval to enforce between rule evaluations. Rules will be adjusted if they are less than this value  or if they are not multiple of the scheduler interval (10s). Higher values can help with resource management as we'll schedule fewer evaluations over time.
 # The interval string is a possibly signed sequence of decimal numbers, followed by a unit suffix (ms, s, m, h, d), e.g. 30s or 1m.
diff --git a/pkg/setting/setting_unified_alerting.go b/pkg/setting/setting_unified_alerting.go
index a39636533da..1d602622c65 100644
--- a/pkg/setting/setting_unified_alerting.go
+++ b/pkg/setting/setting_unified_alerting.go
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ const (
 	evaluatorDefaultEvaluationTimeout       = 30 * time.Second
 	schedulerDefaultAdminConfigPollInterval = time.Minute
 	schedulerDefaultExecuteAlerts           = true
-	schedulerDefaultMaxAttempts             = 1
+	schedulerDefaultMaxAttempts             = 3
 	schedulerDefaultLegacyMinInterval       = 1
 	screenshotsDefaultCapture               = false
 	screenshotsDefaultCaptureTimeout        = 10 * time.Second
diff --git a/pkg/setting/setting_unified_alerting_test.go b/pkg/setting/setting_unified_alerting_test.go
index 0b453b46e12..bd972e7ef54 100644
--- a/pkg/setting/setting_unified_alerting_test.go
+++ b/pkg/setting/setting_unified_alerting_test.go
@@ -120,14 +120,14 @@ func TestUnifiedAlertingSettings(t *testing.T) {
 				"evaluation_timeout":         evaluatorDefaultEvaluationTimeout.String(),
 			},
 			alertingOptions: map[string]string{
-				"max_attempts":               "1",
+				"max_attempts":               "1", // Note: Ignored, setting does not exist.
 				"min_interval_seconds":       "120",
 				"execute_alerts":             "true",
 				"evaluation_timeout_seconds": "160",
 			},
 			verifyCfg: func(t *testing.T, cfg Cfg) {
 				require.Equal(t, 120*time.Second, cfg.UnifiedAlerting.AdminConfigPollInterval)
-				require.Equal(t, int64(1), cfg.UnifiedAlerting.MaxAttempts)
+				require.Equal(t, int64(3), cfg.UnifiedAlerting.MaxAttempts)
 				require.Equal(t, 120*time.Second, cfg.UnifiedAlerting.MinInterval)
 				require.Equal(t, true, cfg.UnifiedAlerting.ExecuteAlerts)
 				require.Equal(t, 160*time.Second, cfg.UnifiedAlerting.EvaluationTimeout)
@@ -168,14 +168,14 @@ func TestUnifiedAlertingSettings(t *testing.T) {
 				"evaluation_timeout": "invalid",
 			},
 			alertingOptions: map[string]string{
-				"max_attempts":               "1",
+				"max_attempts":               "1", // Note: Ignored, setting does not exist.
 				"min_interval_seconds":       "120",
 				"execute_alerts":             "false",
 				"evaluation_timeout_seconds": "160",
 			},
 			verifyCfg: func(t *testing.T, cfg Cfg) {
 				require.Equal(t, alertmanagerDefaultConfigPollInterval, cfg.UnifiedAlerting.AdminConfigPollInterval)
-				require.Equal(t, int64(1), cfg.UnifiedAlerting.MaxAttempts)
+				require.Equal(t, int64(3), cfg.UnifiedAlerting.MaxAttempts)
 				require.Equal(t, 120*time.Second, cfg.UnifiedAlerting.MinInterval)
 				require.Equal(t, false, cfg.UnifiedAlerting.ExecuteAlerts)
 				require.Equal(t, 160*time.Second, cfg.UnifiedAlerting.EvaluationTimeout)