diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/DependencyInjection/Compiler/BackendCompilerPass.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/DependencyInjection/Compiler/BackendCompilerPass.php
index e4aedcb..deb86e3 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/DependencyInjection/Compiler/BackendCompilerPass.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/DependencyInjection/Compiler/BackendCompilerPass.php
@@ -42,11 +42,17 @@ class BackendCompilerPass implements CompilerPassInterface {
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function process(ContainerBuilder $container) {
-    $default_backend = $container->hasParameter('default_backend') ? $container->getParameter('default_backend') : NULL;
-    // No default backend was configured, so continue as normal.
-    if (!isset($default_backend)) {
-      return;
+    if ($container->hasParameter('default_backend')) {
+      $default_backend = $container->getParameter('default_backend');
+      // Opt out from the default backend.
+      if (!$default_backend) {
+        return;
+      }
     }
+    else {
+      $default_backend = $container->get('database')->driver();
+    }
+
 
     foreach ($container->findTaggedServiceIds('backend_overridable') as $id => $attributes) {
       // If the service is already an alias it is not the original backend, so
diff --git a/sites/default/default.services.yml b/sites/default/default.services.yml
index ecb1c43..099912a 100644
--- a/sites/default/default.services.yml
+++ b/sites/default/default.services.yml
@@ -96,3 +96,7 @@ parameters:
     # Default key/value expirable storage service to use.
     # @default keyvalue.database.expirable
     # default: keyvalue.database.expirable
+  # default_backend: ""
+  # Services are automatically overriden per the default backend which
+  # defaults to the database driver. A different default can be set or
+  # an empty string disables this mechanism.