diff --git a/ansible/docker-devicemapper.yml b/ansible/docker-devicemapper.yml
index e61c97644..ce0e0128f 100644
--- a/ansible/docker-devicemapper.yml
+++ b/ansible/docker-devicemapper.yml
@@ -1,11 +1,44 @@
 ---
-- name: Ensure docker devicemapper storage is configured
+- name: Verify and configure Docker storage driver
   hosts: docker
   tags:
     - docker
     - docker-devicemapper
   tasks:
-    - name: Ensure docker devicemapper storage is configured
+    - name: Check for existing Docker configuration using devicemapper
+      block:
+      - name: Query Docker daemon for storage driver
+        docker_host_info:
+        failed_when: false
+        register: docker
+
+      - block:
+        - name: Check for a Docker configuration file
+          become: True
+          stat:
+            path: /etc/docker/daemon.json
+          register: docker_config_file
+
+        - name: Check whether devicemapper is used in configuration file
+          lineinfile:
+            path: /etc/docker/daemon.json
+            regexp: 'storage-driver.*devicemapper'
+            state: absent
+          become: True
+          changed_when: False
+          # `check_mode: True` ensures that we don't modify daemon.json
+          check_mode: True
+          register: devicemapper_docker
+          when: docker_config_file.stat.exists
+        when: not docker.can_talk_to_docker
+
+      - name: Fail if devicemapper is in use while another storage driver was requested
+        fail:
+          msg: "Docker storage driver {{ docker_storage_driver }} was requested, but devicemapper is in use"
+        when: (docker.can_talk_to_docker and docker.host_info.Driver == 'devicemapper') or (devicemapper_docker.found | default(0) == 1)
+      when: docker_storage_driver != 'devicemapper'
+
+    - name: Ensure Docker devicemapper storage is configured
       include_role:
         name: docker-devicemapper
       when: docker_storage_driver == 'devicemapper'
diff --git a/ansible/group_vars/all/docker b/ansible/group_vars/all/docker
index d9ab508b3..861ddcc7e 100644
--- a/ansible/group_vars/all/docker
+++ b/ansible/group_vars/all/docker
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@
 ###############################################################################
 # Docker configuration.
 
-# Name of the docker storage driver. Default is 'devicemapper'.
-docker_storage_driver: devicemapper
+# Name of the docker storage driver. Default is 'overlay2'.
+docker_storage_driver: overlay2
 
 # Name of the docker storage LVM volume group.
 docker_storage_volume_group: data
diff --git a/ansible/roles/docker-devicemapper/defaults/main.yml b/ansible/roles/docker-devicemapper/defaults/main.yml
index b9f813b0b..7c210ae89 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/docker-devicemapper/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/docker-devicemapper/defaults/main.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ---
 # Name of the docker storage driver.
-docker_storage_driver: devicemapper
+docker_storage_driver: overlay2
 
 # Name of the docker storage LVM volume group.
 docker_storage_volume_group:
diff --git a/ansible/roles/kolla-ansible/defaults/main.yml b/ansible/roles/kolla-ansible/defaults/main.yml
index 7cf6f57f5..9dcc683fe 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/kolla-ansible/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/kolla-ansible/defaults/main.yml
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ kolla_enable_host_ntp:
 # Docker configuration.
 
 # Name of the docker storage driver.
-docker_storage_driver: devicemapper
+docker_storage_driver: overlay2
 
 # Name of the docker storage LVM volume group.
 docker_storage_volume_group:
diff --git a/doc/source/configuration/reference/hosts.rst b/doc/source/configuration/reference/hosts.rst
index 5722df25b..1bcf98c44 100644
--- a/doc/source/configuration/reference/hosts.rst
+++ b/doc/source/configuration/reference/hosts.rst
@@ -690,8 +690,8 @@ Docker engine configuration is applied by both Kayobe and Kolla Ansible (during
 bootstrap-servers).
 
 The ``docker_storage_driver`` variable sets the Docker storage driver, and by
-default the ``devicemapper`` driver is used. If using this driver, see
-:ref:`configuration-hosts-lvm` for information about configuring LVM for
+default the ``overlay2`` driver is used. If using the ``devicemapper`` driver,
+see :ref:`configuration-hosts-lvm` for information about configuring LVM for
 Docker.
 
 Various options are defined in ``${KAYOBE_CONFIG_PATH}/docker.yml``
diff --git a/etc/kayobe/docker.yml b/etc/kayobe/docker.yml
index 5d30a5d19..4ec00a1f4 100644
--- a/etc/kayobe/docker.yml
+++ b/etc/kayobe/docker.yml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 ###############################################################################
 # Docker configuration.
 
-# Name of the docker storage driver. Default is 'devicemapper'.
+# Name of the docker storage driver. Default is 'overlay2'.
 #docker_storage_driver:
 
 # Name of the docker storage LVM volume group.
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/default-overlay2-970bdb5b7b62b60a.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/default-overlay2-970bdb5b7b62b60a.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1c50e7f8b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/default-overlay2-970bdb5b7b62b60a.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+upgrade:
+  - |
+    The default Docker storage driver has been changed from ``devicemapper`` to
+    ``overlay2``, which is the storage driver preferred by Docker. Environments
+    using ``devicemapper`` should set ``docker_storage_driver`` to
+    ``devicemapper`` in ``${KAYOBE_CONFIG_PATH}/docker.yml``.