diff --git a/app/pages/system/silos/SiloIpPoolsTab.tsx b/app/pages/system/silos/SiloIpPoolsTab.tsx
index 7750d816c..7ff0193fc 100644
--- a/app/pages/system/silos/SiloIpPoolsTab.tsx
+++ b/app/pages/system/silos/SiloIpPoolsTab.tsx
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 import { useQuery } from '@tanstack/react-query'
 import { createColumnHelper } from '@tanstack/react-table'
 import { useCallback, useMemo, useState } from 'react'
-import { useForm } from 'react-hook-form'
+import { useForm, useWatch } from 'react-hook-form'
 import { type LoaderFunctionArgs } from 'react-router'
 
 import {
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import {
 import { Networking24Icon } from '@oxide/design-system/icons/react'
 import { Badge } from '@oxide/design-system/ui'
 
+import { CheckboxField } from '~/components/form/fields/CheckboxField'
 import { ComboboxField } from '~/components/form/fields/ComboboxField'
 import { HL } from '~/components/HL'
 import { IpVersionBadge } from '~/components/IpVersionBadge'
@@ -263,9 +264,10 @@ export const handle = makeCrumb('IP Pools')
 
 type LinkPoolFormValues = {
   pool: string | undefined
+  isDefault: boolean
 }
 
-const defaultValues: LinkPoolFormValues = { pool: undefined }
+const defaultValues: LinkPoolFormValues = { pool: undefined, isDefault: false }
 
 function LinkPoolModal({ onDismiss }: { onDismiss: () => void }) {
   const { silo } = useSiloSelector()
@@ -282,14 +284,18 @@ function LinkPoolModal({ onDismiss }: { onDismiss: () => void }) {
     },
   })
 
-  function onSubmit({ pool }: LinkPoolFormValues) {
+  function onSubmit({ pool, isDefault }: LinkPoolFormValues) {
     if (!pool) return // can't happen, silo is required
-    linkPool.mutate({ path: { pool }, body: { silo, isDefault: false } })
+    linkPool.mutate({ path: { pool }, body: { silo, isDefault } })
   }
 
   const allLinkedPools = useQuery(allSiloPoolsQuery(silo).optionsFn())
   const allPools = useQuery(allPoolsQuery.optionsFn())
 
+  // Fetch the selected pool details so we can update the checkbox label.
+  const selectedPoolName = useWatch({ control, name: 'pool' })
+  const selectedPool = allPools.data?.items.find((p) => p.name === selectedPoolName)
+
   // in order to get the list of remaining unlinked pools, we have to get the
   // list of all pools and remove the already linked ones
 
@@ -334,6 +340,12 @@ function LinkPoolModal({ onDismiss }: { onDismiss: () => void }) {
               required
               control={control}
             />
+
+            <CheckboxField name="isDefault" control={control}>
+              {selectedPool
+                ? `Make default IP${selectedPool.ipVersion} ${selectedPool.poolType} pool for silo`
+                : 'Make default pool for silo'}
+            </CheckboxField>
           </form>
         </Modal.Section>
       </Modal.Body>
diff --git a/app/pages/system/silos/SiloSubnetPoolsTab.tsx b/app/pages/system/silos/SiloSubnetPoolsTab.tsx
index 349d42fb4..7820f431f 100644
--- a/app/pages/system/silos/SiloSubnetPoolsTab.tsx
+++ b/app/pages/system/silos/SiloSubnetPoolsTab.tsx
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 import { useQuery } from '@tanstack/react-query'
 import { createColumnHelper } from '@tanstack/react-table'
 import { useCallback, useMemo, useState } from 'react'
-import { useForm } from 'react-hook-form'
+import { useForm, useWatch } from 'react-hook-form'
 import { type LoaderFunctionArgs } from 'react-router'
 
 import {
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import {
 import { Networking24Icon } from '@oxide/design-system/icons/react'
 import { Badge } from '@oxide/design-system/ui'
 
+import { CheckboxField } from '~/components/form/fields/CheckboxField'
 import { ComboboxField } from '~/components/form/fields/ComboboxField'
 import { HL } from '~/components/HL'
 import { IpVersionBadge } from '~/components/IpVersionBadge'
@@ -252,9 +253,10 @@ export const handle = makeCrumb('Subnet Pools')
 
 type LinkPoolFormValues = {
   pool: string | undefined
+  isDefault: boolean
 }
 
-const defaultValues: LinkPoolFormValues = { pool: undefined }
+const defaultValues: LinkPoolFormValues = { pool: undefined, isDefault: false }
 
 function LinkPoolModal({ onDismiss }: { onDismiss: () => void }) {
   const { silo } = useSiloSelector()
@@ -271,14 +273,18 @@ function LinkPoolModal({ onDismiss }: { onDismiss: () => void }) {
     },
   })
 
-  function onSubmit({ pool }: LinkPoolFormValues) {
+  function onSubmit({ pool, isDefault }: LinkPoolFormValues) {
     if (!pool) return
-    linkPool.mutate({ path: { pool }, body: { silo, isDefault: false } })
+    linkPool.mutate({ path: { pool }, body: { silo, isDefault } })
   }
 
   const allLinkedPools = useQuery(allSiloPoolsQuery(silo).optionsFn())
   const allPools = useQuery(allPoolsQuery.optionsFn())
 
+  // Fetch the selected pool details so we can update the checkbox label.
+  const selectedPoolName = useWatch({ control, name: 'pool' })
+  const selectedPool = allPools.data?.items.find((p) => p.name === selectedPoolName)
+
   const linkedPoolIds = useMemo(
     () =>
       allLinkedPools.data ? new Set(allLinkedPools.data.items.map((p) => p.id)) : undefined,
@@ -320,6 +326,12 @@ function LinkPoolModal({ onDismiss }: { onDismiss: () => void }) {
               required
               control={control}
             />
+
+            <CheckboxField name="isDefault" control={control}>
+              {selectedPool
+                ? `Make default IP${selectedPool.ipVersion} subnet pool for silo`
+                : 'Make default subnet pool for silo'}
+            </CheckboxField>
           </form>
         </Modal.Section>
       </Modal.Body>
diff --git a/test/e2e/silos.e2e.ts b/test/e2e/silos.e2e.ts
index 72192517f..d97afe758 100644
--- a/test/e2e/silos.e2e.ts
+++ b/test/e2e/silos.e2e.ts
@@ -370,14 +370,62 @@ test('Silo IP pools link pool', async ({ page }) => {
   await page.getByPlaceholder('Select a pool').fill('x')
   await expect(page.getByText('No items match')).toBeVisible()
 
-  // select silo in combobox and click link
+  // before a pool is selected, the default checkbox label is generic
+  await expect(
+    page.getByRole('checkbox', { name: 'Make default pool for silo' })
+  ).toBeVisible()
+
+  // select pool in combobox
   await page.getByPlaceholder('Select a pool').fill('ip-pool')
   await page.getByRole('option', { name: 'ip-pool-3' }).click()
+
+  // checkbox label now reflects the selected pool's version and type
+  const defaultCheckbox = page.getByRole('checkbox', {
+    name: 'Make default IPv4 unicast pool for silo',
+  })
+  await expect(defaultCheckbox).toBeVisible()
+  await defaultCheckbox.check()
+
+  await modal.getByRole('button', { name: 'Link' }).click()
+
+  // modal closes and we see the pool linked as default in the table
+  await expect(modal).toBeHidden()
+  await expectRowVisible(table, { name: 'ip-pool-3default', Version: 'v4' })
+})
+
+test('Silo subnet pools link pool', async ({ page }) => {
+  await page.goto('/system/silos/maze-war/subnet-pools')
+
+  const table = page.getByRole('table')
+  await expectRowVisible(table, { name: 'default-v4-subnet-pooldefault', Version: 'v4' })
+
+  const modal = page.getByRole('dialog', { name: 'Link pool' })
+  await expect(modal).toBeHidden()
+
+  await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Link pool' }).click()
+  await expect(modal).toBeVisible()
+
+  // before a pool is selected, the default checkbox label is generic
+  await expect(
+    page.getByRole('checkbox', { name: 'Make default subnet pool for silo' })
+  ).toBeVisible()
+
+  // select pool in combobox
+  await page.getByPlaceholder('Select a pool').fill('myriad')
+  await page.getByRole('option', { name: 'myriad-v4-subnet-pool' }).click()
+
+  // checkbox label now reflects the selected pool's version
+  const defaultCheckbox = page.getByRole('checkbox', {
+    name: 'Make default IPv4 subnet pool for silo',
+  })
+  await expect(defaultCheckbox).toBeVisible()
+  await defaultCheckbox.check()
+
   await modal.getByRole('button', { name: 'Link' }).click()
 
-  // modal closes and we see the thing in the table
+  // modal closes and we see the pool linked as default in the table
   await expect(modal).toBeHidden()
-  await expectRowVisible(table, { name: 'ip-pool-3', Version: 'v4' })
+  await expectRowVisible(table, { name: 'myriad-v4-subnet-pooldefault', Version: 'v4' })
 })
 
 // just a convenient form to test this with because it's tall