diff --git a/shared/source/debug_settings/debug_variables_base.inl b/shared/source/debug_settings/debug_variables_base.inl
index faebb819b1..9f04688e94 100644
--- a/shared/source/debug_settings/debug_variables_base.inl
+++ b/shared/source/debug_settings/debug_variables_base.inl
@@ -489,7 +489,7 @@ DECLARE_DEBUG_VARIABLE(bool, ForceSamplerLowFilteringPrecision, false, "Force Lo
 DECLARE_DEBUG_VARIABLE(bool, EnablePrivateBO, false, "Enable PRELIM_I915_GEM_CREATE_EXT_VM_PRIVATE extension creating VM_PRIVATE BOs")
 DECLARE_DEBUG_VARIABLE(bool, EnableAIL, true, "Enables AIL")
 DECLARE_DEBUG_VARIABLE(bool, EnableReservingInSvmRange, true, "Enables reserving virtual memory in the SVM range")
-DECLARE_DEBUG_VARIABLE(bool, EnableDeferBacking, false, "Enables defer backing on xe kmd")
+DECLARE_DEBUG_VARIABLE(int32_t, EnableDeferBacking, -1, "Enables defer backing on xe kmd, -1:default(enabled), 0:disable, 1:enable")
 DECLARE_DEBUG_VARIABLE(bool, DisableProgrammableMetricsSupport, false, "Disable Programmable Metrics support")
 DECLARE_DEBUG_VARIABLE(int64_t, VmBindWaitUserFenceTimeout, -1, "-1: default, >0: time in ns for wait function timeout")
 DECLARE_DEBUG_VARIABLE(int32_t, ForceRunAloneContext, -1, "Control creation of run-alone HW context, -1:default, 0:disable, 1:enable")
diff --git a/shared/source/os_interface/linux/xe/ioctl_helper_xe.cpp b/shared/source/os_interface/linux/xe/ioctl_helper_xe.cpp
index 58ad633609..14eb232c1d 100644
--- a/shared/source/os_interface/linux/xe/ioctl_helper_xe.cpp
+++ b/shared/source/os_interface/linux/xe/ioctl_helper_xe.cpp
@@ -678,7 +678,12 @@ int IoctlHelperXe::createGemExt(const MemRegionsVec &memClassInstances, size_t a
     create.placement = static_cast<uint32_t>(memoryInstances.to_ulong());
     create.cpu_caching = this->getCpuCachingMode(isCoherent, isSysMemOnly);
 
-    if (debugManager.flags.EnableDeferBacking.get()) {
+    auto enableDeferBacking = true;
+    if (debugManager.flags.EnableDeferBacking.get() != -1) {
+        enableDeferBacking = debugManager.flags.EnableDeferBacking.get();
+    }
+
+    if (enableDeferBacking) {
         create.flags |= DRM_XE_GEM_CREATE_FLAG_DEFER_BACKING;
     }
 
@@ -724,7 +729,12 @@ uint32_t IoctlHelperXe::createGem(uint64_t size, uint32_t memoryBanks, std::opti
     create.placement = static_cast<uint32_t>(memoryInstances.to_ulong());
     create.cpu_caching = this->getCpuCachingMode(isCoherent, isSysMemOnly);
 
-    if (debugManager.flags.EnableDeferBacking.get()) {
+    auto enableDeferBacking = true;
+    if (debugManager.flags.EnableDeferBacking.get() != -1) {
+        enableDeferBacking = debugManager.flags.EnableDeferBacking.get();
+    }
+
+    if (enableDeferBacking) {
         create.flags |= DRM_XE_GEM_CREATE_FLAG_DEFER_BACKING;
     }
 
@@ -1575,9 +1585,9 @@ bool IoctlHelperXe::isImmediateVmBindRequired() const {
 }
 
 bool IoctlHelperXe::makeResidentBeforeLockNeeded() const {
-    auto makeResidentBeforeLockNeeded = false;
-    if (debugManager.flags.EnableDeferBacking.get()) {
-        makeResidentBeforeLockNeeded = true;
+    auto makeResidentBeforeLockNeeded = true;
+    if (debugManager.flags.EnableDeferBacking.get() != -1) {
+        makeResidentBeforeLockNeeded = debugManager.flags.EnableDeferBacking.get();
     }
     return makeResidentBeforeLockNeeded;
 }
diff --git a/shared/test/common/test_files/igdrcl.config b/shared/test/common/test_files/igdrcl.config
index 3b65bfda60..d6d4928d78 100644
--- a/shared/test/common/test_files/igdrcl.config
+++ b/shared/test/common/test_files/igdrcl.config
@@ -663,6 +663,6 @@ ClearStandaloneInOrderTimestampAllocation = -1
 PipelinedEuThreadArbitration = -1
 ExperimentalUSMAllocationReuseCleaner = -1
 DummyPageBackingEnabled = 0
-EnableDeferBacking = 0
+EnableDeferBacking = -1
 GetSipBinaryFromExternalLib = -1
 # Please don't edit below this line
diff --git a/shared/test/unit_test/os_interface/linux/xe/ioctl_helper_xe_tests.cpp b/shared/test/unit_test/os_interface/linux/xe/ioctl_helper_xe_tests.cpp
index 2d419cfea8..0c5d484a80 100644
--- a/shared/test/unit_test/os_interface/linux/xe/ioctl_helper_xe_tests.cpp
+++ b/shared/test/unit_test/os_interface/linux/xe/ioctl_helper_xe_tests.cpp
@@ -117,9 +117,6 @@ TEST_F(IoctlHelperXeGemCreateExtTests, givenIoctlHelperXeWhenCallingGemCreateExt
 }
 
 TEST_F(IoctlHelperXeGemCreateExtTests, givenIoctlHelperXeWhenCallingGemCreateExtWithOnlySystemRegionAndCoherencyThenWriteBackCPUCachingIsUsed) {
-    DebugManagerStateRestore restorer;
-    debugManager.flags.EnableDeferBacking.set(1);
-
     MemRegionsVec memRegions = {systemMemory};
     bool isCoherent = true;
 
@@ -128,10 +125,20 @@ TEST_F(IoctlHelperXeGemCreateExtTests, givenIoctlHelperXeWhenCallingGemCreateExt
     EXPECT_EQ(static_cast<uint32_t>(DRM_XE_GEM_CREATE_FLAG_DEFER_BACKING), (drm->createParamsFlags & DRM_XE_GEM_CREATE_FLAG_DEFER_BACKING));
 }
 
+TEST_F(IoctlHelperXeGemCreateExtTests, givenIoctlHelperXeAndDeferBackingIsDisabledWhenCallingGemCreateExtThenVerifyGemCreateFlagsAreNotSet) {
+    DebugManagerStateRestore restorer;
+    debugManager.flags.EnableDeferBacking.set(0);
+    MemRegionsVec memRegions = {systemMemory};
+    bool isCoherent = true;
+
+    EXPECT_NE(0, xeIoctlHelper->createGemExt(memRegions, allocSize, handle, patIndex, std::nullopt, pairHandle, isChunked, numOfChunks, std::nullopt, std::nullopt, isCoherent));
+    EXPECT_EQ(0u, drm->createParamsFlags);
+}
+
 TEST_F(IoctlHelperXeTest, givenIoctlHelperXeWhenCallGemCreateAndNoLocalMemoryThenProperValuesSet) {
     DebugManagerStateRestore restorer;
     debugManager.flags.EnableLocalMemory.set(0);
-    debugManager.flags.EnableDeferBacking.set(1);
+    debugManager.flags.EnableDeferBacking.set(0);
     auto executionEnvironment = std::make_unique<MockExecutionEnvironment>();
     auto drm = DrmMockXe::create(*executionEnvironment->rootDeviceEnvironments[0]);
     auto xeIoctlHelper = static_cast<MockIoctlHelperXe *>(drm->getIoctlHelper());
@@ -150,7 +157,7 @@ TEST_F(IoctlHelperXeTest, givenIoctlHelperXeWhenCallGemCreateAndNoLocalMemoryThe
     EXPECT_TRUE(xeIoctlHelper->bindInfo.empty());
 
     EXPECT_EQ(size, drm->createParamsSize);
-    EXPECT_EQ(static_cast<uint32_t>(DRM_XE_GEM_CREATE_FLAG_DEFER_BACKING), (drm->createParamsFlags & DRM_XE_GEM_CREATE_FLAG_DEFER_BACKING));
+    EXPECT_EQ(0u, drm->createParamsFlags);
     EXPECT_EQ(DRM_XE_GEM_CPU_CACHING_WC, drm->createParamsCpuCaching);
     EXPECT_EQ(1u, drm->createParamsPlacement);
 
@@ -162,7 +169,6 @@ TEST_F(IoctlHelperXeTest, givenIoctlHelperXeWhenCallGemCreateAndNoLocalMemoryThe
 TEST_F(IoctlHelperXeTest, givenIoctlHelperXeWhenCallGemCreateWhenMemoryBanksZeroThenProperValuesSet) {
     DebugManagerStateRestore restorer;
     debugManager.flags.EnableLocalMemory.set(0);
-    debugManager.flags.EnableDeferBacking.set(1);
     auto executionEnvironment = std::make_unique<MockExecutionEnvironment>();
     auto drm = DrmMockXe::create(*executionEnvironment->rootDeviceEnvironments[0]);
     auto xeIoctlHelper = static_cast<MockIoctlHelperXe *>(drm->getIoctlHelper());
@@ -193,7 +199,6 @@ TEST_F(IoctlHelperXeTest, givenIoctlHelperXeWhenCallGemCreateWhenMemoryBanksZero
 TEST_F(IoctlHelperXeTest, givenIoctlHelperXeWhenCallGemCreateAndLocalMemoryThenProperValuesSet) {
     DebugManagerStateRestore restorer;
     debugManager.flags.EnableLocalMemory.set(1);
-    debugManager.flags.EnableDeferBacking.set(1);
     auto executionEnvironment = std::make_unique<MockExecutionEnvironment>();
     auto drm = DrmMockXe::create(*executionEnvironment->rootDeviceEnvironments[0]);
     auto xeIoctlHelper = static_cast<MockIoctlHelperXe *>(drm->getIoctlHelper());
@@ -2692,11 +2697,18 @@ TEST_F(IoctlHelperXeTest, whenQueryDeviceIdAndRevisionAndSharedSystemUsmSupportD
     EXPECT_FALSE(drm->isSharedSystemAllocEnabled());
 }
 
-TEST_F(IoctlHelperXeTest, givenXeIoctlHelperAndDeferBackingFlagSetToTrueWhenMakeResidentBeforeLockNeededIsCalledThenVerifyTrueIsReturned) {
-    DebugManagerStateRestore restorer;
-    debugManager.flags.EnableDeferBacking.set(1);
+TEST_F(IoctlHelperXeTest, givenXeIoctlHelperWhenMakeResidentBeforeLockNeededIsCalledThenVerifyTrueIsReturned) {
     auto executionEnvironment = std::make_unique<MockExecutionEnvironment>();
     DrmMock drm{*executionEnvironment->rootDeviceEnvironments[0]};
     auto xeIoctlHelper = std::make_unique<IoctlHelperXe>(drm);
     EXPECT_TRUE(xeIoctlHelper->makeResidentBeforeLockNeeded());
 }
+
+TEST_F(IoctlHelperXeTest, givenXeIoctlHelperAndDeferBackingFlagSetToFalseWhenMakeResidentBeforeLockNeededIsCalledThenVerifyTrueIsReturned) {
+    DebugManagerStateRestore restorer;
+    debugManager.flags.EnableDeferBacking.set(0);
+    auto executionEnvironment = std::make_unique<MockExecutionEnvironment>();
+    DrmMock drm{*executionEnvironment->rootDeviceEnvironments[0]};
+    auto xeIoctlHelper = std::make_unique<IoctlHelperXe>(drm);
+    EXPECT_FALSE(xeIoctlHelper->makeResidentBeforeLockNeeded());
+}
\ No newline at end of file