diff --git a/deploy/helm/elastic-agent/examples/fleet-managed/rendered/manifest.yaml b/deploy/helm/elastic-agent/examples/fleet-managed/rendered/manifest.yaml
index d6250acbc1..b2ec54b123 100644
--- a/deploy/helm/elastic-agent/examples/fleet-managed/rendered/manifest.yaml
+++ b/deploy/helm/elastic-agent/examples/fleet-managed/rendered/manifest.yaml
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ stringData:
         node: ${NODE_NAME}
         scope: node
       kubernetes_leaderelection:
-        enabled: false
+        enabled: true
         leader_lease: example-pernode
 ---
 # Source: elastic-agent/templates/agent/cluster-role.yaml
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ spec:
       labels:
         name: agent-pernode-example
       annotations:
-        checksum/config: af3259ba23f68d99ef807759ff88472468ae32fe402c062fa164b19041d533c9
+        checksum/config: cd7c5c4f03cc8377d18ee22cf236428090959fc194ee647bd97a39b79f38c807
     spec:
       automountServiceAccountToken: true
       containers:
diff --git a/deploy/helm/elastic-agent/templates/agent/_helpers.tpl b/deploy/helm/elastic-agent/templates/agent/_helpers.tpl
index 39f59c7ce0..9832dea7b2 100644
--- a/deploy/helm/elastic-agent/templates/agent/_helpers.tpl
+++ b/deploy/helm/elastic-agent/templates/agent/_helpers.tpl
@@ -99,7 +99,6 @@ Validate and initialise the defined agent presets
 {{- end -}}
 {{- end -}}
 {{- end -}}
-{{/* by default we disable leader election but we also set the name of the leader lease in case it is explicitly enabled */}}
 {{- if empty ($presetVal).providers -}}
 {{- $_ := set $presetVal "providers" dict -}}
 {{- end -}}
@@ -108,7 +107,13 @@ Validate and initialise the defined agent presets
 {{- $_ := set $presetProviders "kubernetes_leaderelection" dict -}}
 {{- end -}}
 {{- $presetLeaderLeaseName := (printf "%s-%s" $.Release.Name $presetName) | lower  -}}
+{{/* by default we disable leader election but we also set the name of the leader lease in case it is explicitly enabled */}}
 {{- $defaultLeaderElection := dict "enabled" false "leader_lease" $presetLeaderLeaseName -}}
+{{- if eq $.Values.agent.fleet.enabled true -}}
+{{/* for fleet mode the leader election is enabled by default */}}
+{{- $_ := set $defaultLeaderElection "enabled" true -}}
+{{- end -}}
+{{/* merge the default leader election with the leader election from the preset giving priority to the one from the preset */}}
 {{- $presetLeaderElection := mergeOverwrite dict $defaultLeaderElection ($presetProviders).kubernetes_leaderelection -}}
 {{- $_ := set $presetProviders "kubernetes_leaderelection" $presetLeaderElection -}}
 {{- end -}}