diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index be89b9bef..4df5acdb8 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ elasticsearch_install 'elasticsearch'
 ```ruby
 elasticsearch_install 'my_es_installation' do
   type 'package' # type of install
-  version '7.5.1'
+  version '7.3.1'
   action :install # could be :remove as well
 end
 ```
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ end
 ```ruby
 elasticsearch_install 'my_es_installation' do
   type 'tarball' # type of install
-  version '7.5.1'
+  version '7.3.1'
   action :install # could be :remove as well
 end
 ```
diff --git a/libraries/resource_install.rb b/libraries/resource_install.rb
index 5e6e038b3..48c31bc80 100644
--- a/libraries/resource_install.rb
+++ b/libraries/resource_install.rb
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ class ElasticsearchCookbook::InstallResource < Chef::Resource::LWRPBase
 
   # if this version parameter is not set by the caller, we look at
   # `attributes/default.rb` for a default value to use, or we raise
-  attribute(:version, kind_of: String, default: '7.5.1')
+  attribute(:version, kind_of: String, default: '7.3.1')
 
   # we allow a string or symbol for this value
   attribute(:type, kind_of: String, equal_to: %w(package tarball repository), default: 'repository')
diff --git a/test/integration/helpers/serverspec/install_examples.rb b/test/integration/helpers/serverspec/install_examples.rb
index 3e5b2f69a..992fc2e01 100644
--- a/test/integration/helpers/serverspec/install_examples.rb
+++ b/test/integration/helpers/serverspec/install_examples.rb
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 shared_examples_for 'elasticsearch install' do |args = {}|
   dir = args[:dir] || '/usr/share'
-  version = args[:version] || '7.5.1'
+  version = args[:version] || '7.3.1'
 
   expected_user = args[:user] || 'elasticsearch'
   expected_group = args[:group] || expected_user || 'elasticsearch'