diff --git a/runsc/config/config.go b/runsc/config/config.go
index 03b67b80418..0fbf02739a6 100644
--- a/runsc/config/config.go
+++ b/runsc/config/config.go
@@ -1491,9 +1491,9 @@ func (p SidecarUsagePolicy) String() string {
 // if the on-disk sidecar binaries are not found.
 func (p SidecarUsagePolicy) AllowEmbeddedFallback() bool {
 	switch p {
-	case SidecarUsageDefault, SidecarUsageStrict:
+	case SidecarUsageStrict:
 		return false
-	case SidecarUsageLegacyEmbedded:
+	case SidecarUsageDefault, SidecarUsageLegacyEmbedded:
 		return true
 	default:
 		panic(fmt.Sprintf("invalid sidecar usage policy: %q", p))
diff --git a/runsc/config/flags.go b/runsc/config/flags.go
index ecf3c4ef68b..f4852a70b0f 100644
--- a/runsc/config/flags.go
+++ b/runsc/config/flags.go
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ func RegisterFlags(flagSet *flag.FlagSet) {
 	flagSet.String("pod-init-config", "", "path to configuration file with additional steps to take during pod creation.")
 	flagSet.Var(HostSettingsCheck.Ptr(), "host-settings", "how to handle non-optimal host kernel settings: check (default, advisory-only), ignore (do not check), adjust (best-effort auto-adjustment), or enforce (auto-adjustment must succeed).")
 	flagSet.Var(SidecarReleaseIfReleaseBuild.Ptr(), "sidecar-release-enforcement-policy", "when spawned sidecar binaries must match runsc's release: NEVER, ALWAYS, or IF_RELEASE_BUILD. May be overridden by setting GVISOR_ENFORCE_RELEASE=SKIP as env var.")
-	flagSet.Var(SidecarUsageDefault.Ptr(), "sidecar-usage-policy", "policy for sidecar binaries: STRICT (sidecars must exist), LEGACY_DEPRECATED_SLOW_EMBEDDED_FALLBACK (use embedded fallbacks if sidecars are missing; will stop working after 2026-10).")
+	flagSet.Var(SidecarUsageDefault.Ptr(), "sidecar-usage-policy", "policy for sidecar binaries: STRICT (sidecars must exist), LEGACY_DEPRECATED_SLOW_EMBEDDED_FALLBACK (use embedded fallbacks if sidecars are missing; will stop working after 2026-10). The DEFAULT policy will change to STRICT after 2026-09.")
 	flagSet.Var(RestoreSpecValidationEnforce.Ptr(), "restore-spec-validation", "how to handle spec validation during restore.")
 	flagSet.Bool("systrap-disable-syscall-patching", false, "disables syscall patching when using the Systrap platform. May be necessary to use in case the workload uses the GS register, or uses ptrace within gVisor. Has significant performance implications and is only recommended when the sandbox is known to run otherwise-incompatible workloads. Only relevant for x86.")
 	flagSet.Bool("systrap-disable-fast-path", false, "unconditionally disables the Systrap fast path.")
diff --git a/test/compatibility/defs.bzl b/test/compatibility/defs.bzl
index 98a626cfabf..bfdd70ad6ed 100644
--- a/test/compatibility/defs.bzl
+++ b/test/compatibility/defs.bzl
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ def compatibility_test(name, srcs, deps = [], data = [], tags = [], size = "larg
     for suffix, runtime in _RUNTIMES:
         target_data = list(data)
         if runtime != "runc":
-            target_data = target_data + ["//:release"]
+            # runsc is needed to invalidate the bazel cache on any code change.
+            target_data = target_data + ["//runsc"]
         go_test(
             name = name + "_" + suffix,
             srcs = srcs,