diff --git a/bootstrap-daemon/pvcbootstrapd.yaml.sample b/bootstrap-daemon/pvcbootstrapd.yaml.sample
index 6ba9d91..b5dfacd 100644
--- a/bootstrap-daemon/pvcbootstrapd.yaml.sample
+++ b/bootstrap-daemon/pvcbootstrapd.yaml.sample
@@ -64,6 +64,9 @@ pvc:
     # Replace "10.199.199.254" if you change "dhcp" -> "address" above
     mirror: http://10.199.199.254:3142/ftp.debian.org/debian
 
+    # Default Debian release for new clusters. Must be supported by PVC ("buster", "bullseye", "bookworm").
+    release: bookworm
+
   # PVC Ansible repository configuration
   # Note: If "path" does not exist, "remote" will be cloned to it via Git using SSH private key "keyfile".
   # Note: The VCS will be refreshed regularly via the API in response to webhooks.
diff --git a/bootstrap-daemon/pvcbootstrapd.yaml.template b/bootstrap-daemon/pvcbootstrapd.yaml.template
index f74c0f8..558948f 100644
--- a/bootstrap-daemon/pvcbootstrapd.yaml.template
+++ b/bootstrap-daemon/pvcbootstrapd.yaml.template
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ pvc:
     host_path: "ROOT_DIRECTORY/tftp/host"
   repo:
     mirror: http://BOOTSTRAP_ADDRESS:3142/UPSTREAM_MIRROR
+    release: DEBIAN_RELEASE
   ansible:
     path: "ROOT_DIRECTORY/repo"
     keyfile: "ROOT_DIRECTORY/id_ed25519"
diff --git a/bootstrap-daemon/pvcbootstrapd/Daemon.py b/bootstrap-daemon/pvcbootstrapd/Daemon.py
index f0f053d..dd66c2b 100755
--- a/bootstrap-daemon/pvcbootstrapd/Daemon.py
+++ b/bootstrap-daemon/pvcbootstrapd/Daemon.py
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ def read_config():
             )
 
     # Get the Repo configuration
-    for key in ["mirror"]:
+    for key in ["mirror", "release"]:
         try:
             config[f"repo_{key}"] = o_repo[key]
         except Exception:
diff --git a/bootstrap-daemon/pvcbootstrapd/lib/installer.py b/bootstrap-daemon/pvcbootstrapd/lib/installer.py
index 1e79963..f1cbbd7 100755
--- a/bootstrap-daemon/pvcbootstrapd/lib/installer.py
+++ b/bootstrap-daemon/pvcbootstrapd/lib/installer.py
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ def add_preseed(config, cspec_node, host_macaddr, system_drive_target):
 
     # We use the dhcp_address here to allow the listen_address to be 0.0.0.0
     rendered = template.render(
-        debrelease=cspec_node.get("config", {}).get("release"),
+        debrelease=config.get("repo_release"),
         debmirror=config.get("repo_mirror"),
         addpkglist=add_packages,
         filesystem=cspec_node.get("config", {}).get("filesystem"),
diff --git a/install-pvcbootstrapd.sh b/install-pvcbootstrapd.sh
index 0b0948d..5333bbc 100755
--- a/install-pvcbootstrapd.sh
+++ b/install-pvcbootstrapd.sh
@@ -103,6 +103,14 @@ if [[ -z ${upstream_mirror} ]]; then
 fi
 echo
 
+echo "Please enter the default Debian release for new clusters (e.g. 'bullseye', 'bookworm'):"
+echo -n "[bookworm] > "
+read debian_release
+if [[ -z ${debian_release} ]]; then
+    debian_release="bookworm"
+fi
+echo
+
 echo "Proceeding with setup!"
 echo
 
@@ -147,6 +155,7 @@ sed -i "s|BOOTSTRAP_DHCPEND|${bootstrap_dhcpend}|" ${root_directory}/pvcbootstra
 sed -i "s|GIT_REMOTE|${git_remote}|" ${root_directory}/pvcbootstrapd/pvcbootstrapd.yaml
 sed -i "s|GIT_BRANCH|${git_branch}|" ${root_directory}/pvcbootstrapd/pvcbootstrapd.yaml
 sed -i "s|UPSTREAM_MIRROR|${upstream_mirror}|" ${root_directory}/pvcbootstrapd/pvcbootstrapd.yaml
+sed -i "s|DEBIAN_RELEASE|${debian_release}|" ${root_directory}/pvcbootstrapd/pvcbootstrapd.yaml
 
 echo "Creating network configuration for interface ${bootstrap_interface} (is vLAN? ${is_bootstrap_interface_vlan})..."
 if [[ "${is_bootstrap_interface_vlan}" == "yes" ]]; then