diff --git a/modules/build/src/test/scala/scala/build/tests/BuildOptionsTests.scala b/modules/build/src/test/scala/scala/build/tests/BuildOptionsTests.scala
index 9d7a1db725..c6008aea82 100644
--- a/modules/build/src/test/scala/scala/build/tests/BuildOptionsTests.scala
+++ b/modules/build/src/test/scala/scala/build/tests/BuildOptionsTests.scala
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 package scala.build.tests
 
-import com.eed3si9n.expecty.Expecty.{assert => expect}
+import com.eed3si9n.expecty.Expecty.assert as expect
 import coursier.Repositories
 import coursier.cache.FileCache
+import coursier.core.Version
 import dependency.ScalaParameters
 
 import scala.build.Ops.*
@@ -19,11 +20,12 @@ import scala.build.options.{
   InternalOptions,
   MaybeScalaVersion,
   ScalaOptions,
+  ScalaVersionUtil,
+  ScalacOpt,
   ShadowingSeq
 }
 import scala.build.{Build, BuildThreads, LocalRepo}
 import scala.build.Directories
-import scala.build.options.ScalacOpt
 import scala.build.Positioned
 import scala.build.tests.util.BloopServer
 import scala.concurrent.duration.DurationInt
@@ -100,6 +102,7 @@ class BuildOptionsTests extends munit.FunSuite {
         scalaVersion = Some(MaybeScalaVersion("2.11.2"))
       )
     )
+
     assert(
       options.projectParams.swap.exists {
         case _: UnsupportedScalaVersionError => true; case _ => false
@@ -259,11 +262,7 @@ class BuildOptionsTests extends munit.FunSuite {
   }
 
   val expectedScalaVersions = Seq(
-    Some("3")      -> defaultScalaVersion,
     None           -> defaultScalaVersion,
-    Some("2.13")   -> defaultScala213Version,
-    Some("2.12")   -> defaultScala212Version,
-    Some("2")      -> defaultScala213Version,
     Some("2.13.2") -> "2.13.2",
     Some("3.0.1")  -> "3.0.1",
     Some("3.0")    -> "3.0.2"
@@ -271,7 +270,7 @@ class BuildOptionsTests extends munit.FunSuite {
 
   for ((prefix, expectedScalaVersion) <- expectedScalaVersions)
     test(
-      s"use expected default scala version for prefix scala version: ${prefix.getOrElse("empty")}"
+      s"use scala $expectedScalaVersion for prefix scala version: ${prefix.getOrElse("empty")}"
     ) {
       val options = BuildOptions(
         scalaOptions = ScalaOptions(
@@ -288,6 +287,39 @@ class BuildOptionsTests extends munit.FunSuite {
       expect(scalaParams == expectedScalaParams)
     }
 
+  for {
+    (prefix, defaultMatchingVersion) <- Seq(
+      "2.12" -> defaultScala212Version,
+      "2.13" -> defaultScala213Version,
+      "3"    -> defaultScalaVersion
+    )
+  } {
+    val options = BuildOptions(
+      scalaOptions = ScalaOptions(
+        scalaVersion = Some(prefix).map(MaybeScalaVersion(_))
+      ),
+      internal = InternalOptions(
+        cache = Some(FileCache().withTtl(0.seconds))
+      )
+    )
+
+    val latestMatchingVersion = ScalaVersionUtil
+      .allMatchingVersions(None, options.finalCache, options.finalRepositories.orThrow)
+      .filter(ScalaVersionUtil.isStable)
+      .filter(_.startsWith(prefix))
+      .maxBy(Version(_))
+
+    test(
+      s"-S $prefix should chose the latest version ($latestMatchingVersion), not necessarily the default ($defaultMatchingVersion)"
+    ) {
+      val scalaParams = options.scalaParams.orThrow.getOrElse(???)
+
+      val expectedScalaParams = ScalaParameters(latestMatchingVersion)
+
+      expect(scalaParams == expectedScalaParams, s"expected $expectedScalaParams, got $scalaParams")
+    }
+  }
+
   test("User scalac options shadow internal ones") {
     val defaultOptions = BuildOptions(
       internal = InternalOptions(
diff --git a/modules/options/src/main/scala/scala/build/options/BuildOptions.scala b/modules/options/src/main/scala/scala/build/options/BuildOptions.scala
index 7ec5c92f9c..b0de3b6036 100644
--- a/modules/options/src/main/scala/scala/build/options/BuildOptions.scala
+++ b/modules/options/src/main/scala/scala/build/options/BuildOptions.scala
@@ -347,14 +347,7 @@ final case class BuildOptions(
         }
         Some(sv)
 
-      case None =>
-        val allStableVersions =
-          ScalaVersionUtil.allMatchingVersions(None, finalCache, value(finalRepositories))
-            .filter(ScalaVersionUtil.isStable)
-        val sv = value {
-          ScalaVersionUtil.default(allStableVersions)
-        }
-        Some(sv)
+      case None => Some(Constants.defaultScalaVersion)
     }
 
     svOpt match {
diff --git a/modules/options/src/main/scala/scala/build/options/ScalaVersionUtil.scala b/modules/options/src/main/scala/scala/build/options/ScalaVersionUtil.scala
index bcccdf247d..bd97fbd79c 100644
--- a/modules/options/src/main/scala/scala/build/options/ScalaVersionUtil.scala
+++ b/modules/options/src/main/scala/scala/build/options/ScalaVersionUtil.scala
@@ -31,11 +31,6 @@ object ScalaVersionUtil {
   def scala212Nightly       = "2.12.nightly"
   def scala213Nightly       = List("2.13.nightly", "2.nightly")
   def scala3Nightly         = "3.nightly"
-  def maxSupportedStableScalaVersions = Seq(
-    Constants.defaultScala212Version,
-    Constants.defaultScala213Version,
-    Constants.defaultScalaVersion
-  ).map(Version(_))
   extension (cache: FileCache[Task]) {
     def fileWithTtl0(artifact: Artifact): Either[ArtifactError, File] =
       cache.logger.use {
@@ -200,6 +195,7 @@ object ScalaVersionUtil {
     val versionPool =
       ScalaVersionUtil.allMatchingVersions(Some(scalaVersionStringArg), cache, repositories)
         .filter(ScalaVersionUtil.isStable)
+
     val prefix =
       if (Util.isFullScalaVersion(scalaVersionStringArg)) scalaVersionStringArg
       else if (scalaVersionStringArg.endsWith(".")) scalaVersionStringArg
@@ -208,17 +204,13 @@ object ScalaVersionUtil {
     if (matchingStableVersions.isEmpty)
       Left(new InvalidBinaryScalaVersionError(scalaVersionStringArg))
     else {
-      val validMaxVersions = maxSupportedStableScalaVersions
-        .filter(_.repr.startsWith(prefix))
-      val validMatchingVersions = {
-        val filtered = matchingStableVersions.filter(v => validMaxVersions.exists(v <= _))
-        if (filtered.isEmpty) matchingStableVersions
-        else filtered
-      }.filter(v => isSupportedVersion(v.repr))
-
-      validMatchingVersions.find(_.repr == scalaVersionStringArg) match {
-        case Some(v)                                => Right(v.repr)
-        case None if validMatchingVersions.nonEmpty => Right(validMatchingVersions.max.repr)
+      val supportedMatchingStableVersions =
+        matchingStableVersions.filter(v => isSupportedVersion(v.repr))
+
+      supportedMatchingStableVersions.find(_.repr == scalaVersionStringArg) match {
+        case Some(v) => Right(v.repr)
+        case None if supportedMatchingStableVersions.nonEmpty =>
+          Right(supportedMatchingStableVersions.max.repr)
         case _ => Left(
             new UnsupportedScalaVersionError(scalaVersionStringArg)
           )
@@ -226,16 +218,6 @@ object ScalaVersionUtil {
     }
   }
 
-  def default(versionPool: Seq[String]): Either[ScalaVersionError, String] = {
-    val validVersions = versionPool
-      .map(Version(_))
-      .filter(v => maxSupportedStableScalaVersions.exists(v <= _))
-    if (validVersions.isEmpty)
-      Left(new NoValidScalaVersionFoundError(versionPool))
-    else
-      Right(validVersions.max.repr)
-  }
-
   private def isSupportedVersion(version: String): Boolean =
     version.startsWith("2.12.") || version.startsWith("2.13.") || version.startsWith("3.")