diff --git a/DEFAULT_CONFIG.json5 b/DEFAULT_CONFIG.json5
index 893a1930a5..27af64ef93 100644
--- a/DEFAULT_CONFIG.json5
+++ b/DEFAULT_CONFIG.json5
@@ -421,9 +421,14 @@
         server_name_verification: null,
       },
     },
-    /// Shared memory configuration
+    /// Shared memory configuration.
+    /// NOTE: shared memory can be used only if zenoh is compiled with "shared-memory" feature, otherwise
+    /// settings in this section have no effect.
     shared_memory: {
-      enabled: false,
+      /// A probing procedure for shared memory is performed upon session opening. To enable zenoh to operate
+      /// over shared memory (and to not fallback on network mode), shared memory needs to be enabled also on the
+      /// subscriber side. By doing so, the probing procedure will succeed and shared memory will operate as expected.
+      enabled: true,
     },
     auth: {
       /// The configuration of authentication.
diff --git a/commons/zenoh-config/src/defaults.rs b/commons/zenoh-config/src/defaults.rs
index 810e0931e2..c6e69dd148 100644
--- a/commons/zenoh-config/src/defaults.rs
+++ b/commons/zenoh-config/src/defaults.rs
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ impl Default for LinkRxConf {
 #[allow(clippy::derivable_impls)]
 impl Default for ShmConf {
     fn default() -> Self {
-        Self { enabled: false }
+        Self { enabled: true }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/examples/examples/z_get_shm.rs b/examples/examples/z_get_shm.rs
index b40834afc4..b3c2dedd6e 100644
--- a/examples/examples/z_get_shm.rs
+++ b/examples/examples/z_get_shm.rs
@@ -31,12 +31,7 @@ async fn main() {
     // initiate logging
     zenoh::try_init_log_from_env();
 
-    let (mut config, selector, mut payload, target, timeout) = parse_args();
-
-    // A probing procedure for shared memory is performed upon session opening. To enable `z_pub_shm` to operate
-    // over shared memory (and to not fallback on network mode), shared memory needs to be enabled also on the
-    // subscriber side. By doing so, the probing procedure will succeed and shared memory will operate as expected.
-    config.transport.shared_memory.set_enabled(true).unwrap();
+    let (config, selector, mut payload, target, timeout) = parse_args();
 
     println!("Opening session...");
     let session = zenoh::open(config).await.unwrap();
diff --git a/examples/examples/z_ping_shm.rs b/examples/examples/z_ping_shm.rs
index 4c6f8fed01..de33819818 100644
--- a/examples/examples/z_ping_shm.rs
+++ b/examples/examples/z_ping_shm.rs
@@ -28,12 +28,7 @@ fn main() {
     // Initiate logging
     zenoh::try_init_log_from_env();
 
-    let (mut config, warmup, size, n) = parse_args();
-
-    // A probing procedure for shared memory is performed upon session opening. To enable `z_ping_shm` to operate
-    // over shared memory (and to not fallback on network mode), shared memory needs to be enabled also on the
-    // subscriber side. By doing so, the probing procedure will succeed and shared memory will operate as expected.
-    config.transport.shared_memory.set_enabled(true).unwrap();
+    let (config, warmup, size, n) = parse_args();
 
     let session = zenoh::open(config).wait().unwrap();
 
diff --git a/examples/examples/z_pong.rs b/examples/examples/z_pong.rs
index ef022d234c..86b31d41f3 100644
--- a/examples/examples/z_pong.rs
+++ b/examples/examples/z_pong.rs
@@ -19,12 +19,7 @@ fn main() {
     // initiate logging
     zenoh::try_init_log_from_env();
 
-    let (mut config, express) = parse_args();
-
-    // A probing procedure for shared memory is performed upon session opening. To enable `z_ping_shm` to operate
-    // over shared memory (and to not fallback on network mode), shared memory needs to be enabled also on the
-    // subscriber side. By doing so, the probing procedure will succeed and shared memory will operate as expected.
-    config.transport.shared_memory.set_enabled(true).unwrap();
+    let (config, express) = parse_args();
 
     let session = zenoh::open(config).wait().unwrap().into_arc();
 
diff --git a/examples/examples/z_pub_shm.rs b/examples/examples/z_pub_shm.rs
index 5a3ca9590f..6731ae8d0d 100644
--- a/examples/examples/z_pub_shm.rs
+++ b/examples/examples/z_pub_shm.rs
@@ -29,12 +29,7 @@ async fn main() -> Result<(), ZError> {
     // Initiate logging
     zenoh::try_init_log_from_env();
 
-    let (mut config, path, payload) = parse_args();
-
-    // A probing procedure for shared memory is performed upon session opening. To enable `z_pub_shm` to operate
-    // over shared memory (and to not fallback on network mode), shared memory needs to be enabled also on the
-    // subscriber side. By doing so, the probing procedure will succeed and shared memory will operate as expected.
-    config.transport.shared_memory.set_enabled(true).unwrap();
+    let (config, path, payload) = parse_args();
 
     println!("Opening session...");
     let session = zenoh::open(config).await.unwrap();
diff --git a/examples/examples/z_pub_shm_thr.rs b/examples/examples/z_pub_shm_thr.rs
index 4641c51c95..17bd6de804 100644
--- a/examples/examples/z_pub_shm_thr.rs
+++ b/examples/examples/z_pub_shm_thr.rs
@@ -25,12 +25,7 @@ use zenoh_examples::CommonArgs;
 async fn main() {
     // initiate logging
     zenoh::try_init_log_from_env();
-    let (mut config, sm_size, size) = parse_args();
-
-    // A probing procedure for shared memory is performed upon session opening. To enable `z_pub_shm_thr` to operate
-    // over shared memory (and to not fallback on network mode), shared memory needs to be enabled also on the
-    // subscriber side. By doing so, the probing procedure will succeed and shared memory will operate as expected.
-    config.transport.shared_memory.set_enabled(true).unwrap();
+    let (config, sm_size, size) = parse_args();
 
     let z = zenoh::open(config).await.unwrap();
 
diff --git a/examples/examples/z_queryable.rs b/examples/examples/z_queryable.rs
index d6c5c7ea46..4b950a0a33 100644
--- a/examples/examples/z_queryable.rs
+++ b/examples/examples/z_queryable.rs
@@ -20,12 +20,7 @@ async fn main() {
     // initiate logging
     zenoh::try_init_log_from_env();
 
-    let (mut config, key_expr, payload, complete) = parse_args();
-
-    // A probing procedure for shared memory is performed upon session opening. To enable `z_get_shm` to operate
-    // over shared memory (and to not fallback on network mode), shared memory needs to be enabled also on the
-    // subscriber side. By doing so, the probing procedure will succeed and shared memory will operate as expected.
-    config.transport.shared_memory.set_enabled(true).unwrap();
+    let (config, key_expr, payload, complete) = parse_args();
 
     println!("Opening session...");
     let session = zenoh::open(config).await.unwrap();
diff --git a/examples/examples/z_queryable_shm.rs b/examples/examples/z_queryable_shm.rs
index b0b443d313..e92efbdc38 100644
--- a/examples/examples/z_queryable_shm.rs
+++ b/examples/examples/z_queryable_shm.rs
@@ -31,12 +31,7 @@ async fn main() {
     // initiate logging
     zenoh::try_init_log_from_env();
 
-    let (mut config, key_expr, payload, complete) = parse_args();
-
-    // A probing procedure for shared memory is performed upon session opening. To enable `z_get_shm` to operate
-    // over shared memory (and to not fallback on network mode), shared memory needs to be enabled also on the
-    // subscriber side. By doing so, the probing procedure will succeed and shared memory will operate as expected.
-    config.transport.shared_memory.set_enabled(true).unwrap();
+    let (config, key_expr, payload, complete) = parse_args();
 
     println!("Opening session...");
     let session = zenoh::open(config).await.unwrap();
diff --git a/examples/examples/z_sub.rs b/examples/examples/z_sub.rs
index 690a211119..7f3a93c5fb 100644
--- a/examples/examples/z_sub.rs
+++ b/examples/examples/z_sub.rs
@@ -20,12 +20,7 @@ async fn main() {
     // Initiate logging
     zenoh::try_init_log_from_env();
 
-    let (mut config, key_expr) = parse_args();
-
-    // A probing procedure for shared memory is performed upon session opening. To enable `z_pub_shm` to operate
-    // over shared memory (and to not fallback on network mode), shared memory needs to be enabled also on the
-    // subscriber side. By doing so, the probing procedure will succeed and shared memory will operate as expected.
-    config.transport.shared_memory.set_enabled(true).unwrap();
+    let (config, key_expr) = parse_args();
 
     println!("Opening session...");
     let session = zenoh::open(config).await.unwrap();
diff --git a/examples/examples/z_sub_shm.rs b/examples/examples/z_sub_shm.rs
index 6f9bb3f070..f45dab099d 100644
--- a/examples/examples/z_sub_shm.rs
+++ b/examples/examples/z_sub_shm.rs
@@ -22,12 +22,7 @@ async fn main() {
     // Initiate logging
     zenoh::try_init_log_from_env();
 
-    let (mut config, key_expr) = parse_args();
-
-    // A probing procedure for shared memory is performed upon session opening. To enable `z_pub_shm` to operate
-    // over shared memory (and to not fallback on network mode), shared memory needs to be enabled also on the
-    // subscriber side. By doing so, the probing procedure will succeed and shared memory will operate as expected.
-    config.transport.shared_memory.set_enabled(true).unwrap();
+    let (config, key_expr) = parse_args();
 
     println!("Opening session...");
     let session = zenoh::open(config).await.unwrap();
diff --git a/examples/examples/z_sub_thr.rs b/examples/examples/z_sub_thr.rs
index 18514b3ba8..fa78b4688a 100644
--- a/examples/examples/z_sub_thr.rs
+++ b/examples/examples/z_sub_thr.rs
@@ -71,12 +71,7 @@ fn main() {
     // initiate logging
     zenoh::try_init_log_from_env();
 
-    let (mut config, m, n) = parse_args();
-
-    // A probing procedure for shared memory is performed upon session opening. To enable `z_pub_shm_thr` to operate
-    // over shared memory (and to not fallback on network mode), shared memory needs to be enabled also on the
-    // subscriber side. By doing so, the probing procedure will succeed and shared memory will operate as expected.
-    config.transport.shared_memory.set_enabled(true).unwrap();
+    let (config, m, n) = parse_args();
 
     let session = zenoh::open(config).wait().unwrap();
 
diff --git a/zenoh/tests/shm.rs b/zenoh/tests/shm.rs
index e47de65812..0febac2eaa 100644
--- a/zenoh/tests/shm.rs
+++ b/zenoh/tests/shm.rs
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ use zenoh::{
     pubsub::Reliability,
     qos::CongestionControl,
     shm::{
-        BlockOn, GarbageCollect, PosixShmProviderBackend, ShmProviderBuilder, POSIX_PROTOCOL_ID,
+        zshm, BlockOn, GarbageCollect, PosixShmProviderBackend, ShmProviderBuilder,
+        POSIX_PROTOCOL_ID,
     },
     Session,
 };
@@ -52,7 +53,6 @@ async fn open_session_unicast(endpoints: &[&str]) -> (Session, Session) {
         )
         .unwrap();
     config.scouting.multicast.set_enabled(Some(false)).unwrap();
-    config.transport.shared_memory.set_enabled(true).unwrap();
     println!("[  ][01a] Opening peer01 session: {:?}", endpoints);
     let peer01 = ztimeout!(zenoh::open(config)).unwrap();
 
@@ -68,7 +68,6 @@ async fn open_session_unicast(endpoints: &[&str]) -> (Session, Session) {
         )
         .unwrap();
     config.scouting.multicast.set_enabled(Some(false)).unwrap();
-    config.transport.shared_memory.set_enabled(true).unwrap();
     println!("[  ][02a] Opening peer02 session: {:?}", endpoints);
     let peer02 = ztimeout!(zenoh::open(config)).unwrap();
 
@@ -84,7 +83,6 @@ async fn open_session_multicast(endpoint01: &str, endpoint02: &str) -> (Session,
         .set(vec![endpoint01.parse().unwrap()])
         .unwrap();
     config.scouting.multicast.set_enabled(Some(true)).unwrap();
-    config.transport.shared_memory.set_enabled(true).unwrap();
     println!("[  ][01a] Opening peer01 session: {}", endpoint01);
     let peer01 = ztimeout!(zenoh::open(config)).unwrap();
 
@@ -95,7 +93,6 @@ async fn open_session_multicast(endpoint01: &str, endpoint02: &str) -> (Session,
         .set(vec![endpoint02.parse().unwrap()])
         .unwrap();
     config.scouting.multicast.set_enabled(Some(true)).unwrap();
-    config.transport.shared_memory.set_enabled(true).unwrap();
     println!("[  ][02a] Opening peer02 session: {}", endpoint02);
     let peer02 = ztimeout!(zenoh::open(config)).unwrap();
 
@@ -128,6 +125,7 @@ async fn test_session_pubsub(peer01: &Session, peer02: &Session, reliability: Re
             .declare_subscriber(&key_expr)
             .callback(move |sample| {
                 assert_eq!(sample.payload().len(), size);
+                let _ = sample.payload().deserialize::<&zshm>().unwrap();
                 c_msgs.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Relaxed);
             }))
         .unwrap();