diff --git a/ansible/group_vars/all.yml b/ansible/group_vars/all.yml
index ba0d9d7ceb..a212005d83 100644
--- a/ansible/group_vars/all.yml
+++ b/ansible/group_vars/all.yml
@@ -549,6 +549,7 @@ mariadb_shard_id: "{{ mariadb_default_database_shard_id }}"
 mariadb_shard_name: "shard_{{ mariadb_shard_id }}"
 mariadb_shard_group: "mariadb_{{ mariadb_shard_name }}"
 mariadb_loadbalancer: "{{ 'proxysql' if enable_proxysql | bool else 'haproxy' }}"
+mariadb_backup_target: "{{ 'active' if mariadb_loadbalancer == 'haproxy' else 'replica' }}"
 mariadb_shard_root_user_prefix: "root_shard_"
 mariadb_shard_backup_user_prefix: "backup_shard_"
 mariadb_shards_info: "{{ groups['mariadb'] | database_shards_info() }}"
@@ -937,7 +938,7 @@ enable_ovs_dpdk: "no"
 enable_osprofiler: "no"
 enable_placement: "{{ enable_nova | bool or enable_zun | bool }}"
 enable_prometheus: "no"
-enable_proxysql: "no"
+enable_proxysql: "yes"
 enable_redis: "no"
 enable_skyline: "no"
 enable_swift: "no"
diff --git a/ansible/roles/mariadb/defaults/main.yml b/ansible/roles/mariadb/defaults/main.yml
index a1ac4fa312..49f2e43526 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/mariadb/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/mariadb/defaults/main.yml
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ mariadb_backup_possible: "{{ mariadb_loadbalancer != 'haproxy' or inventory_host
 ####################
 # Clustercheck
 ####################
-enable_mariadb_clustercheck: "{{ enable_haproxy }}"
+enable_mariadb_clustercheck: "{{ 'True' if mariadb_loadbalancer == 'haproxy' else 'False' }}"
 
 ####################
 # Sharding
diff --git a/ansible/roles/mariadb/handlers/main.yml b/ansible/roles/mariadb/handlers/main.yml
index 708ba1bb2c..68422deed3 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/mariadb/handlers/main.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/mariadb/handlers/main.yml
@@ -89,3 +89,4 @@
     - restart mariadb-clustercheck
   when:
     - kolla_action != "config"
+    - service | service_enabled_and_mapped_to_host
diff --git a/ansible/roles/mariadb/tasks/backup.yml b/ansible/roles/mariadb/tasks/backup.yml
index 4facbe92a2..1c25f9bac0 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/mariadb/tasks/backup.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/mariadb/tasks/backup.yml
@@ -10,10 +10,12 @@
   register: container_facts
 
 - name: Taking {{ mariadb_backup_type }} database backup via Mariabackup
+  vars:
+    cmd: "{{ 'kolla_mariadb_backup.sh' if mariadb_backup_target == 'active' else 'kolla_mariadb_backup_replica.sh' }}"
   become: true
   kolla_container:
     action: "start_container"
-    command: "bash -c 'sudo -E kolla_set_configs && /usr/local/bin/kolla_mariadb_backup.sh'"
+    command: "bash -c 'sudo -E kolla_set_configs && /usr/local/bin/{{ cmd }}'"
     common_options: "{{ docker_common_options }}"
     detach: False
     # NOTE(mgoddard): Try to use the same image as the MariaDB server container
diff --git a/ansible/roles/mariadb/tasks/recover_cluster.yml b/ansible/roles/mariadb/tasks/recover_cluster.yml
index e62a82fc17..9fcb488d99 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/mariadb/tasks/recover_cluster.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/mariadb/tasks/recover_cluster.yml
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@
     dimensions: "{{ item.value.dimensions }}"
     environment: "{{ item.value.environment | default({}) }}"
     healthcheck: "{{ item.value.healthcheck | default(omit) }}"
-  with_dict: "{{ mariadb_services }}"
+  with_dict: "{{ mariadb_services | select_services_enabled_and_mapped_to_host }}"
   when:
     - bootstrap_host is defined
     - bootstrap_host != inventory_hostname
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@
     dimensions: "{{ item.value.dimensions }}"
     environment: "{{ item.value.environment | default({}) }}"
     healthcheck: "{{ item.value.healthcheck | default(omit) }}"
-  with_dict: "{{ mariadb_services }}"
+  with_dict: "{{ mariadb_services | select_services_enabled_and_mapped_to_host }}"
   when:
     - bootstrap_host is defined
     - bootstrap_host == inventory_hostname
diff --git a/etc/kolla/globals.yml b/etc/kolla/globals.yml
index 0eef2a3e3e..da7574eff6 100644
--- a/etc/kolla/globals.yml
+++ b/etc/kolla/globals.yml
@@ -411,7 +411,7 @@ workaround_ansible_issue_8743: yes
 #enable_osprofiler: "no"
 #enable_placement: "{{ enable_nova | bool or enable_zun | bool }}"
 #enable_prometheus: "no"
-#enable_proxysql: "no"
+#enable_proxysql: "yes"
 #enable_redis: "no"
 #enable_skyline: "no"
 #enable_swift: "no"
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/switch-to-proxysql-907c2bc2f2c04de4.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/switch-to-proxysql-907c2bc2f2c04de4.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..649ffd50fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/switch-to-proxysql-907c2bc2f2c04de4.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+---
+upgrade:
+  - |
+    The config option ``enable_proxysql`` has been changed to
+    ``yes``, which means that MySQL connections will now be
+    handled by ProxySQL by default instead of HAProxy. Users
+    who wish to retain load balancing of MySQL connections
+    through HAProxy must set ``enable_proxysql`` to ``no``.
+    Also Due to this change, the config option
+    ``enable_mariadb_clustercheck`` is also dynamically
+    changed to ``no``. Users who still wish to maintain
+    ``mariadb_clustercheck`` can override this config option
+    in the configuration. However, with ProxySQL,
+    ``mariadb_clustercheck`` is no longer needed and can be
+    manually removed.
diff --git a/tests/setup_gate.sh b/tests/setup_gate.sh
index c3115408e5..8b8b291352 100755
--- a/tests/setup_gate.sh
+++ b/tests/setup_gate.sh
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ function prepare_images {
     fi
 
     if [[ $SCENARIO != "bifrost" ]]; then
-        GATE_IMAGES="^cron,^fluentd,^glance,^haproxy,^keepalived,^keystone,^kolla-toolbox,^mariadb,^memcached,^neutron,^nova-,^openvswitch,^rabbitmq,^horizon,^heat,^placement"
+        GATE_IMAGES="^cron,^fluentd,^glance,^haproxy,^proxysql,^keepalived,^keystone,^kolla-toolbox,^mariadb,^memcached,^neutron,^nova-,^openvswitch,^rabbitmq,^horizon,^heat,^placement"
     else
         GATE_IMAGES="bifrost"
     fi
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ function prepare_images {
     fi
 
     if [[ $SCENARIO == "mariadb" ]]; then
-        GATE_IMAGES="^cron,^fluentd,^haproxy,^keepalived,^kolla-toolbox,^mariadb"
+        GATE_IMAGES="^cron,^fluentd,^haproxy,^proxysql,^keepalived,^kolla-toolbox,^mariadb"
     fi
 
     if [[ $SCENARIO == "lets-encrypt" ]]; then
@@ -66,11 +66,11 @@ function prepare_images {
     fi
 
     if [[ $SCENARIO == "prometheus-opensearch" ]]; then
-        GATE_IMAGES="^cron,^fluentd,^grafana,^haproxy,^keepalived,^kolla-toolbox,^mariadb,^memcached,^opensearch,^prometheus,^rabbitmq"
+        GATE_IMAGES="^cron,^fluentd,^grafana,^haproxy,^proxysql,^keepalived,^kolla-toolbox,^mariadb,^memcached,^opensearch,^prometheus,^rabbitmq"
     fi
 
     if [[ $SCENARIO == "venus" ]]; then
-        GATE_IMAGES="^cron,^opensearch,^fluentd,^haproxy,^keepalived,^keystone,^kolla-toolbox,^mariadb,^memcached,^rabbitmq,^venus"
+        GATE_IMAGES="^cron,^opensearch,^fluentd,^haproxy,^proxysql,^keepalived,^keystone,^kolla-toolbox,^mariadb,^memcached,^rabbitmq,^venus"
     fi
 
     if [[ $SCENARIO == "skyline" || $SCENARIO == "skyline-sso" ]]; then