diff --git a/tractor/_spawn.py b/tractor/_spawn.py
index ae1c708e..0d43b1a0 100644
--- a/tractor/_spawn.py
+++ b/tractor/_spawn.py
@@ -38,18 +38,17 @@ log = get_logger('tractor')
 
 # placeholder for an mp start context if so using that backend
 _ctx: Optional[mp.context.BaseContext] = None
-_spawn_method: str = "spawn"
+_spawn_method: str = "trio"
 
 
 if platform.system() == 'Windows':
-    _spawn_method = "spawn"
+
     _ctx = mp.get_context("spawn")
 
     async def proc_waiter(proc: mp.Process) -> None:
         await trio.lowlevel.WaitForSingleObject(proc.sentinel)
 else:
-    # *NIX systems use ``trio`` primitives as our default
-    _spawn_method = "trio"
+    # *NIX systems use ``trio`` primitives as our default as well
 
     async def proc_waiter(proc: mp.Process) -> None:
         await trio.lowlevel.wait_readable(proc.sentinel)