diff --git a/backend/pkg/connector/interceptor/mirror_hook.go b/backend/pkg/connector/interceptor/mirror_hook.go
index d3d70e3fe..affe4ca48 100644
--- a/backend/pkg/connector/interceptor/mirror_hook.go
+++ b/backend/pkg/connector/interceptor/mirror_hook.go
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ func KafkaConnectToConsoleMirrorSourceHook(response model.ValidationResponse, _
 				Definition: model.ConfigDefinitionKey{
 					Name:          "topics.exclude",
 					Type:          "LIST",
-					DefaultValue:  ".*[\\-\\.]internal,.*\\.replica,__consumer_offsets,_redpanda_e2e_probe,__redpanda.cloud.sla_verification,_internal_connectors.*,_schemas",
+					DefaultValue:  ".*[\\-\\.]internal,.*\\.replica,__consumer_offsets,_redpanda_e2e_probe,__redpanda.*,_internal_connectors.*,_schemas",
 					Importance:    "MEDIUM",
 					Required:      false,
 					DisplayName:   "Topics exclude",
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ func KafkaConnectToConsoleMirrorSourceHook(response model.ValidationResponse, _
 				},
 				Value: model.ConfigDefinitionValue{
 					Name:              "topics.exclude",
-					Value:             ".*[\\-\\.]internal,.*\\.replica,__consumer_offsets,_redpanda_e2e_probe,__redpanda.cloud.sla_verification,_internal_connectors.*,_schemas",
+					Value:             ".*[\\-\\.]internal,.*\\.replica,__consumer_offsets,_redpanda_e2e_probe,__redpanda.*,_internal_connectors.*,_schemas",
 					RecommendedValues: []string{},
 					Visible:           true,
 					Errors:            []string{},
diff --git a/backend/pkg/connector/interceptor/mirror_hook_test.go b/backend/pkg/connector/interceptor/mirror_hook_test.go
index a0bcbb7cf..00ec205e4 100644
--- a/backend/pkg/connector/interceptor/mirror_hook_test.go
+++ b/backend/pkg/connector/interceptor/mirror_hook_test.go
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ func TestKafkaConnectToConsoleMirrorSourceHook(t *testing.T) {
 						Definition: model.ConfigDefinitionKey{
 							Name:          "topics.exclude",
 							Type:          "LIST",
-							DefaultValue:  ".*[\\-\\.]internal,.*\\.replica,__consumer_offsets,_redpanda_e2e_probe,__redpanda.cloud.sla_verification,_internal_connectors.*,_schemas",
+							DefaultValue:  ".*[\\-\\.]internal,.*\\.replica,__consumer_offsets,_redpanda_e2e_probe,__redpanda.*,_internal_connectors.*,_schemas",
 							Importance:    "MEDIUM",
 							Required:      false,
 							DisplayName:   "Topics exclude",
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ func TestKafkaConnectToConsoleMirrorSourceHook(t *testing.T) {
 						},
 						Value: model.ConfigDefinitionValue{
 							Name:              "topics.exclude",
-							Value:             ".*[\\-\\.]internal,.*\\.replica,__consumer_offsets,_redpanda_e2e_probe,__redpanda.cloud.sla_verification,_internal_connectors.*,_schemas",
+							Value:             ".*[\\-\\.]internal,.*\\.replica,__consumer_offsets,_redpanda_e2e_probe,__redpanda.*,_internal_connectors.*,_schemas",
 							RecommendedValues: []string{},
 							Visible:           true,
 							Errors:            []string{},
@@ -609,7 +609,7 @@ func TestKafkaConnectToConsoleMirrorSourceHook(t *testing.T) {
 						Definition: model.ConfigDefinitionKey{
 							Name:          "topics.exclude",
 							Type:          "LIST",
-							DefaultValue:  ".*[\\-\\.]internal,.*\\.replica,__consumer_offsets,_redpanda_e2e_probe,__redpanda.cloud.sla_verification,_internal_connectors.*,_schemas",
+							DefaultValue:  ".*[\\-\\.]internal,.*\\.replica,__consumer_offsets,_redpanda_e2e_probe,__redpanda.*,_internal_connectors.*,_schemas",
 							Importance:    "MEDIUM",
 							Required:      false,
 							DisplayName:   "Topics exclude",
@@ -617,7 +617,7 @@ func TestKafkaConnectToConsoleMirrorSourceHook(t *testing.T) {
 						},
 						Value: model.ConfigDefinitionValue{
 							Name:              "topics.exclude",
-							Value:             ".*[\\-\\.]internal,.*\\.replica,__consumer_offsets,_redpanda_e2e_probe,__redpanda.cloud.sla_verification,_internal_connectors.*,_schemas",
+							Value:             ".*[\\-\\.]internal,.*\\.replica,__consumer_offsets,_redpanda_e2e_probe,__redpanda.*,_internal_connectors.*,_schemas",
 							RecommendedValues: []string{},
 							Visible:           true,
 							Errors:            []string{},
@@ -922,7 +922,7 @@ func TestKafkaConnectToConsoleMirrorSourceHook(t *testing.T) {
 						Definition: model.ConfigDefinitionKey{
 							Name:          "topics.exclude",
 							Type:          "LIST",
-							DefaultValue:  ".*[\\-\\.]internal,.*\\.replica,__consumer_offsets,_redpanda_e2e_probe,__redpanda.cloud.sla_verification,_internal_connectors.*,_schemas",
+							DefaultValue:  ".*[\\-\\.]internal,.*\\.replica,__consumer_offsets,_redpanda_e2e_probe,__redpanda.*,_internal_connectors.*,_schemas",
 							Importance:    "MEDIUM",
 							Required:      false,
 							DisplayName:   "Topics exclude",
@@ -930,7 +930,7 @@ func TestKafkaConnectToConsoleMirrorSourceHook(t *testing.T) {
 						},
 						Value: model.ConfigDefinitionValue{
 							Name:              "topics.exclude",
-							Value:             ".*[\\-\\.]internal,.*\\.replica,__consumer_offsets,_redpanda_e2e_probe,__redpanda.cloud.sla_verification,_internal_connectors.*,_schemas",
+							Value:             ".*[\\-\\.]internal,.*\\.replica,__consumer_offsets,_redpanda_e2e_probe,__redpanda.*,_internal_connectors.*,_schemas",
 							RecommendedValues: []string{},
 							Visible:           true,
 							Errors:            []string{},
diff --git a/backend/pkg/connector/patch/mirror.go b/backend/pkg/connector/patch/mirror.go
index 5e5566529..c77787831 100644
--- a/backend/pkg/connector/patch/mirror.go
+++ b/backend/pkg/connector/patch/mirror.go
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ func (*ConfigPatchMirrorSource) PatchDefinition(d model.ConfigDefinition, connec
 		d.SetDocumentation("Replication factor for newly created remote topics. Set -1 for cluster default").
 			SetDefaultValue("-1")
 	case "topics.exclude":
-		d.SetDefaultValue(".*[\\-\\.]internal,.*\\.replica,__consumer_offsets,_redpanda_e2e_probe,__redpanda.cloud.sla_verification,_internal_connectors.*,_schemas")
+		d.SetDefaultValue(".*[\\-\\.]internal,.*\\.replica,__consumer_offsets,_redpanda_e2e_probe,__redpanda.*,_internal_connectors.*,_schemas")
 	case "sync.group.offsets.enabled":
 		d.SetDefaultValue("true")
 	case name: