diff --git a/book/src/help_vc.md b/book/src/help_vc.md
index c32104b17a..15b5c209a7 100644
--- a/book/src/help_vc.md
+++ b/book/src/help_vc.md
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ Options:
           The gas limit to be used in all builder proposals for all validators
           managed by this validator client. Note this will not necessarily be
           used if the gas limit set here moves too far from the previous block's
-          gas limit. [default: 30000000]
+          gas limit. [default: 36000000]
       --genesis-state-url <URL>
           A URL of a beacon-API compatible server from which to download the
           genesis state. Checkpoint sync server URLs can generally be used with
diff --git a/lighthouse/tests/validator_client.rs b/lighthouse/tests/validator_client.rs
index b9edeceaee..6e579f63c1 100644
--- a/lighthouse/tests/validator_client.rs
+++ b/lighthouse/tests/validator_client.rs
@@ -497,7 +497,7 @@ fn no_doppelganger_protection_flag() {
 fn no_gas_limit_flag() {
     CommandLineTest::new()
         .run()
-        .with_config(|config| assert!(config.validator_store.gas_limit == Some(30_000_000)));
+        .with_config(|config| assert!(config.validator_store.gas_limit == Some(36_000_000)));
 }
 #[test]
 fn gas_limit_flag() {
diff --git a/validator_client/src/cli.rs b/validator_client/src/cli.rs
index 3dd138619b..950d08a028 100644
--- a/validator_client/src/cli.rs
+++ b/validator_client/src/cli.rs
@@ -387,7 +387,7 @@ pub struct ValidatorClient {
     #[clap(
         long,
         value_name = "INTEGER",
-        default_value_t = 30_000_000,
+        default_value_t = 36_000_000,
         requires = "builder_proposals",
         help = "The gas limit to be used in all builder proposals for all validators managed \
                 by this validator client. Note this will not necessarily be used if the gas limit \
diff --git a/validator_client/validator_store/src/lib.rs b/validator_client/validator_store/src/lib.rs
index 6b472332a1..015b321d43 100644
--- a/validator_client/validator_store/src/lib.rs
+++ b/validator_client/validator_store/src/lib.rs
@@ -74,8 +74,8 @@ const SLASHING_PROTECTION_HISTORY_EPOCHS: u64 = 512;
 
 /// Currently used as the default gas limit in execution clients.
 ///
-/// https://github.com/ethereum/builder-specs/issues/17
-pub const DEFAULT_GAS_LIMIT: u64 = 30_000_000;
+/// https://ethresear.ch/t/on-increasing-the-block-gas-limit-technical-considerations-path-forward/21225.
+pub const DEFAULT_GAS_LIMIT: u64 = 36_000_000;
 
 pub struct ValidatorStore<T, E: EthSpec> {
     validators: Arc<RwLock<InitializedValidators>>,