diff --git a/backend/src/ee/services/access-approval-policy/access-approval-policy-dal.ts b/backend/src/ee/services/access-approval-policy/access-approval-policy-dal.ts
index e14451498..8b13ce4d4 100644
--- a/backend/src/ee/services/access-approval-policy/access-approval-policy-dal.ts
+++ b/backend/src/ee/services/access-approval-policy/access-approval-policy-dal.ts
@@ -144,5 +144,28 @@ export const accessApprovalPolicyDALFactory = (db: TDbClient) => {
     return softDeletedPolicy;
   };
 
-  return { ...accessApprovalPolicyOrm, find, findById, softDeleteById };
+  const findLastValidPolicy = async ({ envId, secretPath }: { envId: string; secretPath: string }, tx?: Knex) => {
+    try {
+      const result = await (tx || db.replicaNode())(TableName.AccessApprovalPolicy)
+        .where(
+          // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-misused-promises
+          buildFindFilter(
+            {
+              envId,
+              secretPath
+            },
+            TableName.AccessApprovalPolicy
+          )
+        )
+        .orderBy("deletedAt", "desc")
+        .orderByRaw(`"deletedAt" IS NULL`)
+        .first();
+
+      return result;
+    } catch (error) {
+      throw new DatabaseError({ error, name: "FindLastValidPolicy" });
+    }
+  };
+
+  return { ...accessApprovalPolicyOrm, find, findById, softDeleteById, findLastValidPolicy };
 };
diff --git a/backend/src/ee/services/access-approval-request/access-approval-request-service.ts b/backend/src/ee/services/access-approval-request/access-approval-request-service.ts
index 017356a5d..6d20369cf 100644
--- a/backend/src/ee/services/access-approval-request/access-approval-request-service.ts
+++ b/backend/src/ee/services/access-approval-request/access-approval-request-service.ts
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ type TSecretApprovalRequestServiceFactoryDep = {
     | "findOne"
     | "getCount"
   >;
-  accessApprovalPolicyDAL: Pick<TAccessApprovalPolicyDALFactory, "findOne" | "find">;
+  accessApprovalPolicyDAL: Pick<TAccessApprovalPolicyDALFactory, "findOne" | "find" | "findLastValidPolicy">;
   accessApprovalRequestReviewerDAL: Pick<
     TAccessApprovalRequestReviewerDALFactory,
     "create" | "find" | "findOne" | "transaction"
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ export const accessApprovalRequestServiceFactory = ({
 
     if (!environment) throw new NotFoundError({ message: `Environment with slug '${envSlug}' not found` });
 
-    const policy = await accessApprovalPolicyDAL.findOne({
+    const policy = await accessApprovalPolicyDAL.findLastValidPolicy({
       envId: environment.id,
       secretPath
     });
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/secret-manager/SecretApprovalsPage/components/ApprovalPolicyList/components/AccessPolicyModal.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/secret-manager/SecretApprovalsPage/components/ApprovalPolicyList/components/AccessPolicyModal.tsx
index a48c158f2..f7e7694f2 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/secret-manager/SecretApprovalsPage/components/ApprovalPolicyList/components/AccessPolicyModal.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/secret-manager/SecretApprovalsPage/components/ApprovalPolicyList/components/AccessPolicyModal.tsx
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ const formSchema = z
     environment: z.object({ slug: z.string(), name: z.string() }),
     name: z.string().optional(),
     secretPath: z.string().optional(),
-    approvals: z.number().min(1),
+    approvals: z.number().min(1).default(1),
     userApprovers: z
       .object({ type: z.literal(ApproverType.User), id: z.string() })
       .array()
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ const formSchema = z
       .array()
       .default([]),
     policyType: z.nativeEnum(PolicyType),
-    enforcementLevel: z.nativeEnum(EnforcementLevel),
+    enforcementLevel: z.nativeEnum(EnforcementLevel).default(EnforcementLevel.Hard),
     allowedSelfApprovals: z.boolean().default(true)
   })
   .superRefine((data, ctx) => {