diff --git a/scripts/policy/frameworks/storage/backend/redis/main.zeek b/scripts/policy/frameworks/storage/backend/redis/main.zeek
index 09746eddfb..413c201083 100644
--- a/scripts/policy/frameworks/storage/backend/redis/main.zeek
+++ b/scripts/policy/frameworks/storage/backend/redis/main.zeek
@@ -32,6 +32,6 @@ export {
 		# and the backend will be forced into synchronous mode, since
 		# time won't move forward the same as when capturing live
 		# traffic.
-		async_mode: bool &default=F;
+		async_mode: bool &default=T;
 	};
 }
diff --git a/src/storage/backend/redis/Redis.cc b/src/storage/backend/redis/Redis.cc
index 40e6397ed0..29a893d704 100644
--- a/src/storage/backend/redis/Redis.cc
+++ b/src/storage/backend/redis/Redis.cc
@@ -88,7 +88,9 @@ storage::BackendPtr Redis::Instantiate(std::string_view tag) { return make_intru
  * with a corresponding message.
  */
 ErrorResult Redis::DoOpen(RecordValPtr options) {
-    async_mode = options->GetField<BoolVal>("async_mode")->Get();
+    // When reading traces we disable storage async mode globally (see src/storage/Backend.cc) since
+    // time moves forward based on the pcap and not based on real time.
+    async_mode = options->GetField<BoolVal>("async_mode")->Get() && ! zeek::run_state::reading_traces;
     key_prefix = options->GetField<StringVal>("key_prefix")->ToStdString();
 
     redisOptions opt = {0};