diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/observability/public/pages/alerts/index.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/observability/public/pages/alerts/index.tsx
index e8f0f6080f390..6662cff07e448 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/observability/public/pages/alerts/index.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/observability/public/pages/alerts/index.tsx
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ export function AlertsPage({ routeParams }: AlertsPageProps) {
   const { prepend } = core.http.basePath;
   const history = useHistory();
   const {
-    query: { rangeFrom = 'now-15m', rangeTo = 'now', kuery = '', status = 'all' },
+    query: { rangeFrom = 'now-15m', rangeTo = 'now', kuery = '', status = 'active' },
   } = routeParams;
 
   // In a future milestone we'll have a page dedicated to rule management in
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/observability/public/pages/alerts/status_filter.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/observability/public/pages/alerts/status_filter.tsx
index 506269fed1b1b..0d5a76f1ad0cd 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/observability/public/pages/alerts/status_filter.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/observability/public/pages/alerts/status_filter.tsx
@@ -18,16 +18,6 @@ export interface StatusFilterProps {
 export function StatusFilter({ status = 'open', onChange }: StatusFilterProps) {
   return (
     <EuiFilterGroup>
-      <EuiFilterButton
-        data-test-subj="StatusFilter all button"
-        hasActiveFilters={status === 'all'}
-        onClick={() => onChange('all')}
-        withNext={true}
-      >
-        {i18n.translate('xpack.observability.alerts.statusFilter.allButtonLabel', {
-          defaultMessage: 'All',
-        })}
-      </EuiFilterButton>
       <EuiFilterButton
         data-test-subj="StatusFilter open button"
         hasActiveFilters={status === 'open'}
@@ -42,11 +32,21 @@ export function StatusFilter({ status = 'open', onChange }: StatusFilterProps) {
         data-test-subj="StatusFilter closed button"
         hasActiveFilters={status === 'closed'}
         onClick={() => onChange('closed')}
+        withNext={true}
       >
         {i18n.translate('xpack.observability.alerts.statusFilter.recoveredButtonLabel', {
           defaultMessage: 'Recovered',
         })}
       </EuiFilterButton>
+      <EuiFilterButton
+        data-test-subj="StatusFilter all button"
+        hasActiveFilters={status === 'all'}
+        onClick={() => onChange('all')}
+      >
+        {i18n.translate('xpack.observability.alerts.statusFilter.allButtonLabel', {
+          defaultMessage: 'All',
+        })}
+      </EuiFilterButton>
     </EuiFilterGroup>
   );
 }