diff --git a/docs/sqlalchemy.md b/docs/sqlalchemy.md
index 71b41c906..533639012 100644
--- a/docs/sqlalchemy.md
+++ b/docs/sqlalchemy.md
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ Column definitions in `CREATE TABLE` render `TIMESTAMP` for `DateTime` and for `
 
 | Dialect   | Driver | Schema           | Cursor                 |
 |-----------|--------|------------------|------------------------|
-| awsathena |        | awsathena        | DefaultCursor          |
+| awsathena | rest   | awsathena        | DefaultCursor          |
 | awsathena | rest   | awsathena+rest   | DefaultCursor          |
 | awsathena | pandas | awsathena+pandas | {ref}`pandas-cursor`   |
 | awsathena | arrow  | awsathena+arrow  | {ref}`arrow-cursor`    |
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index c58f88669..7dc4cced2 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ documentation = "https://pyathena.dev/"
 issues = "https://github.com/pyathena-dev/PyAthena/issues"
 
 [project.entry-points."sqlalchemy.dialects"]
-awsathena = "pyathena.sqlalchemy.base:AthenaDialect"
+awsathena = "pyathena.sqlalchemy.rest:AthenaRestDialect"
 "awsathena.rest" = "pyathena.sqlalchemy.rest:AthenaRestDialect"
 "awsathena.pandas" = "pyathena.sqlalchemy.pandas:AthenaPandasDialect"
 "awsathena.arrow" = "pyathena.sqlalchemy.arrow:AthenaArrowDialect"
diff --git a/tests/pyathena/sqlalchemy/test_base.py b/tests/pyathena/sqlalchemy/test_base.py
index d956232c9..273681ebb 100644
--- a/tests/pyathena/sqlalchemy/test_base.py
+++ b/tests/pyathena/sqlalchemy/test_base.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 from pyathena.formatter import DefaultParameterFormatter
 from pyathena.sqlalchemy.base import AthenaDialect
 from pyathena.sqlalchemy.compiler import AthenaTypeCompiler
+from pyathena.sqlalchemy.rest import AthenaRestDialect
 from pyathena.sqlalchemy.types import (
     TINYINT,
     AthenaArray,
@@ -110,6 +111,17 @@ def close(self):
 
 
 class TestAthenaDialect:
+    def test_bare_scheme_uses_rest_driver(self):
+        # The bare awsathena entry point resolves to the REST dialect, like
+        # awsathena+rest. Requires the package to be reinstalled (uv sync) so the
+        # installed entry point metadata matches pyproject.toml.
+        url = "awsathena://athena.us-west-2.amazonaws.com:443/default?s3_staging_dir=s3://bucket/path/"
+        bare = create_engine(url)
+        assert type(bare.dialect) is AthenaRestDialect
+        assert bare.driver == "rest"
+        assert bare.url.get_driver_name() == "rest"
+        assert bare.dialect.dialect_description == "awsathena+rest"
+
     @pytest.mark.parametrize("dialect_class", [AthenaDialect, AthenaAioDialect])
     def test_type_compiler(self, dialect_class):
         # SQLAlchemy 2.0 builds the type compiler from type_compiler_cls. A legacy