diff --git a/.github/workflows/test_react_experimental.yml b/.github/workflows/test_react_experimental.yml
index 892a7dfab9985..bbfb890544d67 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test_react_experimental.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test_react_experimental.yml
@@ -29,9 +29,9 @@ jobs:
     # needs: build
     env:
       NEXT_TELEMETRY_DISABLED: 1
-      NEXT_PRIVATE_REACT_MODE: concurrent
       HEADLESS: true
       NEXT_PRIVATE_SKIP_SIZE_TESTS: true
+      NEXT_PRIVATE_REACT_ROOT: 1
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
diff --git a/packages/next/build/webpack-config.ts b/packages/next/build/webpack-config.ts
index 0e9262d5572ac..35a752beb627a 100644
--- a/packages/next/build/webpack-config.ts
+++ b/packages/next/build/webpack-config.ts
@@ -1048,8 +1048,8 @@ export default async function getBaseWebpackConfig(
         'process.env.__NEXT_STRICT_MODE': JSON.stringify(
           config.reactStrictMode
         ),
-        'process.env.__NEXT_REACT_MODE': JSON.stringify(
-          config.experimental.reactMode
+        'process.env.__NEXT_REACT_ROOT': JSON.stringify(
+          config.experimental.reactRoot
         ),
         'process.env.__NEXT_OPTIMIZE_FONTS': JSON.stringify(
           config.optimizeFonts && !dev
diff --git a/packages/next/client/index.tsx b/packages/next/client/index.tsx
index 10e3f91699951..5abce5188dec5 100644
--- a/packages/next/client/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/next/client/index.tsx
@@ -494,7 +494,8 @@ export function renderError(renderErrorProps: RenderErrorProps): Promise<any> {
 }
 
 let reactRoot: any = null
-let shouldUseHydrate: boolean = typeof ReactDOM.hydrate === 'function'
+let shouldHydrate: boolean = typeof ReactDOM.hydrate === 'function'
+
 function renderReactElement(
   domEl: HTMLElement,
   fn: (cb: () => void) => JSX.Element
@@ -504,24 +505,24 @@ function renderReactElement(
     performance.mark('beforeRender')
   }
 
-  const reactEl = fn(
-    shouldUseHydrate ? markHydrateComplete : markRenderComplete
-  )
-  if (process.env.__NEXT_REACT_MODE !== 'legacy') {
+  const reactEl = fn(shouldHydrate ? markHydrateComplete : markRenderComplete)
+  if (process.env.__NEXT_REACT_ROOT) {
     if (!reactRoot) {
-      const opts = { hydrate: shouldUseHydrate }
-      reactRoot =
-        process.env.__NEXT_REACT_MODE === 'concurrent'
-          ? (ReactDOM as any).unstable_createRoot(domEl, opts)
-          : (ReactDOM as any).unstable_createBlockingRoot(domEl, opts)
+      const createRootName =
+        typeof (ReactDOM as any).unstable_createRoot === 'function'
+          ? 'unstable_createRoot'
+          : 'createRoot'
+      reactRoot = (ReactDOM as any)[createRootName](domEl, {
+        hydrate: shouldHydrate,
+      })
     }
     reactRoot.render(reactEl)
-    shouldUseHydrate = false
+    shouldHydrate = false
   } else {
     // The check for `.hydrate` is there to support React alternatives like preact
-    if (shouldUseHydrate) {
+    if (shouldHydrate) {
       ReactDOM.hydrate(reactEl, domEl)
-      shouldUseHydrate = false
+      shouldHydrate = false
     } else {
       ReactDOM.render(reactEl, domEl)
     }
diff --git a/packages/next/next-server/server/config-shared.ts b/packages/next/next-server/server/config-shared.ts
index 1e7d88065294b..b62ccca10c727 100644
--- a/packages/next/next-server/server/config-shared.ts
+++ b/packages/next/next-server/server/config-shared.ts
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ export type NextConfig = { [key: string]: any } & {
       skipValidation?: boolean
     }
     turboMode: boolean
+    reactRoot: boolean
   }
 }
 
@@ -104,7 +105,6 @@ export const defaultConfig: NextConfig = {
     plugins: false,
     profiling: false,
     sprFlushToDisk: true,
-    reactMode: (process.env.NEXT_PRIVATE_REACT_MODE as any) || 'legacy',
     workerThreads: false,
     pageEnv: false,
     optimizeImages: false,
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ export const defaultConfig: NextConfig = {
     externalDir: false,
     serialWebpackBuild: false,
     turboMode: false,
+    reactRoot: Number(process.env.NEXT_PRIVATE_REACT_ROOT) > 0,
   },
   future: {
     strictPostcssConfiguration: false,
diff --git a/packages/next/next-server/server/config.ts b/packages/next/next-server/server/config.ts
index b8fa8597ad803..04b5691d5b0ab 100644
--- a/packages/next/next-server/server/config.ts
+++ b/packages/next/next-server/server/config.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ import { loadEnvConfig } from '@next/env'
 export { DomainLocales, NextConfig, normalizeConfig } from './config-shared'
 
 const targets = ['server', 'serverless', 'experimental-serverless-trace']
-const reactModes = ['legacy', 'blocking', 'concurrent']
 
 const experimentalWarning = execOnce(() => {
   Log.warn(chalk.bold('You have enabled experimental feature(s).'))
@@ -36,6 +35,19 @@ function assignDefaults(userConfig: { [key: string]: any }) {
     delete userConfig.exportTrailingSlash
   }
 
+  if (typeof userConfig.experimental?.reactMode !== 'undefined') {
+    console.warn(
+      chalk.yellow.bold('Warning: ') +
+        'The experimental "reactMode" option has been replaced with "reactRoot". Please update your next.config.js.'
+    )
+    if (typeof userConfig.experimental?.reactRoot === 'undefined') {
+      userConfig.experimental.reactRoot = ['concurrent', 'blocking'].includes(
+        userConfig.experimental.reactMode
+      )
+    }
+    delete userConfig.experimental.reactMode
+  }
+
   const config = Object.keys(userConfig).reduce<{ [key: string]: any }>(
     (currentConfig, key) => {
       const value = userConfig[key]
@@ -435,17 +447,6 @@ export default async function loadConfig(
           : canonicalBase) || ''
     }
 
-    if (
-      userConfig.experimental?.reactMode &&
-      !reactModes.includes(userConfig.experimental.reactMode)
-    ) {
-      throw new Error(
-        `Specified React Mode is invalid. Provided: ${
-          userConfig.experimental.reactMode
-        } should be one of ${reactModes.join(', ')}`
-      )
-    }
-
     if (hasNextSupport) {
       userConfig.target = process.env.NEXT_PRIVATE_TARGET || 'server'
     }