diff --git a/apis/v1alpha1/topology.go b/apis/v1alpha1/topology.go
index 7462affc..b948e37a 100644
--- a/apis/v1alpha1/topology.go
+++ b/apis/v1alpha1/topology.go
@@ -38,10 +38,13 @@ type TopologySpec struct {
 	// images.
 	// +optional
 	ImagePull ImagePull `json:"imagePull"`
-	// EnableSlurpeeth enables experimental slurpeeth for connectivity between nodes on different
-	// launchers.
-	// +optional
-	EnableSlurpeeth bool `json:"enableSlurpeeth"`
+	// Connectivity defines the type of connectivity to use between nodes in the topology. The
+	// default behavior is to use vxlan tunnels, alternatively you can enable a more experimental
+	// "slurpeeth" connectivity flavor that stuffs traffic into tcp tunnels to avoid any vxlan mtu
+	// and/or fragmentation challenges.
+	// +kubebuilder:validation:Enum=vxlan;slurpeeth
+	// +kubebuilder:default=vxlan
+	Connectivity string `json:"connectivity"`
 }
 
 // TopologyStatus is the status for a Topology resource.
diff --git a/assets/crd/clabernetes.containerlab.dev_topologies.yaml b/assets/crd/clabernetes.containerlab.dev_topologies.yaml
index 3325c912..c5e00b3b 100644
--- a/assets/crd/clabernetes.containerlab.dev_topologies.yaml
+++ b/assets/crd/clabernetes.containerlab.dev_topologies.yaml
@@ -45,6 +45,17 @@ spec:
           spec:
             description: TopologySpec is the spec for a Topology resource.
             properties:
+              connectivity:
+                default: vxlan
+                description: |-
+                  Connectivity defines the type of connectivity to use between nodes in the topology. The
+                  default behavior is to use vxlan tunnels, alternatively you can enable a more experimental
+                  "slurpeeth" connectivity flavor that stuffs traffic into tcp tunnels to avoid any vxlan mtu
+                  and/or fragmentation challenges.
+                enum:
+                - vxlan
+                - slurpeeth
+                type: string
               definition:
                 description: |-
                   Definition defines the actual set of nodes (network ones, not k8s ones!) that this Topology
@@ -310,10 +321,6 @@ spec:
                         type: array
                     type: object
                 type: object
-              enableSlurpeeth:
-                description: EnableSlurpeeth enables experimental slurpeeth for connectivity
-                  between nodes on different launchers.
-                type: boolean
               expose:
                 description: Expose holds configurations relevant to how clabernetes
                   exposes a topology.
@@ -407,6 +414,7 @@ spec:
                     type: string
                 type: object
             required:
+            - connectivity
             - definition
             type: object
           status:
diff --git a/charts/clabernetes/crds/clabernetes.containerlab.dev_topologies.yaml b/charts/clabernetes/crds/clabernetes.containerlab.dev_topologies.yaml
index 3325c912..c5e00b3b 100644
--- a/charts/clabernetes/crds/clabernetes.containerlab.dev_topologies.yaml
+++ b/charts/clabernetes/crds/clabernetes.containerlab.dev_topologies.yaml
@@ -45,6 +45,17 @@ spec:
           spec:
             description: TopologySpec is the spec for a Topology resource.
             properties:
+              connectivity:
+                default: vxlan
+                description: |-
+                  Connectivity defines the type of connectivity to use between nodes in the topology. The
+                  default behavior is to use vxlan tunnels, alternatively you can enable a more experimental
+                  "slurpeeth" connectivity flavor that stuffs traffic into tcp tunnels to avoid any vxlan mtu
+                  and/or fragmentation challenges.
+                enum:
+                - vxlan
+                - slurpeeth
+                type: string
               definition:
                 description: |-
                   Definition defines the actual set of nodes (network ones, not k8s ones!) that this Topology
@@ -310,10 +321,6 @@ spec:
                         type: array
                     type: object
                 type: object
-              enableSlurpeeth:
-                description: EnableSlurpeeth enables experimental slurpeeth for connectivity
-                  between nodes on different launchers.
-                type: boolean
               expose:
                 description: Expose holds configurations relevant to how clabernetes
                   exposes a topology.
@@ -407,6 +414,7 @@ spec:
                     type: string
                 type: object
             required:
+            - connectivity
             - definition
             type: object
           status:
diff --git a/controllers/topology/deployment.go b/controllers/topology/deployment.go
index 12f8b1e3..d81e0eef 100644
--- a/controllers/topology/deployment.go
+++ b/controllers/topology/deployment.go
@@ -451,11 +451,6 @@ func (r *DeploymentReconciler) renderDeploymentContainerEnv(
 		}
 	}
 
-	connectivityKind := clabernetesconstants.ConnectivityVXLAN
-	if owningTopology.Spec.EnableSlurpeeth {
-		connectivityKind = clabernetesconstants.ConnectivitySlurpeeth
-	}
-
 	envs := []k8scorev1.EnvVar{
 		{
 			Name: clabernetesconstants.NodeNameEnv,
@@ -518,7 +513,7 @@ func (r *DeploymentReconciler) renderDeploymentContainerEnv(
 		},
 		{
 			Name:  clabernetesconstants.LauncherConnectivityKind,
-			Value: connectivityKind,
+			Value: owningTopology.Spec.Connectivity,
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -989,7 +984,7 @@ func (r *DeploymentReconciler) DetermineNodesNeedingRestart(
 			continue
 		}
 
-		if owningTopology.Spec.EnableSlurpeeth {
+		if owningTopology.Spec.Connectivity == clabernetesconstants.ConnectivitySlurpeeth {
 			determineNodeNeedsRestartSlurpeeth(reconcileData, nodeName)
 		} else if !reflect.DeepEqual(nodeConfig, reconcileData.PreviousConfigs[nodeName]) {
 			reconcileData.NodesNeedingReboot.Add(nodeName)
diff --git a/generated/openapi/openapi_generated.go b/generated/openapi/openapi_generated.go
index ac758c29..e755c5a2 100644
--- a/generated/openapi/openapi_generated.go
+++ b/generated/openapi/openapi_generated.go
@@ -1640,16 +1640,16 @@ func schema_srl_labs_clabernetes_apis_v1alpha1_TopologySpec(
 							),
 						},
 					},
-					"enableSlurpeeth": {
+					"connectivity": {
 						SchemaProps: spec.SchemaProps{
-							Description: "EnableSlurpeeth enables experimental slurpeeth for connectivity between nodes on different launchers.",
-							Default:     false,
-							Type:        []string{"boolean"},
+							Description: "Connectivity defines the type of connectivity to use between nodes in the topology. The default behavior is to use vxlan tunnels, alternatively you can enable a more experimental \"slurpeeth\" connectivity flavor that stuffs traffic into tcp tunnels to avoid any vxlan mtu and/or fragmentation challenges.",
+							Default:     "",
+							Type:        []string{"string"},
 							Format:      "",
 						},
 					},
 				},
-				Required: []string{"definition"},
+				Required: []string{"definition", "connectivity"},
 			},
 		},
 		Dependencies: []string{