diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1227e456..78b2459a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -683,7 +683,7 @@ Type:
 type api = "legacy" | "modern" | "modern-compiler";
 ```
 
-Default: `"legacy"`
+Default: `"modern"` for `sass` (`dart-sass`) and `sass-embedded` or `"legacy"` for `node-sass`
 
 Allows you to switch between the `legacy` and `modern` APIs. You can find more information [here](https://sass-lang.com/documentation/js-api). The `modern-compiler` option enables the modern API with support for [Shared Resources](https://github.com/sass/sass/blob/main/accepted/shared-resources.d.ts.md).
 
@@ -709,7 +709,7 @@ module.exports = {
           {
             loader: "sass-loader",
             options: {
-              api: "modern",
+              api: "modern-compiler",
               sassOptions: {
                 // Your sass options
               },
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index 9d270560..7d1c16c4 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -34,21 +34,29 @@ async function loader(content) {
 
   const useSourceMap =
     typeof options.sourceMap === "boolean" ? options.sourceMap : this.sourceMap;
+  // Use `legacy` for `node-sass` and `modern` for `dart-sass` and `sass-embedded`
+  const apiType =
+    typeof implementation.compileStringAsync === "undefined"
+      ? "legacy"
+      : typeof options.api === "undefined"
+        ? "modern"
+        : options.api;
   const sassOptions = await getSassOptions(
     this,
     options,
     content,
     implementation,
     useSourceMap,
+    apiType,
   );
+
   const shouldUseWebpackImporter =
     typeof options.webpackImporter === "boolean"
       ? options.webpackImporter
       : true;
 
   if (shouldUseWebpackImporter) {
-    const isModernAPI =
-      options.api === "modern" || options.api === "modern-compiler";
+    const isModernAPI = apiType === "modern" || apiType === "modern-compiler";
 
     if (!isModernAPI) {
       const { includePaths } = sassOptions;
@@ -67,7 +75,7 @@ async function loader(content) {
   let compile;
 
   try {
-    compile = getCompileFn(this, implementation, options);
+    compile = getCompileFn(this, implementation, apiType);
   } catch (error) {
     callback(error);
     return;
diff --git a/src/utils.js b/src/utils.js
index 41968374..9912b9a9 100644
--- a/src/utils.js
+++ b/src/utils.js
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ function proxyCustomImporters(importers, loaderContext) {
  * @param {string} content
  * @param {object} implementation
  * @param {boolean} useSourceMap
+ * @param {"legacy" | "modern" | "modern-compiler"} apiType
  * @returns {Object}
  */
 async function getSassOptions(
@@ -102,6 +103,7 @@ async function getSassOptions(
   content,
   implementation,
   useSourceMap,
+  apiType,
 ) {
   const options = loaderOptions.sassOptions
     ? typeof loaderOptions.sassOptions === "function"
@@ -174,8 +176,7 @@ async function getSassOptions(
     };
   }
 
-  const isModernAPI =
-    loaderOptions.api === "modern" || loaderOptions.api === "modern-compiler";
+  const isModernAPI = apiType === "modern" || apiType === "modern-compiler";
   const { resourcePath } = loaderContext;
 
   if (isModernAPI) {
@@ -477,9 +478,7 @@ function getWebpackResolver(
   includePaths = [],
 ) {
   const isModernSass =
-    implementation &&
-    (implementation.info.includes("dart-sass") ||
-      implementation.info.includes("sass-embedded"));
+    implementation && typeof implementation.compileStringAsync !== "undefined";
   // We only have one difference with the built-in sass resolution logic and out resolution logic:
   // First, we look at the files starting with `_`, then without `_` (i.e. `_name.sass`, `_name.scss`, `_name.css`, `name.sass`, `name.scss`, `name.css`),
   // although `sass` look together by extensions (i.e. `_name.sass`/`name.sass`/`_name.scss`/`name.scss`/`_name.css`/`name.css`).
@@ -735,16 +734,12 @@ const sassModernCompilers = new WeakMap();
  *
  * @param {Object} loaderContext
  * @param {Object} implementation
- * @param {Object} options
+ * @param {"legacy" | "modern" | "modern-compiler"} apiType
  * @returns {Function}
  */
-function getCompileFn(loaderContext, implementation, options) {
-  const isNewSass =
-    implementation.info.includes("dart-sass") ||
-    implementation.info.includes("sass-embedded");
-
-  if (isNewSass) {
-    if (options.api === "modern") {
+function getCompileFn(loaderContext, implementation, apiType) {
+  if (typeof implementation.compileStringAsync !== "undefined") {
+    if (apiType === "modern") {
       return (sassOptions) => {
         const { data, ...rest } = sassOptions;
 
@@ -752,7 +747,7 @@ function getCompileFn(loaderContext, implementation, options) {
       };
     }
 
-    if (options.api === "modern-compiler") {
+    if (apiType === "modern-compiler") {
       return async (sassOptions) => {
         // eslint-disable-next-line no-underscore-dangle
         const webpackCompiler = loaderContext._compiler;
@@ -799,7 +794,7 @@ function getCompileFn(loaderContext, implementation, options) {
       });
   }
 
-  if (options.api === "modern" || options.api === "modern-compiler") {
+  if (apiType === "modern" || apiType === "modern-compiler") {
     throw new Error("Modern API is not supported for 'node-sass'");
   }
 
diff --git a/test/__snapshots__/implementation-option.test.js.no-node-sass.snap b/test/__snapshots__/implementation-option.test.js.no-node-sass.snap
index 96cfe4c3..68f8787b 100644
--- a/test/__snapshots__/implementation-option.test.js.no-node-sass.snap
+++ b/test/__snapshots__/implementation-option.test.js.no-node-sass.snap
@@ -40,6 +40,10 @@ exports[`implementation option not specify with modern-compiler API: errors 1`]
 
 exports[`implementation option not specify with modern-compiler API: warnings 1`] = `[]`;
 
+exports[`implementation option not specify with node-sass: errors 1`] = `[]`;
+
+exports[`implementation option not specify with node-sass: warnings 1`] = `[]`;
+
 exports[`implementation option not specify: errors 1`] = `[]`;
 
 exports[`implementation option not specify: warnings 1`] = `[]`;
diff --git a/test/__snapshots__/implementation-option.test.js.snap b/test/__snapshots__/implementation-option.test.js.snap
index 2b458aec..21d95e88 100644
--- a/test/__snapshots__/implementation-option.test.js.snap
+++ b/test/__snapshots__/implementation-option.test.js.snap
@@ -44,6 +44,10 @@ exports[`implementation option not specify with modern-compiler API: errors 1`]
 
 exports[`implementation option not specify with modern-compiler API: warnings 1`] = `[]`;
 
+exports[`implementation option not specify with node-sass: errors 1`] = `[]`;
+
+exports[`implementation option not specify with node-sass: warnings 1`] = `[]`;
+
 exports[`implementation option not specify: errors 1`] = `[]`;
 
 exports[`implementation option not specify: warnings 1`] = `[]`;
diff --git a/test/implementation-option.test.js b/test/implementation-option.test.js
index 37fd9446..ba11835c 100644
--- a/test/implementation-option.test.js
+++ b/test/implementation-option.test.js
@@ -185,13 +185,49 @@ describe("implementation option", () => {
     expect(getWarnings(stats)).toMatchSnapshot("warnings");
     expect(getErrors(stats)).toMatchSnapshot("errors");
 
-    expect(sassEmbeddedSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(sassEmbeddedSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0);
+    expect(sassEmbeddedSpyModernAPI).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
     expect(nodeSassSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0);
     expect(dartSassSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0);
+    expect(dartSassSpyModernAPI).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0);
 
     sassEmbeddedSpy.mockClear();
+    sassEmbeddedSpyModernAPI.mockClear();
     nodeSassSpy.mockClear();
     dartSassSpy.mockClear();
+    dartSassSpyModernAPI.mockClear();
+
+    await close(compiler);
+  });
+
+  it("not specify with node-sass", async () => {
+    const testId = getTestId("language", "scss");
+    const options = {
+      implementation: nodeSass,
+    };
+    const compiler = getCompiler(testId, { loader: { options } });
+    const stats = await compile(compiler);
+    const { css, sourceMap } = getCodeFromBundle(stats, compiler);
+
+    expect(css).toBeDefined();
+    expect(sourceMap).toBeUndefined();
+
+    expect(getWarnings(stats)).toMatchSnapshot("warnings");
+    expect(getErrors(stats)).toMatchSnapshot("errors");
+
+    expect(sassEmbeddedSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0);
+    expect(sassEmbeddedSpyModernAPI).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0);
+    expect(nodeSassSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(isNodeSassSupported() ? 1 : 0);
+    expect(dartSassSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0);
+    expect(dartSassSpyModernAPI).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(
+      isNodeSassSupported() ? 0 : 1,
+    );
+
+    sassEmbeddedSpy.mockClear();
+    sassEmbeddedSpyModernAPI.mockClear();
+    nodeSassSpy.mockClear();
+    dartSassSpy.mockClear();
+    dartSassSpyModernAPI.mockClear();
 
     await close(compiler);
   });
@@ -216,8 +252,10 @@ describe("implementation option", () => {
     expect(dartSassSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0);
 
     sassEmbeddedSpy.mockClear();
+    sassEmbeddedSpyModernAPI.mockClear();
     nodeSassSpy.mockClear();
     dartSassSpy.mockClear();
+    dartSassSpyModernAPI.mockClear();
 
     await close(compiler);
   });
@@ -241,8 +279,10 @@ describe("implementation option", () => {
     expect(nodeSassSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0);
     expect(dartSassSpyModernAPI).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0);
 
+    sassEmbeddedSpy.mockClear();
     sassEmbeddedSpyModernAPI.mockClear();
     nodeSassSpy.mockClear();
+    dartSassSpy.mockClear();
     dartSassSpyModernAPI.mockClear();
 
     await close(compiler);
@@ -269,9 +309,11 @@ describe("implementation option", () => {
     expect(dartSassSpyModernAPI).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0);
     expect(dartSassCompilerSpies.compileStringSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0);
 
+    sassEmbeddedSpy.mockClear();
+    sassEmbeddedSpyModernAPI.mockClear();
     nodeSassSpy.mockClear();
+    dartSassSpy.mockClear();
     dartSassSpyModernAPI.mockClear();
-    dartSassCompilerSpies.mockClear();
 
     await close(compiler);
   });