diff --git a/src/__tests__/module-engine/validateNodeProps.test.ts b/src/__tests__/module-engine/validateNodeProps.test.ts
index 2f98bef5e..31c1481db 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/module-engine/validateNodeProps.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/module-engine/validateNodeProps.test.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
  *       rawProps for them); Ref/recursive/cyclic schemas degrade safely to
  *       the slow path.
  *   (f) Every base module's propsSchema is fast-path eligible.
+ *   (g) Per-prop repair: when one prop cannot be coerced, only that prop
+ *       takes the module default; every other authored prop survives.
  */
 
 import { describe, it, expect } from 'bun:test'
@@ -86,8 +88,7 @@ describe('validateNodeProps — (a) coerce to schema defaults', () => {
     expect(result.visible).toBe(false)
   })
 
-  it('falls back to module defaults when coercion fails catastrophically', () => {
-    // Provide a deeply invalid value that Value.Parse cannot recover.
+  it('falls back to the module default for a prop coercion cannot fix', () => {
     // We force a failure by using a schema whose type can't be coerced.
     const strictSchema = Type.Object({
       id: Type.String({ pattern: '^[a-z]+$', default: 'fallback' }),
@@ -98,11 +99,121 @@ describe('validateNodeProps — (a) coerce to schema defaults', () => {
     })
     // "123" fails the /^[a-z]+$/ pattern — coercion cannot fix it.
     const result = validateNodeProps(strictDef, { id: '123' })
-    // Should fall back to defaults
     expect(result.id).toBe('fallback')
   })
 })
 
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// (g) Per-prop repair — one bad prop never resets the whole node
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+describe('validateNodeProps — (g) per-prop repair', () => {
+  const RepairSchema = Type.Object({
+    href: Type.String({ default: '#' }),
+    text: Type.String({ default: 'Click here' }),
+    target: Type.Union([Type.Literal('_self'), Type.Literal('_blank')], { default: '_self' }),
+    htmlAttributes: Type.Record(Type.String(), Type.String(), { default: {} }),
+    note: Type.Optional(Type.String()),
+  })
+  const def = stubDef({
+    propsSchema: RepairSchema,
+    defaults: Value.Create(RepairSchema) as Record<string, unknown>,
+  })
+
+  it('a bad enum value takes its default while sibling props keep their authored values', () => {
+    const result = validateNodeProps(def, {
+      href: '/contact/',
+      text: 'Contact us',
+      target: '',
+      htmlAttributes: { id: 'cta' },
+    })
+    expect(result.target).toBe('_self')
+    expect(result.href).toBe('/contact/')
+    expect(result.text).toBe('Contact us')
+    expect(result.htmlAttributes).toEqual({ id: 'cta' })
+  })
+
+  it('a bad nested object resets only that prop', () => {
+    const result = validateNodeProps(def, {
+      href: '/contact/',
+      text: 'Contact us',
+      target: '_blank',
+      htmlAttributes: { id: { nested: true } },
+    })
+    expect(result.htmlAttributes).toEqual({})
+    expect(result.href).toBe('/contact/')
+    expect(result.text).toBe('Contact us')
+    expect(result.target).toBe('_blank')
+  })
+
+  it('still coerces and default-fills the props that can be repaired', () => {
+    const CountSchema = Type.Object({
+      count: Type.Number({ default: 1 }),
+      mode: Type.Union([Type.Literal('a'), Type.Literal('b')], { default: 'a' }),
+      label: Type.String({ default: 'x' }),
+    })
+    const countDef = stubDef({
+      propsSchema: CountSchema,
+      defaults: Value.Create(CountSchema) as Record<string, unknown>,
+    })
+    const result = validateNodeProps(countDef, { count: '7', mode: 'zzz' })
+    expect(result.count).toBe(7)
+    expect(result.mode).toBe('a')
+    expect(result.label).toBe('x')
+  })
+
+  it('an absent optional prop stays absent during repair', () => {
+    const result = validateNodeProps(def, { href: '/x', text: 'X', target: 'nope' })
+    expect('note' in result).toBe(false)
+    expect(result.target).toBe('_self')
+  })
+
+  it('an absent optional prop with a default is filled during repair', () => {
+    const OptSchema = Type.Object({
+      mode: Type.Union([Type.Literal('a'), Type.Literal('b')], { default: 'a' }),
+      opt: Type.Optional(Type.String({ default: 'OPT' })),
+    })
+    const optDef = stubDef({ propsSchema: OptSchema, defaults: { mode: 'a' } })
+    expect(validateNodeProps(optDef, { mode: 'zzz' }).opt).toBe('OPT')
+  })
+
+  it('repair does not throw when a plugin module ships non-object defaults', () => {
+    const badDef = stubDef({
+      propsSchema: RepairSchema,
+      defaults: undefined as unknown as Record<string, unknown>,
+    })
+    expect(() => validateNodeProps(badDef, { href: '/x', text: 'X', target: 'nope' })).not.toThrow()
+  })
+
+  it('injected unknown keys survive repair', () => {
+    const media = { img: { url: 'https://example.com/a.jpg' } }
+    const result = validateNodeProps(def, { target: 'nope', _resolvedMediaByKey: media })
+    expect(result._resolvedMediaByKey).toBe(media)
+  })
+
+  it('base.link: an unsupported target keeps href and text at publish time', () => {
+    const link = registry.getOrThrow('base.link')
+    const result = validateNodeProps(link, {
+      href: '/contact/',
+      text: 'Contact us',
+      target: '',
+      htmlAttributes: {},
+    })
+    expect(result.target).toBe('_self')
+    expect(result.href).toBe('/contact/')
+    expect(result.text).toBe('Contact us')
+  })
+
+  it('a non-object props schema still falls back to the module defaults wholesale', () => {
+    const arrDef = stubDef({
+      propsSchema: Type.Array(Type.Number()),
+      defaults: { items: [1] },
+    })
+    const result = validateNodeProps(arrDef, { items: ['x'] })
+    expect(result.items).toEqual([1])
+  })
+})
+
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // (b) Unknown injected fields survive validation
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/core/module-engine/validateNodeProps.ts b/src/core/module-engine/validateNodeProps.ts
index 820fe6d4b..3e7a51044 100644
--- a/src/core/module-engine/validateNodeProps.ts
+++ b/src/core/module-engine/validateNodeProps.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@
  *      exactly as before, for non-conforming values and for schemas where
  *      Check-pass does not imply Parse-identity.
  *
+ *   3. REPAIR — when the slow path throws, each declared prop is parsed on
+ *      its own and only the props that still fail take the module default
+ *      (see `repairProps`). One unsupported value never resets the node.
+ *
  * Design constraints:
  *   - SOFT boundary — exceptions from coercion are caught; never bubbles.
  *   - Unknown/injected keys survive — the fast path returns them untouched on
@@ -181,8 +185,11 @@ function fastPathEligible(schema: TSchema): boolean {
  *   - Schema present, coercion succeeds → `{ ...rawProps, ...cleanedProps }`.
  *     Known props are coerced/defaulted by Value.Parse; unknown keys from
  *     rawProps survive untouched.
- *   - Schema present, coercion fails → `{ ...rawProps, ...def.defaults }`.
- *     Falls back to module defaults for known keys, unknown keys still survive.
+ *   - Schema present, coercion fails → `{ ...rawProps, ...repaired }` where
+ *     each declared prop is parsed individually and only the props that
+ *     cannot be coerced fall back to the module default for that key, when
+ *     one is declared.
+ *     Unknown keys still survive.
  */
 export function validateNodeProps(
   def: AnyModuleDefinition,
@@ -203,9 +210,54 @@ export function validateNodeProps(
     const cleaned = parseValue(def.propsSchema, rawProps) as Record<string, unknown>
     return { ...rawProps, ...cleaned }
   } catch (_err) {
-    // Value.Parse threw — the input is unrecoverable for this schema even
-    // after applying defaults and type coercions. Fall back to the module's
-    // declared defaults, while still preserving any injected unknown keys.
-    return { ...rawProps, ...def.defaults }
+    // Value.Parse threw — at least one prop cannot be coerced into shape.
+    // Repair per prop so one bad value costs only that value, not the
+    // node's whole authored content; injected unknown keys still survive.
+    return { ...rawProps, ...repairProps(def, rawProps) }
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Tier 3 — per-prop repair for an object schema whose whole-value Parse
+ * failed. Every declared prop is parsed on its own (Default + Convert +
+ * Check for that leaf); a prop that still fails takes the module's declared
+ * default for that key. Props that pass stay exactly as authored, so a link
+ * with an unsupported `target` keeps its `href` and `text`, and a stale
+ * enum on one field does not wipe the rest of the node.
+ *
+ * A non-object schema has no per-prop granularity and keeps the old
+ * behaviour: the module defaults replace the value wholesale. So does a
+ * schema without TypeBox's `Kind` symbol (for example one rebuilt from
+ * JSON), because Value.Parse cannot read it.
+ */
+function repairProps(
+  def: AnyModuleDefinition,
+  rawProps: Record<string, unknown>,
+): Record<string, unknown> {
+  const schema = def.propsSchema as TSchema
+  const properties: unknown = schema.properties
+  if (schema[Kind] !== 'Object' || !isSchemaObject(properties)) {
+    return { ...def.defaults }
+  }
+
+  // Browser-loaded plugin packs pass `defaults` through unvalidated; this
+  // boundary never throws, so treat a non-object as "no defaults".
+  const defaults: Record<string, unknown> =
+    typeof def.defaults === 'object' && def.defaults !== null ? def.defaults : {}
+  const repaired: Record<string, unknown> = {}
+  for (const [key, propSchema] of Object.entries(properties)) {
+    if (!isSchemaObject(propSchema)) continue
+    const value = rawProps[key]
+    // An absent optional prop without a default is valid as-is; Parse on the
+    // bare leaf would reject `undefined` because the Optional modifier only
+    // means something inside the parent object. One with a default falls
+    // through so it is filled, as the successful slow path does.
+    if (value === undefined && OptionalKind in propSchema && !('default' in propSchema)) continue
+    try {
+      repaired[key] = parseValue(propSchema, value)
+    } catch (_err) {
+      if (key in defaults) repaired[key] = defaults[key]
+    }
   }
+  return repaired
 }