diff --git a/node-graph/graph-craft/src/document/value.rs b/node-graph/graph-craft/src/document/value.rs
index bfd3c2607be..fb5b184fb16 100644
--- a/node-graph/graph-craft/src/document/value.rs
+++ b/node-graph/graph-craft/src/document/value.rs
@@ -618,21 +618,13 @@ impl TaggedValue {
 		}
 
 		fn to_color(input: &str) -> Option<Color> {
-			// String syntax (e.g. "000000ff")
-			if input.starts_with('"') && input.ends_with('"') {
-				let hex = input.trim().trim_matches('"').trim().trim_start_matches('#');
-				let color = SRGBA8::from_hex_str(hex).map(Color::from);
-				if color.is_none() {
-					log::error!("Invalid default value color string: {input}");
-				}
-				return color;
-			}
-
 			// Color constant syntax (e.g. Color::BLACK)
-			let mut choices = input.split("::");
-			let (first, second) = (choices.next()?.trim(), choices.next()?.trim());
-			if first == "Color" {
-				return Some(match second {
+			if let Some((first, second)) = input.split_once("::") {
+				if first.trim() != "Color" {
+					log::error!("Invalid default value color: {input}");
+					return None;
+				}
+				return Some(match second.trim() {
 					"BLACK" => Color::BLACK,
 					"WHITE" => Color::WHITE,
 					"RED" => Color::RED,
@@ -649,8 +641,13 @@ impl TaggedValue {
 				});
 			}
 
-			log::error!("Invalid default value color: {input}");
-			None
+			// Hex syntax (e.g. "000000ff"), which a string literal default reaches here without its quotes
+			let hex = input.trim().trim_matches('"').trim().trim_start_matches('#');
+			let color = SRGBA8::from_hex_str(hex).map(Color::from);
+			if color.is_none() {
+				log::error!("Invalid default value color string: {input}");
+			}
+			color
 		}
 
 		fn to_gradient(input: &str) -> Option<Gradient> {
@@ -1039,6 +1036,18 @@ mod paint_default_parsing {
 		);
 	}
 
+	/// A hex string default reaches the parser without the quotes its literal had in the node signature, and must still parse.
+	#[test]
+	fn hex_string_color_default_parses_without_quotes() {
+		let tint = Some(TaggedValue::Color(Color::from(SRGBA8::new(225, 211, 179, 255))));
+		assert_eq!(TaggedValue::from_primitive_string("e1d3b3", &item!(Color)), tint, "a bare hex default should resolve");
+		assert_eq!(
+			TaggedValue::from_primitive_string("\"#e1d3b3\"", &item!(Color)),
+			tint,
+			"a quoted, hash-prefixed hex default should resolve"
+		);
+	}
+
 	/// Table-era documents stored the red-slash "no paint" fill as an empty color table, which must keep
 	/// deserializing to [`TaggedValue::no_paint`] rather than collapsing to a transparent color.
 	#[test]
diff --git a/node-graph/node-macro/src/codegen.rs b/node-graph/node-macro/src/codegen.rs
index aacec0d8006..6485d058c05 100644
--- a/node-graph/node-macro/src/codegen.rs
+++ b/node-graph/node-macro/src/codegen.rs
@@ -228,8 +228,9 @@ pub(crate) fn generate_node_code(crate_ident: &CrateIdent, parsed: &ParsedNodeFn
 						quote!(Some(concrete!(#implementation_ty)))
 					}
 				}
-				// A concrete ranked `Item<T>` param's scalar `#[default]` parses as a bare `T` literal (unranked, promoted at resolution);
-				// without one it keeps the structural `Type::Item` wire type with the element's alias on its descriptor (so the rank-0 Properties widget still dispatches, e.g. `Progression`), and `node_inputs` peels to `T` if no `Item` type default exists
+				// A concrete ranked `Item<T>` param's scalar `#[default]` parses as a bare `T` literal (unranked, promoted at resolution); without one it keeps
+				// the structural `Type::Item` wire type, and `node_inputs` peels to `T` if no `Item` type default exists. Either way the element's alias stays
+				// on its descriptor so the rank-0 Properties widget still dispatches, e.g. `Progression`.
 				None => match &field.ty {
 					ParsedFieldType::Item {
 						field: RegularParsedField { value_source, .. },
@@ -241,7 +242,7 @@ pub(crate) fn generate_node_code(crate_ident: &CrateIdent, parsed: &ParsedNodeFn
 						// The fn's lifetimes are elided since the metadata registration fn declares none of them
 						let element = substitute_lifetimes(element.clone(), "_");
 						match value_source {
-							ParsedValueSource::Default(_) => quote!(Some(concrete!(#element))),
+							ParsedValueSource::Default(_) => quote!(Some(concrete!(#element, #element))),
 							_ => quote!(Some(#core_types::item!(#element, #element))),
 						}
 					}