diff --git a/packages/payload/src/fields/hooks/afterRead/promise.ts b/packages/payload/src/fields/hooks/afterRead/promise.ts
index 1a2d9d33f0..c6e43ae95d 100644
--- a/packages/payload/src/fields/hooks/afterRead/promise.ts
+++ b/packages/payload/src/fields/hooks/afterRead/promise.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import type { SanitizedGlobalConfig } from '../../../globals/config/types'
 import type { Field, TabAsField } from '../../config/types'
 
 import { fieldAffectsData, tabHasName } from '../../config/types'
+import getValueWithDefault from '../../getDefaultValue'
 import relationshipPopulationPromise from './relationshipPopulationPromise'
 import { traverseFields } from './traverseFields'
 
@@ -265,6 +266,20 @@ export const promise = async ({
       }
     }
 
+    // Set defaultValue on the field for globals being returned without being first created
+    // or collection documents created prior to having a default
+    if (
+      typeof siblingDoc[field.name] === 'undefined' &&
+      typeof field.defaultValue !== 'undefined'
+    ) {
+      siblingDoc[field.name] = await getValueWithDefault({
+        defaultValue: field.defaultValue,
+        locale: req.locale,
+        user: req.user,
+        value: siblingDoc[field.name],
+      })
+    }
+
     if (field.type === 'relationship' || field.type === 'upload') {
       populationPromises.push(
         relationshipPopulationPromise({
diff --git a/test/globals/config.ts b/test/globals/config.ts
index 00686f4be3..443e4b2832 100644
--- a/test/globals/config.ts
+++ b/test/globals/config.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ export const arraySlug = 'array'
 
 export const accessControlSlug = 'access-control'
 
+export const defaultValueSlug = 'default-value'
+
 export const englishLocale = 'en'
 export const spanishLocale = 'es'
 
@@ -17,13 +19,8 @@ const access = {
 }
 
 export default buildConfigWithDefaults({
-  localization: {
-    locales: [englishLocale, spanishLocale],
-    defaultLocale: englishLocale,
-  },
   globals: [
     {
-      slug,
       access,
       fields: [
         {
@@ -35,26 +32,47 @@ export default buildConfigWithDefaults({
           type: 'text',
         },
       ],
+      slug,
     },
     {
-      slug: arraySlug,
       access,
       fields: [
         {
           name: 'array',
-          type: 'array',
-          localized: true,
           fields: [
             {
               name: 'text',
               type: 'text',
             },
           ],
+          localized: true,
+          type: 'array',
         },
       ],
+      slug: arraySlug,
+    },
+    {
+      fields: [
+        {
+          name: 'text',
+          defaultValue: 'test',
+          type: 'text',
+        },
+        {
+          name: 'group',
+          fields: [
+            {
+              name: 'text',
+              defaultValue: 'test',
+              type: 'text',
+            },
+          ],
+          type: 'group',
+        },
+      ],
+      slug: defaultValueSlug,
     },
     {
-      slug: accessControlSlug,
       access: {
         read: ({ req: { user } }) => {
           if (user) {
@@ -71,22 +89,27 @@ export default buildConfigWithDefaults({
       fields: [
         {
           name: 'title',
-          type: 'text',
           required: true,
+          type: 'text',
         },
         {
           name: 'enabled',
           type: 'checkbox',
         },
       ],
+      slug: accessControlSlug,
     },
     {
-      slug: 'without-graphql',
       access,
-      graphQL: false,
       fields: [],
+      graphQL: false,
+      slug: 'without-graphql',
     },
   ],
+  localization: {
+    defaultLocale: englishLocale,
+    locales: [englishLocale, spanishLocale],
+  },
   onInit: async (payload) => {
     await payload.create({
       collection: 'users',
@@ -97,10 +120,10 @@ export default buildConfigWithDefaults({
     })
 
     await payload.updateGlobal({
-      slug: accessControlSlug,
       data: {
         title: 'hello',
       },
+      slug: accessControlSlug,
     })
   },
 })
diff --git a/test/globals/int.spec.ts b/test/globals/int.spec.ts
index 5650d9e47b..07d7db9dc9 100644
--- a/test/globals/int.spec.ts
+++ b/test/globals/int.spec.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { RESTClient } from '../helpers/rest'
 import configPromise, {
   accessControlSlug,
   arraySlug,
+  defaultValueSlug,
   englishLocale,
   slug,
   spanishLocale,
@@ -21,14 +22,14 @@ describe('globals', () => {
     let client: RESTClient
     beforeAll(async () => {
       const config = await configPromise
-      client = new RESTClient(config, { serverURL, defaultSlug: slug })
+      client = new RESTClient(config, { defaultSlug: slug, serverURL })
     })
     it('should create', async () => {
       const title = 'update'
       const data = {
         title,
       }
-      const { status, doc } = await client.updateGlobal({ data })
+      const { doc, status } = await client.updateGlobal({ data })
 
       expect(status).toEqual(200)
       expect(doc).toMatchObject(data)
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ describe('globals', () => {
         title,
       }
       await client.updateGlobal({ data })
-      const { status, doc } = await client.findGlobal()
+      const { doc, status } = await client.findGlobal()
 
       expect(status).toEqual(200)
       expect(doc.globalType).toEqual(slug)
@@ -54,11 +55,11 @@ describe('globals', () => {
         },
       ]
 
-      const { status, doc } = await client.updateGlobal({
-        slug: arraySlug,
+      const { doc, status } = await client.updateGlobal({
         data: {
           array,
         },
+        slug: arraySlug,
       })
 
       expect(status).toBe(200)
@@ -71,12 +72,12 @@ describe('globals', () => {
   describe('local', () => {
     it('should save empty json objects', async () => {
       const createdJSON: any = await payload.updateGlobal({
-        slug,
         data: {
           json: {
             state: {},
           },
         },
+        slug,
       })
 
       expect(createdJSON.json.state).toEqual({})
@@ -87,8 +88,8 @@ describe('globals', () => {
         title: 'title',
       }
       const doc = await payload.updateGlobal({
-        slug,
         data,
+        slug,
       })
       expect(doc).toMatchObject(data)
     })
@@ -99,8 +100,8 @@ describe('globals', () => {
         title,
       }
       await payload.updateGlobal({
-        slug,
         data,
+        slug,
       })
       const doc = await payload.findGlobal({
         slug,
@@ -129,19 +130,19 @@ describe('globals', () => {
       }
 
       await payload.updateGlobal({
-        slug: arraySlug,
-        locale: englishLocale,
         data: {
           array: localized.en.array,
         },
+        locale: englishLocale,
+        slug: arraySlug,
       })
 
       await payload.updateGlobal({
-        slug: arraySlug,
-        locale: spanishLocale,
         data: {
           array: localized.es.array,
         },
+        locale: spanishLocale,
+        slug: arraySlug,
       })
 
       const en = await payload.findGlobal({
@@ -160,26 +161,36 @@ describe('globals', () => {
 
     it('should respect valid access query constraint', async () => {
       const emptyGlobal = await payload.findGlobal({
-        slug: accessControlSlug,
         overrideAccess: false,
+        slug: accessControlSlug,
       })
 
       expect(Object.keys(emptyGlobal)).toHaveLength(0)
 
       await payload.updateGlobal({
-        slug: accessControlSlug,
         data: {
           enabled: true,
         },
+        slug: accessControlSlug,
       })
 
       const hasAccess = await payload.findGlobal({
-        slug: accessControlSlug,
         overrideAccess: false,
+        slug: accessControlSlug,
       })
 
       expect(hasAccess.title).toBeDefined()
     })
+
+    it('should get globals with defaultValues populated before first creation', async () => {
+      const defaultValueGlobal = await payload.findGlobal({
+        slug: defaultValueSlug,
+      })
+
+      expect(defaultValueGlobal.text).toStrictEqual('test')
+      // @ts-ignore
+      expect(defaultValueGlobal.group.text).toStrictEqual('test')
+    })
   })
 
   describe('graphql', () => {
@@ -209,8 +220,8 @@ describe('globals', () => {
         title: 'updated graphql',
       }
       await payload.updateGlobal({
-        slug,
         data,
+        slug,
       })
 
       const query = `query {