diff --git a/src/admin/components/forms/field-types/Relationship/createRelationMap.ts b/src/admin/components/forms/field-types/Relationship/createRelationMap.ts
index 12ebc6c0b..737bd0554 100644
--- a/src/admin/components/forms/field-types/Relationship/createRelationMap.ts
+++ b/src/admin/components/forms/field-types/Relationship/createRelationMap.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { ValueWithRelation } from './types';
+import { Value } from './types';
 
 type RelationMap = {
   [relation: string]: unknown[]
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ type RelationMap = {
 type CreateRelationMap = (args: {
   hasMany: boolean
   relationTo: string | string[]
-  value: unknown
+  value: Value | Value[] // really needs to be `ValueWithRelation`
 }) => RelationMap;
 
 export const createRelationMap: CreateRelationMap = ({
@@ -33,15 +33,18 @@ export const createRelationMap: CreateRelationMap = ({
 
   if (hasMany && Array.isArray(value)) {
     value.forEach((val) => {
-      if (hasMultipleRelations) {
+      if (hasMultipleRelations && typeof val === 'object' && 'relationTo' in val && 'value' in val) {
         add(val.relationTo, val.value);
-      } else {
+      }
+
+      if (!hasMultipleRelations && typeof relationTo === 'string') {
         add(relationTo, val);
       }
     });
-  } else if (hasMultipleRelations) {
-    const valueWithRelation = value as ValueWithRelation;
-    add(valueWithRelation?.relationTo, valueWithRelation?.value);
+  } else if (hasMultipleRelations && Array.isArray(relationTo)) {
+    if (typeof value === 'object' && 'relationTo' in value && 'value' in value) {
+      add(value.relationTo, value.value);
+    }
   } else {
     add(relationTo, value);
   }
diff --git a/src/admin/components/forms/field-types/Relationship/index.tsx b/src/admin/components/forms/field-types/Relationship/index.tsx
index 25b7e7e47..b4964dfde 100644
--- a/src/admin/components/forms/field-types/Relationship/index.tsx
+++ b/src/admin/components/forms/field-types/Relationship/index.tsx
@@ -117,7 +117,11 @@ const Relationship: React.FC<Props> = (props) => {
     const relationsToFetch = lastFullyLoadedRelationToUse === -1 ? relations : relations.slice(lastFullyLoadedRelationToUse + 1);
 
     let resultsFetched = 0;
-    const relationMap = createRelationMap({ hasMany, relationTo, value: valueArg });
+    const relationMap = createRelationMap({
+      hasMany,
+      relationTo,
+      value: valueArg,
+    });
 
     if (!errorLoading) {
       relationsToFetch.reduce(async (priorRelation, relation) => {
@@ -209,12 +213,12 @@ const Relationship: React.FC<Props> = (props) => {
     locale,
   ]);
 
-  const updateSearch = useDebouncedCallback((searchArg: string, valueArg: unknown) => {
+  const updateSearch = useDebouncedCallback((searchArg: string, valueArg: Value | Value[]) => {
     getResults({ search: searchArg, value: valueArg, sort: true });
     setSearch(searchArg);
   }, [getResults]);
 
-  const handleInputChange = useCallback((searchArg: string, valueArg: unknown) => {
+  const handleInputChange = useCallback((searchArg: string, valueArg: Value | Value[]) => {
     if (search !== searchArg) {
       updateSearch(searchArg, valueArg);
     }
diff --git a/src/admin/components/forms/field-types/Relationship/types.ts b/src/admin/components/forms/field-types/Relationship/types.ts
index 30b89daa8..95d487f03 100644
--- a/src/admin/components/forms/field-types/Relationship/types.ts
+++ b/src/admin/components/forms/field-types/Relationship/types.ts
@@ -19,10 +19,12 @@ export type OptionGroup = {
   options: Option[]
 }
 
-export type Value = {
+export type ValueWithRelation = {
   relationTo: string
   value: string | number
-} | string | number
+}
+
+export type Value = ValueWithRelation | string | number
 
 type CLEAR = {
   type: 'CLEAR'
@@ -46,16 +48,11 @@ type ADD = {
 
 export type Action = CLEAR | ADD | UPDATE
 
-export type ValueWithRelation = {
-  relationTo: string
-  value: string
-}
-
 export type GetResults = (args: {
   lastFullyLoadedRelation?: number
   lastLoadedPage?: number
   search?: string
-  value?: unknown
+  value?: Value | Value[]
   sort?: boolean
   onSuccess?: () => void
 }) => Promise<void>
diff --git a/test/fields/collections/Relationship/index.ts b/test/fields/collections/Relationship/index.ts
index c077e43bc..e6d76fe4a 100644
--- a/test/fields/collections/Relationship/index.ts
+++ b/test/fields/collections/Relationship/index.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,21 @@ const RelationshipFields: CollectionConfig = {
         allowCreate: false,
       },
     },
+    {
+      name: 'relationWithDynamicDefault',
+      type: 'relationship',
+      relationTo: 'users',
+      defaultValue: ({ user }) => user.id,
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'relationHasManyWithDynamicDefault',
+      type: 'relationship',
+      relationTo: ['users'],
+      defaultValue: ({ user }) => ({
+        relationTo: 'users',
+        value: user.id,
+      }),
+    },
   ],
 };
 
diff --git a/test/fields/e2e.spec.ts b/test/fields/e2e.spec.ts
index a5e412463..caa3d0510 100644
--- a/test/fields/e2e.spec.ts
+++ b/test/fields/e2e.spec.ts
@@ -633,6 +633,12 @@ describe('fields', () => {
       // expect the button to not exist in the field
       await expect(await page.locator('#relationToSelfSelectOnly-add-new .relationship-add-new__add-button').count()).toEqual(0);
     });
+
+    test('should populate relationship dynamic default value', async () => {
+      await page.goto(url.create);
+      await expect(page.locator('#field-relationWithDynamicDefault .relationship--single-value__text')).toContainText('dev@payloadcms.com');
+      await expect(page.locator('#field-relationHasManyWithDynamicDefault .relationship--single-value__text')).toContainText('dev@payloadcms.com');
+    });
   });
 
   describe('upload', () => {