diff --git a/server/src/sql-tools/comparers/column.comparer.spec.ts b/server/src/sql-tools/comparers/column.comparer.spec.ts
index fde237ad7b..0fd4ed74b5 100644
--- a/server/src/sql-tools/comparers/column.comparer.spec.ts
+++ b/server/src/sql-tools/comparers/column.comparer.spec.ts
@@ -62,6 +62,23 @@ describe('compareColumns', () => {
       ]);
     });
 
+    it('should detect a change in default', () => {
+      const source: DatabaseColumn = { ...testColumn, nullable: true };
+      const target: DatabaseColumn = { ...testColumn, nullable: true, default: "''" };
+      const reason = `default is different (null vs '')`;
+      expect(compareColumns.onCompare(source, target)).toEqual([
+        {
+          columnName: 'test',
+          tableName: 'table1',
+          type: 'ColumnAlter',
+          changes: {
+            default: 'NULL',
+          },
+          reason,
+        },
+      ]);
+    });
+
     it('should detect a comment change', () => {
       const source: DatabaseColumn = { ...testColumn, comment: 'new comment' };
       const target: DatabaseColumn = { ...testColumn, comment: 'old comment' };
diff --git a/server/src/sql-tools/comparers/column.comparer.ts b/server/src/sql-tools/comparers/column.comparer.ts
index 035fd6fc98..d3033430ef 100644
--- a/server/src/sql-tools/comparers/column.comparer.ts
+++ b/server/src/sql-tools/comparers/column.comparer.ts
@@ -72,9 +72,9 @@ export const compareColumns = {
         tableName: source.tableName,
         columnName: source.name,
         changes: {
-          default: String(source.default),
+          default: String(source.default ?? 'NULL'),
         },
-        reason: `default is different (${source.default} vs ${target.default})`,
+        reason: `default is different (${source.default ?? 'null'} vs ${target.default})`,
       });
     }
 
diff --git a/server/src/sql-tools/helpers.ts b/server/src/sql-tools/helpers.ts
index 8131f0350b..12586f27b2 100644
--- a/server/src/sql-tools/helpers.ts
+++ b/server/src/sql-tools/helpers.ts
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ export const isDefaultEqual = (source: DatabaseColumn, target: DatabaseColumn) =
 
   if (
     withTypeCast(source.default, getColumnType(source)) === target.default ||
-    source.default === withTypeCast(target.default, getColumnType(target))
+    withTypeCast(target.default, getColumnType(target)) === source.default
   ) {
     return true;
   }
diff --git a/server/src/sql-tools/transformers/column.transformer.spec.ts b/server/src/sql-tools/transformers/column.transformer.spec.ts
index 1e29d4bff6..6828e2a72d 100644
--- a/server/src/sql-tools/transformers/column.transformer.spec.ts
+++ b/server/src/sql-tools/transformers/column.transformer.spec.ts
@@ -116,6 +116,20 @@ describe(transformColumns.name, () => {
         }),
       ).toEqual([`ALTER TABLE "table1" ALTER COLUMN "column1" SET DEFAULT uuid_generate_v4();`]);
     });
+
+    it('should update the default value to NULL', () => {
+      expect(
+        transformColumns(ctx, {
+          type: 'ColumnAlter',
+          tableName: 'table1',
+          columnName: 'column1',
+          changes: {
+            default: 'NULL',
+          },
+          reason: 'unknown',
+        }),
+      ).toEqual([`ALTER TABLE "table1" ALTER COLUMN "column1" SET DEFAULT NULL;`]);
+    });
   });
 
   describe('ColumnDrop', () => {