diff --git a/src/utils/collection.ts b/src/utils/collection.ts
index 2d0fe5f5b..b48bab673 100644
--- a/src/utils/collection.ts
+++ b/src/utils/collection.ts
@@ -103,7 +103,11 @@ export function generateCollectionInsert(collection: ResolvedCollection, data: R
     const value = (collection.extendedSchema).shape[key]
     const underlyingType = getUnderlyingType(value as ZodType<unknown, ZodOptionalDef>)
 
-    const defaultValue = value._def.defaultValue ? value._def.defaultValue() : 'NULL'
+    let defaultValue = value._def.defaultValue ? value._def.defaultValue() : 'NULL'
+
+    if (!(defaultValue instanceof Date) && typeof defaultValue === 'object') {
+      defaultValue = JSON.stringify(defaultValue)
+    }
     const valueToInsert = typeof data[key] !== 'undefined' ? data[key] : defaultValue
 
     fields.push(key)
@@ -163,9 +167,13 @@ export function generateCollectionTableDefinition(collection: ResolvedCollection
 
     // Handle default values
     if (type._def.defaultValue !== undefined) {
-      const defaultValue = typeof type._def.defaultValue() === 'string'
+      let defaultValue = typeof type._def.defaultValue() === 'string'
         ? `'${type._def.defaultValue()}'`
         : type._def.defaultValue()
+
+      if (!(defaultValue instanceof Date) && typeof defaultValue === 'object') {
+        defaultValue = `'${JSON.stringify(defaultValue)}'`
+      }
       constraints.push(`DEFAULT ${defaultValue}`)
     }
 
diff --git a/src/utils/config.ts b/src/utils/config.ts
index d587db04c..79459e537 100644
--- a/src/utils/config.ts
+++ b/src/utils/config.ts
@@ -44,6 +44,13 @@ export async function loadLayersConfig(nuxt: Nuxt) {
     }
   }
 
+  if (Object.keys(collectionMap).length === 0) {
+    const collections = resolveCollections(defaultConfig.collections)
+    for (const collection of collections) {
+      collectionMap[collection.name] = collection
+    }
+  }
+
   return {
     collections: Object.values(collectionMap),
   }
diff --git a/test/unit/generateCollectionTableDefinition.test.ts b/test/unit/generateCollectionTableDefinition.test.ts
index c0fb660b1..8b7563cf3 100644
--- a/test/unit/generateCollectionTableDefinition.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/generateCollectionTableDefinition.test.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ describe('generateCollectionTableDefinition', () => {
       ' "meta" TEXT,',
       ' "navigation" TEXT DEFAULT true,',
       ' "path" VARCHAR,',
-      ' "seo" TEXT,',
+      ' "seo" TEXT DEFAULT \'{}\',',
       ' "stem" VARCHAR,',
       ' "title" VARCHAR',
       ');',
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ describe('generateCollectionTableDefinition', () => {
       ' "meta" TEXT,',
       ' "navigation" TEXT DEFAULT true,',
       ' "path" VARCHAR,',
-      ' "seo" TEXT,',
+      ' "seo" TEXT DEFAULT \'{}\',',
       ' "stem" VARCHAR,',
       ' "title" VARCHAR',
       ');',