diff --git a/proc-macro/src/store.rs b/proc-macro/src/store.rs
index 8e80922b14..cb5e2cc79e 100644
--- a/proc-macro/src/store.rs
+++ b/proc-macro/src/store.rs
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ pub fn store(s: Structure) -> TokenStream {
             fn #store<'a>(
                 &'a self,
                 #args
-            ) -> core::pin::Pin<Box<dyn core::future::Future<Output = Result<Option<#ret>, #subxt::Error>> + Send + 'a>>;
+            ) -> core::pin::Pin<Box<dyn core::future::Future<Output = Result<#ret, #subxt::Error>> + Send + 'a>>;
         }
 
         impl<T, S, E> #store_trait<T> for #subxt::Client<T, S, E>
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ pub fn store(s: Structure) -> TokenStream {
             fn #store<'a>(
                 &'a self,
                 #args
-            ) -> core::pin::Pin<Box<dyn core::future::Future<Output = Result<Option<#ret>, #subxt::Error>> + Send + 'a>> {
+            ) -> core::pin::Pin<Box<dyn core::future::Future<Output = Result<#ret, #subxt::Error>> + Send + 'a>> {
                 let #marker = core::marker::PhantomData::<T>;
                 Box::pin(self.fetch(#build_struct, None))
             }
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ mod tests {
                 fn account<'a>(
                     &'a self,
                     account_id: &'a <T as System>::AccountId,
-                ) -> core::pin::Pin<Box<dyn core::future::Future<Output = Result<Option<AccountData<T::Balance> >, substrate_subxt::Error>> + Send + 'a>>;
+                ) -> core::pin::Pin<Box<dyn core::future::Future<Output = Result<AccountData<T::Balance>, substrate_subxt::Error>> + Send + 'a>>;
             }
 
             impl<T, S, E> AccountStoreExt<T> for substrate_subxt::Client<T, S, E>
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ mod tests {
                 fn account<'a>(
                     &'a self,
                     account_id: &'a <T as System>::AccountId,
-                ) -> core::pin::Pin<Box<dyn core::future::Future<Output = Result<Option<AccountData<T::Balance> >, substrate_subxt::Error>> + Send + 'a>>
+                ) -> core::pin::Pin<Box<dyn core::future::Future<Output = Result<AccountData<T::Balance>, substrate_subxt::Error>> + Send + 'a>>
                 {
                     let _ = core::marker::PhantomData::<T>;
                     Box::pin(self.fetch(AccountStore { account_id, }, None))
diff --git a/proc-macro/src/test.rs b/proc-macro/src/test.rs
index 663bf255eb..5a8f7a29d1 100644
--- a/proc-macro/src/test.rs
+++ b/proc-macro/src/test.rs
@@ -322,13 +322,10 @@ impl Step {
             .or(test_state)
             .map(|state| {
                 let State {
-                state_name,
-                state,
-                state_param,
+                    state_name,
+                    state,
+                    state_param,
                 } = state;
-                let expect_state = state_name
-                    .iter()
-                    .map(|state| format!("failed to fetch state {}", state.to_string()));
                 let state_struct = quote! {
                     struct State<#(#state_param),*> {
                         #(#state_name: #state_param,)*
@@ -336,7 +333,7 @@ impl Step {
                 };
                 let build_struct = quote! {
                     #(
-                        let #state_name = client.fetch(#state, None).await.unwrap().expect(#expect_state);
+                        let #state_name = client.fetch(#state, None).await.unwrap();
                     )*
                     State { #(#state_name),* }
                 };
@@ -489,13 +486,11 @@ mod tests {
                         let alice = client
                             .fetch(AccountStore { account_id: &alice }, None)
                             .await
-                            .unwrap()
-                            .expect("failed to fetch state alice");
+                            .unwrap();
                         let bob = client
                             .fetch(AccountStore { account_id: &bob }, None)
                             .await
-                            .unwrap()
-                            .expect("failed to fetch state bob");
+                            .unwrap();
                         State { alice, bob }
                     };
 
@@ -525,13 +520,11 @@ mod tests {
                         let alice = client
                             .fetch(AccountStore { account_id: &alice }, None)
                             .await
-                            .unwrap()
-                            .expect("failed to fetch state alice");
+                            .unwrap();
                         let bob = client
                             .fetch(AccountStore { account_id: &bob }, None)
                             .await
-                            .unwrap()
-                            .expect("failed to fetch state bob");
+                            .unwrap();
                         State { alice, bob }
                     };
 
diff --git a/proc-macro/tests/balances.rs b/proc-macro/tests/balances.rs
index 6f66e9d13c..a600277c16 100644
--- a/proc-macro/tests/balances.rs
+++ b/proc-macro/tests/balances.rs
@@ -115,8 +115,8 @@ async fn transfer_balance_example() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
     let alice = AccountKeyring::Alice.to_account_id();
     let bob = AccountKeyring::Bob.to_account_id();
 
-    let alice_account = client.account(&alice).await?.unwrap_or_default();
-    let bob_account = client.account(&bob).await?.unwrap_or_default();
+    let alice_account = client.account(&alice).await?;
+    let bob_account = client.account(&bob).await?;
     let pre = (alice_account, bob_account);
 
     let builder = client.xt(AccountKeyring::Alice.pair(), None).await?;
@@ -137,8 +137,8 @@ async fn transfer_balance_example() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
         })
     );
 
-    let alice_account = client.account(&alice).await?.unwrap_or_default();
-    let bob_account = client.account(&bob).await?.unwrap_or_default();
+    let alice_account = client.account(&alice).await?;
+    let bob_account = client.account(&bob).await?;
     let post = (alice_account, bob_account);
 
     assert_eq!(pre.0.free, post.0.free - 10_000);
diff --git a/src/frame/balances.rs b/src/frame/balances.rs
index 41f6738fef..02e41d9342 100644
--- a/src/frame/balances.rs
+++ b/src/frame/balances.rs
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ mod tests {
     async fn test_state_total_issuance() {
         env_logger::try_init().ok();
         let client = test_client().await;
-        let total_issuance = client.total_issuance().await.unwrap().unwrap();
+        let total_issuance = client.total_issuance().await.unwrap();
         assert_ne!(total_issuance, 0);
     }
 
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ mod tests {
         env_logger::try_init().ok();
         let client = test_client().await;
         let account = AccountKeyring::Alice.to_account_id();
-        let info = client.account(&account).await.unwrap().unwrap();
+        let info = client.account(&account).await.unwrap();
         assert_ne!(info.data.free, 0);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/frame/mod.rs b/src/frame/mod.rs
index 3fca355ee9..7244b8c35f 100644
--- a/src/frame/mod.rs
+++ b/src/frame/mod.rs
@@ -47,14 +47,11 @@ pub trait Store<T>: Encode {
     /// Returns the `StorageKey`.
     fn key(&self, metadata: &Metadata) -> Result<StorageKey, MetadataError>;
     /// Returns the default value.
-    fn default(
-        &self,
-        metadata: &Metadata,
-    ) -> Result<Option<Self::Returns>, MetadataError> {
+    fn default(&self, metadata: &Metadata) -> Result<Self::Returns, MetadataError> {
         Ok(metadata
             .module(Self::MODULE)?
             .storage(Self::FIELD)?
-            .default())
+            .default()?)
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 709ba1f8cd..1c6bc8bc5e 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -217,11 +217,11 @@ impl<T: System, S, E> Client<T, S, E> {
         &self,
         store: F,
         hash: Option<T::Hash>,
-    ) -> Result<Option<F::Returns>, Error> {
+    ) -> Result<F::Returns, Error> {
         let key = store.key(&self.metadata)?;
         let value = self.rpc.storage::<F::Returns>(key, hash).await?;
         if let Some(v) = value {
-            Ok(Some(v))
+            Ok(v)
         } else {
             Ok(store.default(&self.metadata)?)
         }
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ where
         account_id: &<T as System>::AccountId,
         call: C,
     ) -> Result<SignedPayload<Encoded, <E as SignedExtra<T>>::Extra>, Error> {
-        let account_nonce = self.account(account_id).await?.unwrap().nonce;
+        let account_nonce = self.account(account_id).await?.nonce;
         let version = self.runtime_version.spec_version;
         let genesis_hash = self.genesis_hash;
         let call = self
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@ where
         let account_id = S::Signer::from(signer.public()).into_account();
         let nonce = match nonce {
             Some(nonce) => nonce,
-            None => self.account(&account_id).await?.unwrap().nonce,
+            None => self.account(&account_id).await?.nonce,
         };
 
         let genesis_hash = self.genesis_hash;
diff --git a/src/metadata.rs b/src/metadata.rs
index ae0b67bf56..80fcbe60aa 100644
--- a/src/metadata.rs
+++ b/src/metadata.rs
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ use std::{
 use codec::{
     Decode,
     Encode,
+    Error as CodecError,
 };
 
 use frame_metadata::{
@@ -63,6 +64,9 @@ pub enum MetadataError {
     /// Storage type does not match requested type.
     #[error("Storage type error")]
     StorageTypeError,
+    /// Default error.
+    #[error("Failed to decode default: {0}")]
+    DefaultError(CodecError),
 }
 
 /// Runtime metadata.
@@ -218,9 +222,9 @@ impl StorageMetadata {
         bytes
     }
 
-    pub fn default<V: Decode>(&self) -> Option<V> {
-        // substrate handles the default different for A => B vs A => Option<B>
-        Decode::decode(&mut &self.default[..]).ok()
+    pub fn default<V: Decode>(&self) -> Result<V, MetadataError> {
+        Decode::decode(&mut &self.default[..])
+            .map_err(|err| MetadataError::DefaultError(err))
     }
 
     pub fn hash(hasher: &StorageHasher, bytes: &[u8]) -> Vec<u8> {