diff --git a/src/utils.jl b/src/utils.jl
index dc239e34c1..4ee221e14f 100644
--- a/src/utils.jl
+++ b/src/utils.jl
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ function iv_from_nested_derivative(x, op = Differential)
 end
 
 hasdefault(v) = hasmetadata(v, Symbolics.VariableDefaultValue)
-getdefault(v) = value(getmetadata(v, Symbolics.VariableDefaultValue))
+getdefault(v) = value(Symbolics.getdefaultval(v))
 function getdefaulttype(v)
     def = value(getmetadata(unwrap(v), Symbolics.VariableDefaultValue, nothing))
     def === nothing ? Float64 : typeof(def)
diff --git a/test/model_parsing.jl b/test/model_parsing.jl
index d8665190c8..7ca5618786 100644
--- a/test/model_parsing.jl
+++ b/test/model_parsing.jl
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ end
     @test getdefault(model.cval) == 1
     @test isequal(getdefault(model.c), model.cval + model.jval)
     @test getdefault(model.d) == 2
-    @test_throws KeyError getdefault(model.e)
+    @test_throws ErrorException getdefault(model.e)
     @test getdefault(model.f) == 3
     @test getdefault(model.i) == 4
     @test all(getdefault.(scalarize(model.b2)) .== [1, 3])
diff --git a/test/variable_parsing.jl b/test/variable_parsing.jl
index 14c6ca543e..1a5b0ed221 100644
--- a/test/variable_parsing.jl
+++ b/test/variable_parsing.jl
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ end
     y = 2, [connect = Flow]
 end
 
+@test_throws ErrorException ModelingToolkit.getdefault(x)
 @test !hasmetadata(x, VariableDefaultValue)
 @test getmetadata(x, VariableConnectType) == Flow
 @test getmetadata(x, VariableUnit) == u
@@ -111,9 +112,10 @@ end
 @test getmetadata(y, VariableConnectType) == Flow
 
 a = rename(value(x), :a)
-@test !hasmetadata(x, VariableDefaultValue)
-@test getmetadata(x, VariableConnectType) == Flow
-@test getmetadata(x, VariableUnit) == u
+@test_throws ErrorException ModelingToolkit.getdefault(a)
+@test !hasmetadata(a, VariableDefaultValue)
+@test getmetadata(a, VariableConnectType) == Flow
+@test getmetadata(a, VariableUnit) == u
 
 @variables t x(t)=1 [connect = Flow, unit = u]