diff --git a/lib/galaxy/tool_util/parameters/convert.py b/lib/galaxy/tool_util/parameters/convert.py
index 88038eb65b6..c940c80ef4b 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/tool_util/parameters/convert.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/tool_util/parameters/convert.py
@@ -383,14 +383,14 @@ def _fill_default_for(tool_state: Dict[str, Any], parameter: ToolParameterT) ->
             if not text_parameter.optional:
                 # restore legacy behavior of allowing empty string implicit default
                 # for these non-optional inputs.
-                tool_state[parameter_name] = ""
+                tool_state[parameter_name] = text_parameter.default_value or ""
             else:
-                tool_state[parameter_name] = None
+                tool_state[parameter_name] = text_parameter.default_value or None
         else:
             # legacy behavior of converting explicit None into implicit null. We should introduce
             # a layer somewhere to deal with this behavior further up the stack and clean up these models.
             if not text_parameter.optional and tool_state[parameter_name] is None:
-                tool_state[parameter_name] = ""
+                tool_state[parameter_name] = text_parameter.default_value or ""
 
 
 def _initialize_section_state(parameter: ToolParameterT, tool_state: Dict[str, Any]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
diff --git a/lib/galaxy/tool_util/parameters/factory.py b/lib/galaxy/tool_util/parameters/factory.py
index 54ea9bb1769..1022fff2035 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/tool_util/parameters/factory.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/tool_util/parameters/factory.py
@@ -119,12 +119,15 @@ def _from_input_source_galaxy(input_source: InputSource, profile: float) -> Tool
             )
         elif param_type == "text":
             optional, optionality_inferred = text_input_is_optional(input_source)
+            implicit_default = None if optional else ""
+            default_value = input_source.get("value", implicit_default)
             text_validators: List[TextCompatiableValidators] = _text_validators(input_source)
             return TextParameterModel(
                 type="text",
                 name=input_source.parse_name(),
                 optional=optional,
                 validators=text_validators,
+                value=default_value,
             )
         elif param_type == "float":
             optional = input_source.parse_optional()
diff --git a/test/functional/tools/parameters/gx_text_default.xml b/test/functional/tools/parameters/gx_text_default.xml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2436346419f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/functional/tools/parameters/gx_text_default.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+<tool id="gx_text_default" name="gx_text_default" version="1.0.0">
+    <command><![CDATA[
+echo '$parameter' >> '$output';
+cat '$inputs' >> $inputs_json;
+    ]]></command>
+    <configfiles>
+        <inputs name="inputs" filename="inputs.json" />
+    </configfiles>
+    <inputs>
+        <param name="parameter" type="text" value="foo" />
+    </inputs>
+    <outputs>
+        <data name="output" format="txt" />
+        <data name="inputs_json" format="json" />
+    </outputs>
+    <tests>
+        <test>
+            <param name="parameter" value="12456" />
+            <output name="output">
+                <assert_contents>
+                    <has_line line="12456" />
+                </assert_contents>
+            </output>
+        </test>
+        <test>
+            <output name="output">
+                <assert_contents>
+                    <has_line line="foo" />
+                </assert_contents>
+            </output>
+        </test>
+    </tests>
+</tool>
diff --git a/test/unit/tool_util/parameter_specification.yml b/test/unit/tool_util/parameter_specification.yml
index 0691b409eb4..e187866e106 100644
--- a/test/unit/tool_util/parameter_specification.yml
+++ b/test/unit/tool_util/parameter_specification.yml
@@ -404,6 +404,67 @@ gx_text_optional_false:
   relaxed_request_invalid:
   - parameter: 5
 
+gx_text_default:
+  request_valid: &gx_text_default_request_valid
+    - parameter: moocow
+    - parameter: 'some spaces'
+    - parameter: ''
+    - {}
+    # these are implicitly null just like gx_text
+    - parameter: null
+  request_invalid: &gx_text_default_request_invalid
+    - parameter: 5
+    - parameter: {}
+    - parameter: { "moo": "cow" }
+    - parameter: {__class__: 'ConnectedValue'}
+  request_internal_valid:
+    *gx_text_default_request_valid
+  request_internal_invalid:
+    *gx_text_default_request_invalid
+  request_internal_dereferenced_valid:
+    *gx_text_default_request_valid
+  request_internal_dereferenced_invalid:
+    *gx_text_default_request_invalid
+  landing_request_valid:
+    *gx_text_default_request_valid
+  landing_request_invalid:
+    *gx_text_default_request_invalid
+  landing_request_internal_valid:
+    *gx_text_default_request_valid
+  landing_request_internal_invalid:
+    *gx_text_default_request_invalid
+  job_internal_valid:
+    - parameter: moocow
+    - parameter: 'some spaces'
+    - parameter: ''
+    - parameter: null
+  job_internal_invalid:
+    - {}
+    - parameter: { "moo": "cow" }
+  workflow_step_valid:
+    - parameter: moocow
+    - parameter: 'some spaces'
+    - parameter: ''
+    - {}
+    - parameter: null
+  workflow_step_invalid:
+    - parameter: 5
+    - parameter: {}
+    - parameter: { "moo": "cow" }
+    - parameter: {__class__: 'ConnectedValue'}
+  workflow_step_linked_valid:
+    - parameter: moocow
+    - parameter: 'some spaces'
+    - parameter: ''
+    - {}
+    - parameter: {__class__: 'ConnectedValue'}
+    - parameter: null
+  workflow_step_linked_invalid:
+    - parameter: 5
+    - parameter: {}
+    - parameter: { "moo": "cow" }
+    - parameter: {"class": 'ConnectedValue'}
+
 gx_text_length_validation: 
   request_valid:
   - parameter: "mytext"