diff --git a/src/cascadia/TerminalApp/CascadiaSettings.cpp b/src/cascadia/TerminalApp/CascadiaSettings.cpp
index bca917d848..182ae429b2 100644
--- a/src/cascadia/TerminalApp/CascadiaSettings.cpp
+++ b/src/cascadia/TerminalApp/CascadiaSettings.cpp
@@ -225,9 +225,12 @@ void CascadiaSettings::_ValidateProfilesHaveGuid()
 void CascadiaSettings::_ResolveDefaultProfile()
 {
     const auto unparsedDefaultProfile{ GlobalSettings().UnparsedDefaultProfile() };
-    auto maybeParsedDefaultProfile{ _GetProfileGuidByName(unparsedDefaultProfile) };
-    auto defaultProfileGuid{ til::coalesce_value(maybeParsedDefaultProfile, GUID{}) };
-    GlobalSettings().DefaultProfile(defaultProfileGuid);
+    if (unparsedDefaultProfile)
+    {
+        auto maybeParsedDefaultProfile{ _GetProfileGuidByName(*unparsedDefaultProfile) };
+        auto defaultProfileGuid{ til::coalesce_value(maybeParsedDefaultProfile, GUID{}) };
+        GlobalSettings().DefaultProfile(defaultProfileGuid);
+    }
 }
 
 // Method Description:
diff --git a/src/cascadia/TerminalApp/CascadiaSettingsSerialization.cpp b/src/cascadia/TerminalApp/CascadiaSettingsSerialization.cpp
index 1a8f2b6e71..85b51bf549 100644
--- a/src/cascadia/TerminalApp/CascadiaSettingsSerialization.cpp
+++ b/src/cascadia/TerminalApp/CascadiaSettingsSerialization.cpp
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ std::unique_ptr<CascadiaSettings> CascadiaSettings::LoadAll()
     // GH 3588, we need this below to know if the user chose something that wasn't our default.
     // Collect it up here in case it gets modified by any of the other layers between now and when
     // the user's preferences are loaded and layered.
-    const auto hardcodedDefaultGuid = resultPtr->GlobalSettings().UnparsedDefaultProfile();
+    const auto hardcodedDefaultGuid = resultPtr->GlobalSettings().DefaultProfile();
 
     std::optional<std::string> fileData = _ReadUserSettings();
     const bool foundFile = fileData.has_value();
@@ -141,12 +141,11 @@ std::unique_ptr<CascadiaSettings> CascadiaSettings::LoadAll()
     // is a lot of computation we can skip if no one cares.
     if (TraceLoggingProviderEnabled(g_hTerminalAppProvider, 0, MICROSOFT_KEYWORD_MEASURES))
     {
-        const auto hardcodedDefaultGuidAsGuid = Utils::GuidFromString(hardcodedDefaultGuid);
         const auto guid = resultPtr->GlobalSettings().DefaultProfile();
 
         // Compare to the defaults.json one that we set on install.
         // If it's different, log what the user chose.
-        if (hardcodedDefaultGuidAsGuid != guid)
+        if (hardcodedDefaultGuid != guid)
         {
             TraceLoggingWrite(
                 g_hTerminalAppProvider, // handle to TerminalApp tracelogging provider
@@ -229,6 +228,7 @@ std::unique_ptr<CascadiaSettings> CascadiaSettings::LoadDefaults()
     // them from a file (and the potential that could fail)
     resultPtr->_ParseJsonString(DefaultJson, true);
     resultPtr->LayerJson(resultPtr->_defaultSettings);
+    resultPtr->_ResolveDefaultProfile();
 
     return resultPtr;
 }
diff --git a/src/cascadia/TerminalApp/GlobalAppSettings.cpp b/src/cascadia/TerminalApp/GlobalAppSettings.cpp
index 00ce2cc331..afeca688c6 100644
--- a/src/cascadia/TerminalApp/GlobalAppSettings.cpp
+++ b/src/cascadia/TerminalApp/GlobalAppSettings.cpp
@@ -89,9 +89,9 @@ GUID GlobalAppSettings::DefaultProfile() const
     return _defaultProfile;
 }
 
-std::wstring GlobalAppSettings::UnparsedDefaultProfile() const
+std::optional<std::wstring> GlobalAppSettings::UnparsedDefaultProfile() const
 {
-    return _unparsedDefaultProfile.value();
+    return _unparsedDefaultProfile;
 }
 
 AppKeyBindings GlobalAppSettings::GetKeybindings() const noexcept
diff --git a/src/cascadia/TerminalApp/GlobalAppSettings.h b/src/cascadia/TerminalApp/GlobalAppSettings.h
index 7822210671..ba51109fa0 100644
--- a/src/cascadia/TerminalApp/GlobalAppSettings.h
+++ b/src/cascadia/TerminalApp/GlobalAppSettings.h
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ public:
     // by higher layers in the app.
     void DefaultProfile(const GUID defaultProfile) noexcept;
     GUID DefaultProfile() const;
-    std::wstring UnparsedDefaultProfile() const;
+    std::optional<std::wstring> UnparsedDefaultProfile() const;
 
     GETSET_PROPERTY(int32_t, InitialRows); // default value set in constructor
     GETSET_PROPERTY(int32_t, InitialCols); // default value set in constructor