diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/row.spec.ts b/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/row.spec.ts
index b86ec38d08..6490b4770a 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/row.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/row.spec.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import {
   InternalTable,
   tenancy,
   features,
+  utils,
 } from "@budibase/backend-core"
 import { quotas } from "@budibase/pro"
 import {
@@ -757,6 +758,37 @@ describe.each([
         })
       })
 
+      describe("user column", () => {
+        beforeAll(async () => {
+          table = await config.api.table.save(
+            saveTableRequest({
+              schema: {
+                user: {
+                  name: "user",
+                  type: FieldType.BB_REFERENCE_SINGLE,
+                  subtype: BBReferenceFieldSubType.USER,
+                  default: "{{ [Current User]._id }}",
+                },
+              },
+            })
+          )
+        })
+
+        it("creates a new row with a default value successfully", async () => {
+          const row = await config.api.row.save(table._id!, {})
+          expect(row.user._id).toEqual(config.getUser()._id)
+        })
+
+        it("does not use default value if value specified", async () => {
+          const id = `us_${utils.newid()}`
+          await config.createUser({ _id: id })
+          const row = await config.api.row.save(table._id!, {
+            user: id,
+          })
+          expect(row.user._id).toEqual(id)
+        })
+      })
+
       describe("bindings", () => {
         describe("string column", () => {
           beforeAll(async () => {
diff --git a/packages/shared-core/src/table.ts b/packages/shared-core/src/table.ts
index 57f6854604..677b1e2357 100644
--- a/packages/shared-core/src/table.ts
+++ b/packages/shared-core/src/table.ts
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ const allowDefaultColumnByType: Record<FieldType, boolean> = {
   [FieldType.SIGNATURE_SINGLE]: false,
   [FieldType.LINK]: false,
   [FieldType.BB_REFERENCE]: false,
-  [FieldType.BB_REFERENCE_SINGLE]: false,
+  [FieldType.BB_REFERENCE_SINGLE]: true,
 }
 
 export function canBeDisplayColumn(type: FieldType): boolean {
diff --git a/packages/types/src/documents/app/table/schema.ts b/packages/types/src/documents/app/table/schema.ts
index f9d1a4c012..f5bb081fd5 100644
--- a/packages/types/src/documents/app/table/schema.ts
+++ b/packages/types/src/documents/app/table/schema.ts
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ export interface BBReferenceSingleFieldMetadata
   extends Omit<BaseFieldSchema, "subtype"> {
   type: FieldType.BB_REFERENCE_SINGLE
   subtype: Exclude<BBReferenceFieldSubType, BBReferenceFieldSubType.USERS>
+  default?: string
 }
 
 export interface AttachmentFieldMetadata extends BaseFieldSchema {