diff --git a/packages/utils/src/schema/getDefaultFormState.ts b/packages/utils/src/schema/getDefaultFormState.ts
index 8dae266b89..2e209ff92d 100644
--- a/packages/utils/src/schema/getDefaultFormState.ts
+++ b/packages/utils/src/schema/getDefaultFormState.ts
@@ -180,7 +180,13 @@ export function computeDefaults<T = any>(
             get(formData, [key]),
             includeUndefinedValues
           );
-          if (includeUndefinedValues || computedDefault !== undefined) {
+          if (typeof computedDefault === "object") {
+            // Store computedDefault if it's a non-empty object (e.g. not {})
+            if (includeUndefinedValues && !isEmpty(computedDefault)) {
+              acc[key] = computedDefault;
+            }
+          } else if (computedDefault !== undefined) {
+            // Store computedDefault if it's a defined primitive (e.g. true)
             acc[key] = computedDefault;
           }
           return acc;
diff --git a/packages/validator-ajv6/src/validator.ts b/packages/validator-ajv6/src/validator.ts
index c74d9d1f34..60d9f6c034 100644
--- a/packages/validator-ajv6/src/validator.ts
+++ b/packages/validator-ajv6/src/validator.ts
@@ -234,19 +234,9 @@ export default class AJV6Validator<T = any> implements ValidatorType<T> {
     customValidate?: CustomValidator<T>,
     transformErrors?: ErrorTransformer
   ): ValidationData<T> {
-    // Include form data with undefined values, which is required for validation.
-    const rootSchema = schema;
-    const newFormData = getDefaultFormState<T>(
-      this,
-      schema,
-      formData,
-      rootSchema,
-      true
-    ) as T;
-
     let validationError: Error | null = null;
     try {
-      this.ajv.validate(schema, newFormData);
+      this.ajv.validate(schema, formData);
     } catch (err) {
       validationError = err as Error;
     }
@@ -286,6 +276,16 @@ export default class AJV6Validator<T = any> implements ValidatorType<T> {
       return { errors, errorSchema };
     }
 
+    // Include form data with undefined values, which is required for custom validation.
+    const rootSchema = schema;
+    const newFormData = getDefaultFormState<T>(
+      this,
+      schema,
+      formData,
+      rootSchema,
+      true
+    ) as T;
+
     const errorHandler = customValidate(
       newFormData,
       this.createErrorHandler(newFormData)