diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 15fd7b53..32d5d00a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 - Changed pattern delimiters (https://github.com/buzz-language/buzz/issues/165)
 - `list.append` does not return the appended value anymore
 - Generic types syntax changed from `myFunction(<K,V>, ...)` to `myFunction::<K,V>(...)`
+- Nullable object fields and nullable variables have a `null` initial value if none is provided
 
 ## Fixed
 
diff --git a/src/parser.zig b/src/parser.zig
index 08096084..d95a75b5 100644
--- a/src/parser.zig
+++ b/src/parser.zig
@@ -2579,8 +2579,15 @@ pub const Parser = struct {
         var value: ?*ParseNode = null;
 
         if (should_assign) {
-            try self.consume(.Equal, "Expected variable initial value");
-            value = try self.expression(false);
+            if (try self.match(.Equal)) {
+                value = try self.expression(false);
+            } else if (parsed_type == null or !parsed_type.?.optional) {
+                self.reporter.reportErrorAt(
+                    .syntax,
+                    self.parser.previous_token.?,
+                    "Expected variable initial value",
+                );
+            }
         }
 
         if (var_type.def_type == .Placeholder and value != null and value.?.type_def != null and value.?.type_def.?.def_type == .Placeholder) {
diff --git a/tests/063-field-null-default.buzz b/tests/063-field-null-default.buzz
deleted file mode 100644
index a7919515..00000000
--- a/tests/063-field-null-default.buzz
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-import "std";
-
-object Person {
-    str name,
-    int? age,
-}
-
-test "Nullable object field have a default value at null" {
-    Person person = Person{
-        name = "Joe"
-    };
-
-    assert(person.age == null, message: "Nullable object field have a default value at null");
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/063-nullable-default.buzz b/tests/063-nullable-default.buzz
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..939ea70e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/063-nullable-default.buzz
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import "std";
+
+object Person {
+    str name,
+    int? age,
+}
+
+test "Nullable object field has a default value at null" {
+    Person person = Person{
+        name = "Joe"
+    };
+
+    assert(person.age == null, message: "Nullable object field has a default value at null");
+}
+
+test "Nullable variable has a default value at null" {
+    str? hello;
+
+    assert(hello == null, message: "Nullable variable has default value at null");
+}
\ No newline at end of file