diff --git a/app/features/plus-voting/PlusVotingRepository.server.test.ts b/app/features/plus-voting/PlusVotingRepository.server.test.ts
index f9acb4e56..c94ab48ad 100644
--- a/app/features/plus-voting/PlusVotingRepository.server.test.ts
+++ b/app/features/plus-voting/PlusVotingRepository.server.test.ts
@@ -59,8 +59,11 @@ describe("PlusVotingRepository.findAllUsersForVoting", () => {
 		expect(bio).toBeNull();
 	});
 
-	test("returns no bio for an empty bio widget", async () => {
-		const bio = await bioOf([{ id: "bio", settings: { bio: "" } }]);
+	test.each([
+		{ why: "unset", value: null },
+		{ why: "empty string", value: "" },
+	])("returns no bio for a bio widget with an $why bio", async ({ value }) => {
+		const bio = await bioOf([{ id: "bio", settings: { bio: value } }]);
 
 		expect(bio).toBeNull();
 	});
diff --git a/app/features/user-page/core/widgets/portfolio.ts b/app/features/user-page/core/widgets/portfolio.ts
index d15d63a3f..973573d50 100644
--- a/app/features/user-page/core/widgets/portfolio.ts
+++ b/app/features/user-page/core/widgets/portfolio.ts
@@ -28,14 +28,14 @@ export const ALL_WIDGETS = {
 			id: "bio",
 			slot: "main",
 			schema: bioSchema,
-			defaultSettings: { bio: "" },
+			defaultSettings: { bio: null },
 		}),
 		defineWidget({
 			id: "bio-md",
 			slot: "main",
 			supporterOnly: true,
 			schema: bioMdSchema,
-			defaultSettings: { bio: "" },
+			defaultSettings: { bio: null },
 		}),
 		defineWidget({ id: "organizations", slot: "side", navItem: "medal" }),
 		defineWidget({ id: "patron-since", slot: "side", supporterOnly: true }),
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ export const DEFAULT_WIDGETS: StoredWidget[] = [
 	{ id: "weapon-pool" },
 	{ id: "x-rank-peaks", settings: { division: "both" } },
 	{ id: "badges-owned", settings: { favoriteBadgeIds: [] } },
-	{ id: "bio", settings: { bio: "" } },
+	{ id: "bio", settings: { bio: null } },
 	{ id: "teams" },
 	{
 		id: "sens",
diff --git a/app/features/user-page/core/widgets/widget-form-schemas.ts b/app/features/user-page/core/widgets/widget-form-schemas.ts
index cb01aeb22..b3d0803bd 100644
--- a/app/features/user-page/core/widgets/widget-form-schemas.ts
+++ b/app/features/user-page/core/widgets/widget-form-schemas.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import {
 	select,
 	selectDynamic,
 	stageSelect,
-	textArea,
+	textAreaOptional,
 	textField,
 	weaponSelect,
 } from "~/form/fields";
@@ -21,14 +21,14 @@ import { GAME_BADGE_IDS } from "~/modules/in-game-lists/game-badge-ids";
 import { USER } from "../../user-page-constants";
 
 export const bioSchema = v.object({
-	bio: textArea({
+	bio: textAreaOptional({
 		label: "labels.bio",
 		maxLength: USER.BIO_MAX_LENGTH,
 	}),
 });
 
 export const bioMdSchema = v.object({
-	bio: textArea({
+	bio: textAreaOptional({
 		label: "labels.bio",
 		bottomText: "bottomTexts.bioMarkdown",
 		maxLength: USER.BIO_MD_MAX_LENGTH,
diff --git a/app/features/user-page/user-page-schemas.test.ts b/app/features/user-page/user-page-schemas.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..202657640
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/features/user-page/user-page-schemas.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+import * as v from "valibot";
+import { describe, expect, test } from "vitest";
+import { DEFAULT_WIDGETS } from "./core/widgets/portfolio";
+import { widgetsEditSchema } from "./user-page-schemas";
+
+describe("widgetsEditSchema", () => {
+	test("accepts the default layout saved without changes", () => {
+		const result = v.safeParse(widgetsEditSchema(false), {
+			widgets: JSON.stringify(DEFAULT_WIDGETS),
+		});
+
+		expect(result.success).toBe(true);
+	});
+});
diff --git a/e2e/pages/user/user-edit-widgets-page.ts b/e2e/pages/user/user-edit-widgets-page.ts
index 0dbe4a748..d4dc702b9 100644
--- a/e2e/pages/user/user-edit-widgets-page.ts
+++ b/e2e/pages/user/user-edit-widgets-page.ts
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ export class UserEditWidgetsPage {
 		await this.locators.badgesSelector.selectOption(String(badgeId));
 	}
 
-	/** Fills the bio widget's settings, expanded right after adding it. */
+	/** Fills the bio widget's settings, expanded after adding it or opening them. */
 	async fillBio(text: string) {
 		await this.page.getByLabel("Bio").fill(text);
 	}
diff --git a/e2e/user-page.spec.ts b/e2e/user-page.spec.ts
index 66498c9db..2ca692097 100644
--- a/e2e/user-page.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e/user-page.spec.ts
@@ -70,8 +70,6 @@ test.describe("User page", () => {
 		const editWidgets = new UserEditWidgetsPage(page);
 		await editWidgets.goto(NZAP_TEST_DISCORD_ID);
 
-		// the default layout's bio widget is empty, and an empty bio blocks saving
-		await editWidgets.removeWidget("bio");
 		await editWidgets.openWidgetSettings("badges-owned");
 		await editWidgets.selectFavoriteBadge(firstBadge.id);
 		await editWidgets.save();
@@ -100,7 +98,6 @@ test.describe("User page", () => {
 		const editWidgets = new UserEditWidgetsPage(page);
 		await editWidgets.goto(ADMIN_DISCORD_ID);
 
-		await editWidgets.removeWidget("bio");
 		await editWidgets.openWidgetSettings("badges-owned");
 		await editWidgets.selectFavoriteBadge(badges[0].id);
 		await expect(editWidgets.locators.badgeDisplay).toBeVisible();
@@ -313,8 +310,7 @@ test.describe("User page", () => {
 
 		const editWidgets = await userPage.openEditWidgets();
 		// the default layout is what an untouched profile starts editing from
-		await editWidgets.removeWidget("bio");
-		await editWidgets.addWidget("bio");
+		await editWidgets.openWidgetSettings("bio");
 		await editWidgets.fillBio("Reformed Hydra main");
 		await editWidgets.save();
 
diff --git a/migrations/20260905110355-default-profile-widgets.ts b/migrations/20260905110355-default-profile-widgets.ts
index cea373b93..d066c2e82 100644
--- a/migrations/20260905110355-default-profile-widgets.ts
+++ b/migrations/20260905110355-default-profile-widgets.ts
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ export async function up(db: Kysely<any>): Promise<void> {
 		select
 			"eligible"."id",
 			3,
-			json_object('id', 'bio', 'settings', json_object('bio', coalesce("eligible"."bio", '')))
+			json_object('id', 'bio', 'settings', json_object('bio', "eligible"."bio"))
 		from "eligible"
 		union all
 		select