diff --git a/.changeset/forty-dryers-cry.md b/.changeset/forty-dryers-cry.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..618ce567
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/forty-dryers-cry.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@xyflow/react': patch
+---
+
+Fix node fallback to respect custom default node type when unknown node type is encountered
diff --git a/examples/react/src/App/routes.ts b/examples/react/src/App/routes.ts
index 7bbe7890..031f38c6 100644
--- a/examples/react/src/App/routes.ts
+++ b/examples/react/src/App/routes.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import ControlledViewport from '../examples/ControlledViewport';
 import CustomConnectionLine from '../examples/CustomConnectionLine';
 import CustomMiniMapNode from '../examples/CustomMiniMapNode';
 import CustomNode from '../examples/CustomNode';
+import DefaultNodeOverwrite from '../examples/DefaultNodeOverwrite';
 import DefaultNodes from '../examples/DefaultNodes';
 import DragHandle from '../examples/DragHandle';
 import DragNDrop from '../examples/DragNDrop';
@@ -129,6 +130,11 @@ const routes: IRoute[] = [
     path: 'custom-node',
     component: CustomNode,
   },
+  {
+    name: 'Default Node Overwrite',
+    path: 'default-node-overwrite',
+    component: DefaultNodeOverwrite,
+  },
   {
     name: 'Default Nodes',
     path: 'default-nodes',
diff --git a/examples/react/src/examples/DefaultNodeOverwrite/index.tsx b/examples/react/src/examples/DefaultNodeOverwrite/index.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..051f4ad4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/react/src/examples/DefaultNodeOverwrite/index.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+import { ReactFlow, Node, ReactFlowProvider, Background, BackgroundVariant, NodeProps } from '@xyflow/react';
+
+const initialNodes: Node[] = [
+  {
+    id: '1',
+    data: { label: 'Node 1' },
+    position: { x: 250, y: 5 },
+    className: 'light',
+  },
+  {
+    id: '2',
+    data: { label: 'Node 2' },
+    type: 'unregistered',
+    position: { x: 100, y: 100 },
+    className: 'light',
+  },
+];
+
+const CustomNode = (_: NodeProps) => {
+  return <div>Custom node</div>;
+};
+
+const nodeTypes = {
+  default: CustomNode,
+};
+
+const DefaultNodes = () => {
+  return (
+    <ReactFlow defaultNodes={initialNodes} nodeTypes={nodeTypes} fitView>
+      <Background variant={BackgroundVariant.Lines} />
+    </ReactFlow>
+  );
+};
+
+export default function App() {
+  return (
+    <ReactFlowProvider>
+      <DefaultNodes />
+    </ReactFlowProvider>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/packages/react/src/components/NodeWrapper/index.tsx b/packages/react/src/components/NodeWrapper/index.tsx
index dcab1536..bfac2087 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/components/NodeWrapper/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/react/src/components/NodeWrapper/index.tsx
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ export function NodeWrapper<NodeType extends Node>({
   if (NodeComponent === undefined) {
     onError?.('003', errorMessages['error003'](nodeType));
     nodeType = 'default';
-    NodeComponent = builtinNodeTypes.default;
+    NodeComponent = nodeTypes?.['default'] || builtinNodeTypes.default;
   }
 
   const isDraggable = !!(node.draggable || (nodesDraggable && typeof node.draggable === 'undefined'));