diff --git a/apps/client/src/widgets/ribbon_widgets/book_properties.ts b/apps/client/src/widgets/ribbon_widgets/book_properties.ts
index c93267715..a81153a48 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/widgets/ribbon_widgets/book_properties.ts
+++ b/apps/client/src/widgets/ribbon_widgets/book_properties.ts
@@ -207,12 +207,13 @@ export default class BookPropertiesWidget extends NoteContextAwareWidget {
                 const $select = $("<select>", {
                     class: "form-select form-select-sm"
                 });
+                const actualValue = note.getLabelValue(property.bindToLabel) ?? property.defaultValue;
                 for (const option of property.options) {
                     const $option = $("<option>", {
                         value: option.value,
                         text: option.label
                     });
-                    if (note.getLabelValue(property.bindToLabel) === option.value) {
+                    if (actualValue === option.value) {
                         $option.prop("selected", true);
                     }
                     $select.append($option);
diff --git a/apps/client/src/widgets/ribbon_widgets/book_properties_config.ts b/apps/client/src/widgets/ribbon_widgets/book_properties_config.ts
index e4a08a128..1daed6a24 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/widgets/ribbon_widgets/book_properties_config.ts
+++ b/apps/client/src/widgets/ribbon_widgets/book_properties_config.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import FNote from "../../entities/fnote";
 import attributes from "../../services/attributes";
 import { ViewTypeOptions } from "../../services/note_list_renderer"
 import NoteContextAwareWidget from "../note_context_aware_widget";
-import { MAP_LAYERS } from "../view_widgets/geo_view/map_layer";
+import { DEFAULT_MAP_LAYER_NAME, MAP_LAYERS } from "../view_widgets/geo_view/map_layer";
 
 interface BookConfig {
     properties: BookProperty[];
@@ -35,6 +35,10 @@ interface ComboBoxProperty {
     type: "combobox",
     label: string;
     bindToLabel: string;
+    /**
+     * The default value is used when the label is not set.
+     */
+    defaultValue?: string;
     options: { value: string; label: string }[];
 }
 
@@ -103,6 +107,7 @@ export const bookPropertiesConfig: Record<ViewTypeOptions, BookConfig> = {
                 label: t("book_properties_config.map-style"),
                 type: "combobox",
                 bindToLabel: "mapStyle",
+                defaultValue: DEFAULT_MAP_LAYER_NAME,
                 options: Object.entries(MAP_LAYERS).map(([id, layer]) => ({
                     value: id,
                     label: layer.name
diff --git a/apps/client/src/widgets/view_widgets/geo_view/index.ts b/apps/client/src/widgets/view_widgets/geo_view/index.ts
index 09b0ca0bf..166c3ec17 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/widgets/view_widgets/geo_view/index.ts
+++ b/apps/client/src/widgets/view_widgets/geo_view/index.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import { CommandListenerData, EventData } from "../../../components/app_context.
 import { createNewNote, moveMarker, setupDragging } from "./editing.js";
 import { openMapContextMenu } from "./context_menu.js";
 import attributes from "../../../services/attributes.js";
-import { MAP_LAYERS } from "./map_layer.js";
+import { DEFAULT_MAP_LAYER_NAME, MAP_LAYERS } from "./map_layer.js";
 
 const TPL = /*html*/`
 <div class="geo-view">
@@ -146,9 +146,9 @@ export default class GeoView extends ViewMode<MapData> {
             worldCopyJump: true
         });
 
-        const layerName = this.parentNote.getLabelValue("mapStyle") ?? "openstreetmap";
+        const layerName = this.parentNote.getLabelValue("mapStyle") ?? DEFAULT_MAP_LAYER_NAME;
         let layer: Layer;
-        const layerData = MAP_LAYERS[layerName] ?? MAP_LAYERS["openstreetmap"];
+        const layerData = MAP_LAYERS[layerName];
 
         if (layerData.type === "vector") {
             const style = (typeof layerData.style === "string" ? layerData.style : await layerData.style());
diff --git a/apps/client/src/widgets/view_widgets/geo_view/map_layer.ts b/apps/client/src/widgets/view_widgets/geo_view/map_layer.ts
index 43a7c0db4..163dadc55 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/widgets/view_widgets/geo_view/map_layer.ts
+++ b/apps/client/src/widgets/view_widgets/geo_view/map_layer.ts
@@ -50,3 +50,4 @@ export const MAP_LAYERS: Record<string, VectorLayer | RasterLayer> = {
     }
 };
 
+export const DEFAULT_MAP_LAYER_NAME: keyof typeof MAP_LAYERS = "versatiles-colorful";