diff --git a/packages/core/src/server/state/projects.js b/packages/core/src/server/state/projects.js
index 1bdbae8..93fd14e 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/server/state/projects.js
+++ b/packages/core/src/server/state/projects.js
@@ -28,7 +28,10 @@ const projectResources = async (uuid, resourcePaths, latus) => {
       const {encode} = latus.get('%resource-controllers')(path);
       return ({
         ...(await r),
-        [join(uuid, path)]: encode(await readFile(join(process.cwd(), 'projects', uuid, path))),
+        [join(uuid, path)]: await encode(
+          await readFile(join(process.cwd(), 'projects', uuid, path)),
+          latus,
+        ),
       });
     }, {});
 };
diff --git a/packages/entity/src/resource-controllers/entity/index.jsx b/packages/entity/src/resource-controllers/entity/index.jsx
index 7f4419a..4b94d99 100644
--- a/packages/entity/src/resource-controllers/entity/index.jsx
+++ b/packages/entity/src/resource-controllers/entity/index.jsx
@@ -69,6 +69,16 @@ export default class EntityController extends JsonResourceController {
     );
   }
 
+  static decode(encoded, latus) {
+    const {Entity} = latus.get('%resources');
+    return super.decode(Entity.withoutDefaults(encoded));
+  }
+
+  static encode(buffer, latus) {
+    const {Entity} = latus.get('%resources');
+    return Entity.withDefaults(super.encode(buffer));
+  }
+
   static get matcher() {
     return /\.entity\.json$/;
   }
diff --git a/packages/entity/src/resource-controllers/entity/traits/index.jsx b/packages/entity/src/resource-controllers/entity/traits/index.jsx
index 09f8a1f..691cdf6 100644
--- a/packages/entity/src/resource-controllers/entity/traits/index.jsx
+++ b/packages/entity/src/resource-controllers/entity/traits/index.jsx
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import {join} from 'path';
 
-import {Trait as BaseTrait} from '@avocado/traits';
 import {
   PropTypes,
   React,
@@ -65,18 +64,13 @@ const Traits = ({
   );
   const TraitRenderers = latus.get('%trait-renderers');
   const tabPanels = types.map((type) => {
-    const Trait = Traits[type] || BaseTrait;
-    const jsonWithDefaults = {
-      params: Trait.defaultParamsWith(json[type].params || {}),
-      state: Trait.defaultStateWith(json[type].state || {}),
-    };
     const TraitRenderer = TraitRenderers[type]
       ? TraitRenderers[type]
       : NoTraitRenderer;
     return (
       <TabPanel key={type}>
         <TraitRenderer
-          json={jsonWithDefaults}
+          json={json[type]}
           path={join(path, type)}
         />
       </TabPanel>
@@ -122,7 +116,7 @@ const Traits = ({
                 setIsSelecting(false);
                 patch({
                   path: join(path, type),
-                  value: {},
+                  value: Traits[type].withDefaults({}),
                 });
               }}
               types={suggestible}
diff --git a/packages/json/src/server/packets/decorators/action.js b/packages/json/src/server/packets/decorators/action.js
index 0608283..641a9c0 100644
--- a/packages/json/src/server/packets/decorators/action.js
+++ b/packages/json/src/server/packets/decorators/action.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import {patchJsonResource} from '../../../state/json';
 const readFile = promisify(fs.readFile);
 const writeFile = promisify(fs.writeFile);
 
-export default (Action) => class ProjectAction extends Action {
+export default (Action, latus) => class ProjectAction extends Action {
 
   static async respond(packet, socket) {
     const {data: {type, payload}} = packet;
@@ -18,9 +18,10 @@ export default (Action) => class ProjectAction extends Action {
         const {patch, project, uri} = payload;
         const path = join(process.cwd(), 'projects', project, uri);
         const buffer = await readFile(path);
-        const json = JSON.parse(buffer.toString('utf8'));
+        const {decode, encode} = latus.get('%resource-controllers')(uri);
+        const json = encode(buffer, latus);
         applyPatch(json, patch);
-        writeFile(path, JSON.stringify(json, null, 2));
+        writeFile(path, decode(json, latus));
         break;
       }
       default: