diff --git a/server-rs/crates/api-server/src/editor_project.rs b/server-rs/crates/api-server/src/editor_project.rs
index ecdd3145f..ab2b7ef82 100644
--- a/server-rs/crates/api-server/src/editor_project.rs
+++ b/server-rs/crates/api-server/src/editor_project.rs
@@ -2645,7 +2645,10 @@ pub(crate) async fn enqueue_editor_image_generation_for_owner(
         state,
         caller.owner_user_id.as_str(),
         payload.project_id.clone(),
-        payload.asset_folder_id.clone(),
+        resolve_editor_image_generation_target_folder_id(
+            payload.asset_folder_id.clone(),
+            normalized_kind,
+        ),
     )
     .await?;
     payload.project_id = target.project_id;
@@ -2865,7 +2868,10 @@ where
         state,
         caller.owner_user_id.as_str(),
         payload.project_id.clone(),
-        payload.asset_folder_id.clone(),
+        resolve_editor_image_generation_target_folder_id(
+            payload.asset_folder_id.clone(),
+            normalized_kind,
+        ),
     )
     .await?;
     payload.project_id = target.project_id;
@@ -7240,7 +7246,7 @@ pub(crate) async fn enqueue_editor_ui_design_asset_extraction_for_owner(
         state,
         caller.owner_user_id.as_str(),
         payload.project_id.clone(),
-        payload.asset_folder_id.clone(),
+        resolve_editor_ui_design_asset_extraction_target_folder_id(payload.asset_folder_id.clone()),
     )
     .await?;
     payload.project_id = target.project_id;
@@ -7309,7 +7315,7 @@ pub(crate) async fn extract_editor_ui_design_assets_for_owner(
         state,
         caller.owner_user_id.as_str(),
         payload.project_id.clone(),
-        payload.asset_folder_id.clone(),
+        resolve_editor_ui_design_asset_extraction_target_folder_id(payload.asset_folder_id.clone()),
     )
     .await?;
     payload.project_id = target.project_id;
@@ -10224,6 +10230,22 @@ pub(crate) fn normalize_generated_asset_folder_id(
     }
 }
 
+fn resolve_editor_image_generation_target_folder_id(
+    asset_folder_id: Option<String>,
+    normalized_kind: Option<&str>,
+) -> Option<String> {
+    asset_folder_id.or_else(|| {
+        matches!(normalized_kind, Some("character"))
+            .then(|| EDITOR_ASSET_DEFAULT_FOLDER_ID.to_string())
+    })
+}
+
+fn resolve_editor_ui_design_asset_extraction_target_folder_id(
+    asset_folder_id: Option<String>,
+) -> Option<String> {
+    asset_folder_id.or_else(|| Some(EDITOR_ASSET_DEFAULT_FOLDER_ID.to_string()))
+}
+
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub(crate) struct EditorBillableGenerationTarget {
     pub(crate) project_id: Option<String>,
@@ -20037,6 +20059,56 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(normalize_generated_asset_folder_id(None, "user-1"), None);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn optional_folder_generators_restore_their_project_folder_defaults() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            resolve_editor_image_generation_target_folder_id(None, Some("character")).as_deref(),
+            Some(EDITOR_ASSET_DEFAULT_FOLDER_ID)
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            resolve_editor_image_generation_target_folder_id(None, Some("scene")),
+            None
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            resolve_editor_image_generation_target_folder_id(
+                Some("owner:asset-folder:custom".to_string()),
+                Some("character"),
+            )
+            .as_deref(),
+            Some("owner:asset-folder:custom")
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            resolve_editor_ui_design_asset_extraction_target_folder_id(None).as_deref(),
+            Some(EDITOR_ASSET_DEFAULT_FOLDER_ID)
+        );
+
+        let source = include_str!("editor_project.rs");
+        for (start, end, resolver) in [
+            (
+                "pub(crate) async fn enqueue_editor_image_generation_for_owner",
+                "pub(crate) async fn validate_editor_image_generation_parameters_for_owner",
+                "resolve_editor_image_generation_target_folder_id(",
+            ),
+            (
+                "pub(crate) async fn generate_editor_image_for_owner_with_prompt_builder",
+                "fn editor_image_generation_billing_asset_kind",
+                "resolve_editor_image_generation_target_folder_id(",
+            ),
+            (
+                "pub(crate) async fn enqueue_editor_ui_design_asset_extraction_for_owner",
+                "pub(crate) async fn extract_editor_ui_design_assets_for_owner",
+                "resolve_editor_ui_design_asset_extraction_target_folder_id(",
+            ),
+            (
+                "pub(crate) async fn extract_editor_ui_design_assets_for_owner",
+                "pub(crate) fn editor_project_payload_from_record",
+                "resolve_editor_ui_design_asset_extraction_target_folder_id(",
+            ),
+        ] {
+            assert_function_contains(source, start, end, &[resolver]);
+        }
+    }
+
     fn assert_function_contains(source: &str, start: &str, end: &str, snippets: &[&str]) {
         let start_index = source
             .find(start)