diff --git a/include/geode/io/image/detail/vtk_output.hpp b/include/geode/io/image/detail/vtk_output.hpp
index 21a08cf..244cfca 100644
--- a/include/geode/io/image/detail/vtk_output.hpp
+++ b/include/geode/io/image/detail/vtk_output.hpp
@@ -99,6 +99,12 @@ namespace geode
                     {
                         for( const auto i : LRange{ attribute->nb_items() } )
                         {
+                            if( !attribute->has_value( e ) )
+                            {
+                                absl::StrAppend(
+                                    &values, std::nanf( " " ), " " );
+                                continue;
+                            }
                             const auto value =
                                 attribute->generic_item_value( e, i );
                             absl::StrAppend( &values, value, " " );
diff --git a/include/geode/io/mesh/detail/vtk_input.hpp b/include/geode/io/mesh/detail/vtk_input.hpp
index 557aa4c..73be104 100644
--- a/include/geode/io/mesh/detail/vtk_input.hpp
+++ b/include/geode/io/mesh/detail/vtk_input.hpp
@@ -222,9 +222,16 @@ namespace geode
                     "values is not a multiple of number of components" );
                 if( nb_components == 1 )
                 {
+                    AttributeValues< T > default_values;
+                    default_values.default_value = T{};
+                    default_values.no_value = T{};
+                    AttributeProperties properties;
+                    properties.assignable = false;
+                    properties.interpolable = false;
+                    properties.transferable = true;
                     auto attribute_id =
                         manager.create_attribute< VariableAttribute, T >(
-                            name, T{}, geode::AttributeProperties{} );
+                            name, default_values, properties );
                     auto attribute =
                         manager.find_attribute< VariableAttribute, T >(
                             attribute_id );
@@ -372,9 +379,16 @@ namespace geode
                 std::string_view name,
                 index_t offset )
             {
+                AttributeValues< Container > default_values;
+                default_values.default_value = default_value;
+                default_values.no_value = default_value;
+                AttributeProperties properties;
+                properties.assignable = false;
+                properties.interpolable = false;
+                properties.transferable = true;
                 const auto attribute_id =
                     manager.create_attribute< VariableAttribute, Container >(
-                        name, default_value, geode::AttributeProperties{} );
+                        name, default_values, properties );
                 auto attribute =
                     manager.find_attribute< VariableAttribute, Container >(
                         attribute_id );
diff --git a/src/geode/io/mesh/csv_input_helpers.cpp b/src/geode/io/mesh/csv_input_helpers.cpp
index 47ce7e8..40dafae 100644
--- a/src/geode/io/mesh/csv_input_helpers.cpp
+++ b/src/geode/io/mesh/csv_input_helpers.cpp
@@ -154,10 +154,17 @@ namespace geode
                     {
                         continue;
                     }
+                    AttributeValues< double > default_values;
+                    default_values.default_value = value;
+                    default_values.no_value = value;
+                    AttributeProperties properties;
+                    properties.assignable = false;
+                    properties.interpolable = false;
+                    properties.transferable = true;
                     const auto attribute_id =
                         attribute_manager
                             .create_attribute< VariableAttribute, double >(
-                                attribute_name, value, AttributeProperties{} );
+                                attribute_name, default_values, properties );
                     double_attrs[col] =
                         attribute_manager
                             .find_attribute< VariableAttribute, double >(
diff --git a/tests/mesh/test-vti.cpp b/tests/mesh/test-vti.cpp
index 66d83fd..3bf3c00 100644
--- a/tests/mesh/test-vti.cpp
+++ b/tests/mesh/test-vti.cpp
@@ -43,10 +43,17 @@
 
 void put_attributes_on_grid( const geode::Grid3D& grid )
 {
+    geode::AttributeValues< geode::index_t > default_values;
+    default_values.default_value = geode::NO_ID;
+    default_values.no_value = geode::NO_ID;
+    geode::AttributeProperties properties;
+    properties.assignable = false;
+    properties.interpolable = false;
+    properties.transferable = true;
     const auto cell_attribute_id =
         grid.cell_attribute_manager()
             .create_attribute< geode::VariableAttribute, geode::index_t >(
-                "id", geode::NO_ID, geode::AttributeProperties{} );
+                "id", default_values, properties );
     auto att = grid.cell_attribute_manager()
                    .find_attribute< geode::VariableAttribute, geode::index_t >(
                        cell_attribute_id );
@@ -57,7 +64,7 @@ void put_attributes_on_grid( const geode::Grid3D& grid )
     const auto vertex_attribute_id =
         grid.grid_vertex_attribute_manager()
             .create_attribute< geode::VariableAttribute, geode::index_t >(
-                "id_vertex", geode::NO_ID, geode::AttributeProperties{} );
+                "id_vertex", default_values, properties );
     auto att_vertex =
         grid.grid_vertex_attribute_manager()
             .find_attribute< geode::VariableAttribute, geode::index_t >(
diff --git a/tests/model/test-gid.cpp b/tests/model/test-gid.cpp
index b97a0be..668ed8a 100644
--- a/tests/model/test-gid.cpp
+++ b/tests/model/test-gid.cpp
@@ -179,6 +179,13 @@ namespace
         auto brep = geode::load_brep(
             absl::StrCat( geode::DATA_PATH, short_filename, ".og_brep" ) );
         test( brep );
+        geode::AttributeValues< geode::index_t > default_values;
+        default_values.default_value = 1;
+        default_values.no_value = geode::NO_ID;
+        geode::AttributeProperties properties;
+        properties.assignable = false;
+        properties.interpolable = true;
+        properties.transferable = true;
         for( const auto& block : brep.blocks() )
         {
             const auto& mesh = block.mesh();
@@ -186,7 +193,7 @@ namespace
                 mesh.polyhedron_attribute_manager()
                     .create_attribute< geode::ConstantAttribute,
                         geode::index_t >(
-                        "material_number", 1, { false, true, true } );
+                        "material_number", default_values, properties );
         }
         for( const auto& surface : brep.surfaces() )
         {
@@ -195,7 +202,7 @@ namespace
                 mesh.polygon_attribute_manager()
                     .create_attribute< geode::ConstantAttribute,
                         geode::index_t >(
-                        "material_number", 1, { false, true, true } );
+                        "material_number", default_values, properties );
         }
         const auto filename_gid =
             absl::StrCat( short_filename, "_output.gid_msh" );