diff --git a/checker-qual/src/main/java/org/checkerframework/framework/qual/TypeUseLocation.java b/checker-qual/src/main/java/org/checkerframework/framework/qual/TypeUseLocation.java
index 22809919f57..c01716408a2 100644
--- a/checker-qual/src/main/java/org/checkerframework/framework/qual/TypeUseLocation.java
+++ b/checker-qual/src/main/java/org/checkerframework/framework/qual/TypeUseLocation.java
@@ -18,6 +18,12 @@
  */
 public enum TypeUseLocation {
 
+    /**
+     * Apply default annotations to unannotated top-level types of class, interfaces, enums and
+     * record *
+     */
+    TYPE,
+
     /** Apply default annotations to unannotated top-level types of fields. */
     FIELD,
 
diff --git a/framework/src/main/java/org/checkerframework/framework/type/AnnotatedTypeFactory.java b/framework/src/main/java/org/checkerframework/framework/type/AnnotatedTypeFactory.java
index 530b178c177..b0dd326981b 100644
--- a/framework/src/main/java/org/checkerframework/framework/type/AnnotatedTypeFactory.java
+++ b/framework/src/main/java/org/checkerframework/framework/type/AnnotatedTypeFactory.java
@@ -752,6 +752,11 @@ public AnnotatedTypeFactory(BaseTypeChecker checker) {
         mergeStubsWithSource = checker.hasOption("mergeStubsWithSource");
     }
 
+    /** Get the element cache. */
+    public Map<Element, AnnotatedTypeMirror> getElementCache() {
+        return elementCache;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Parse a string in the format {@code
      * FQN.canonical.Qualifier:FQN.alias1.Qual1,FQN.alias2.Qual2} to a pair of {@code
diff --git a/framework/src/main/java/org/checkerframework/framework/util/defaults/QualifierDefaults.java b/framework/src/main/java/org/checkerframework/framework/util/defaults/QualifierDefaults.java
index a7b7c149fe8..5cfaf8efbeb 100644
--- a/framework/src/main/java/org/checkerframework/framework/util/defaults/QualifierDefaults.java
+++ b/framework/src/main/java/org/checkerframework/framework/util/defaults/QualifierDefaults.java
@@ -1010,6 +1010,24 @@ public Void scan(@FindDistinct AnnotatedTypeMirror t, AnnotationMirror qual) {
             // Some defaults only apply to the top level type.
             boolean isTopLevelType = t == outer.type;
             switch (outer.location) {
+                case TYPE:
+                    if (outer.scope != null && outer.scope.getKind().isClass() && isTopLevelType) {
+                        AnnotationMirror annotation =
+                                outer.qualHierarchy.findAnnotationInHierarchy(
+                                        atypeFactory
+                                                .getElementCache()
+                                                .get(outer.scope)
+                                                .getAnnotations(),
+                                        qual);
+                        if (annotation == null
+                                || outer.qualHierarchy.isSubtypeQualifiersOnly(qual, annotation)) {
+                            outer.addAnnotation(t, qual);
+                            atypeFactory.getElementCache().put(outer.scope, t);
+                        } else {
+                            // should report error;
+                        }
+                    }
+                    break;
                 case FIELD:
                     if (outer.scope != null
                             && outer.scope.getKind() == ElementKind.FIELD
diff --git a/framework/tests/viewpointtest/DefaultQualifierTest.java b/framework/tests/viewpointtest/DefaultQualifierTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f6b7e3d229e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/framework/tests/viewpointtest/DefaultQualifierTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+import org.checkerframework.framework.qual.DefaultQualifier;
+import org.checkerframework.framework.qual.TypeUseLocation;
+
+import viewpointtest.quals.*;
+
+@DefaultQualifier(
+        value = A.class,
+        locations = {TypeUseLocation.TYPE})
+public class DefaultQualifierTest {
+    // :: error: (type.invalid.annotations.on.use) :: error: (super.invocation.invalid) :: warning:
+    // (inconsistent.constructor.type)
+    @B DefaultQualifierTest() {}
+}