diff --git a/src/Pact/Bench.hs b/src/Pact/Bench.hs
index a02bf74ea..79c908b3a 100644
--- a/src/Pact/Bench.hs
+++ b/src/Pact/Bench.hs
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ main :: IO ()
 main = do
   -- uncomment below to see if "-N" is working, important for file perf log
   -- print =<< getNumCapabilities
-  !fperf <- if doPerf /= None then mkFilePerf "pact-bench-perf" else def
+  !fperf <- if doPerf /= None then mkFilePerf "pact-bench-perf" else pure def
   let !dbPerf = if doPerf == Db || doPerf == All then fperf else def
       !interpPerf = if doPerf == Interp || doPerf == All then fperf else def
   !pub <- eitherDie "pub" $ parseB16TextOnly pk
diff --git a/src/Pact/Runtime/Utils.hs b/src/Pact/Runtime/Utils.hs
index 759efc5d7..66ac83579 100644
--- a/src/Pact/Runtime/Utils.hs
+++ b/src/Pact/Runtime/Utils.hs
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ stripTermInfo = stripTerm' stripNameInfo
   stripArgInfo f (Arg an argtyp _info) =
     Arg an (stripTypeInfo f argtyp) def
   stripMetaInfo (Meta docs model) =
-    Meta docs (fmap def <$> model)
+    Meta docs (fmap (const def) <$> model)
   stripAppInfo f (App af args _info) =
     App (stripTerm' f af) (stripTerm' f <$> args) def
   stripStepInfo f = \case
diff --git a/src/Pact/Types/Capability.hs b/src/Pact/Types/Capability.hs
index 82b751f46..42f8d24c9 100644
--- a/src/Pact/Types/Capability.hs
+++ b/src/Pact/Types/Capability.hs
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ module Pact.Types.Capability
   , UserManagedCap(..), umcManagedValue, umcManageParamIndex, umcManageParamName, umcMgrFun
   , AutoManagedCap(..), amcActive
   , decomposeManaged, decomposeManaged', matchManaged
-  , Capabilities(..), capStack, capManaged, capModuleAdmin, capAutonomous
+  , Capabilities(..), capStack, capManaged, capModuleAdmin, capAutonomous, emptyCapabilities
   , CapScope(..)
   , CapSlot(..), csCap, csComposed, csScope
   ) where
@@ -191,9 +191,12 @@ data Capabilities = Capabilities
   }
   deriving (Eq,Show,Generic)
 
-instance Default Capabilities where def = Capabilities [] mempty mempty mempty
+instance Default Capabilities where def = emptyCapabilities
 instance NFData Capabilities
 
+emptyCapabilities :: Capabilities
+emptyCapabilities = Capabilities mempty mempty mempty mempty
+
 makeLenses ''ManagedCapability
 makeLenses ''Capabilities
 makeLenses ''CapSlot
diff --git a/src/Pact/Types/ChainMeta.hs b/src/Pact/Types/ChainMeta.hs
index 9c657b3a0..8d65a1216 100644
--- a/src/Pact/Types/ChainMeta.hs
+++ b/src/Pact/Types/ChainMeta.hs
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ module Pact.Types.ChainMeta
   , pmAddress, pmChainId, pmSender, pmGasLimit, pmGasPrice, pmTTL, pmCreationTime
   , pdPublicMeta, pdBlockHeight, pdBlockTime, pdPrevBlockHash
   , getCurrentCreationTime
+  , noPublicMeta
+  , noPublicData
   ) where
 
 
@@ -149,7 +151,10 @@ data PublicMeta = PublicMeta
   } deriving (Eq, Show, Generic)
 makeLenses ''PublicMeta
 
-instance Default PublicMeta where def = PublicMeta "" "" 0 0 0 0
+instance Default PublicMeta where def = noPublicMeta
+
+noPublicMeta :: PublicMeta
+noPublicMeta = PublicMeta "" mempty 0 0 0 0
 
 instance Arbitrary PublicMeta where
   arbitrary = PublicMeta
@@ -224,7 +229,10 @@ instance J.Encode PublicData where
   {-# INLINABLE build #-}
 
 instance FromJSON PublicData where parseJSON = lensyParseJSON 3
-instance Default PublicData where def = PublicData def def def def
+instance Default PublicData where def = noPublicData
+
+noPublicData :: PublicData
+noPublicData = PublicData noPublicMeta 0 0 mempty
 
 instance Arbitrary PublicData where
   arbitrary = PublicData
diff --git a/src/Pact/Types/Info.hs b/src/Pact/Types/Info.hs
index 97b43d808..2ea79fca3 100644
--- a/src/Pact/Types/Info.hs
+++ b/src/Pact/Types/Info.hs
@@ -20,12 +20,14 @@
 module Pact.Types.Info
  (
    Parsed(..),
+   noParsed,
    Code(..),
    Info(..),
    mkInfo,
    renderInfo,
    renderParsed,
-   HasInfo(..)
+   HasInfo(..),
+   noInfo
    ) where
 
 
@@ -81,9 +83,11 @@ instance Arbitrary Parsed where
         -- The parser always assumes that the last to numbers are zero
         , Directed <$> genFilename <*> genPositiveInt64 <*> genPositiveInt64 <*> pure 0 <*> pure 0 ]
 instance NFData Parsed
-instance Default Parsed where def = Parsed mempty 0
+instance Default Parsed where def = noParsed
 instance Pretty Parsed where pretty = pretty . _pDelta
 
+noParsed :: Parsed
+noParsed = Parsed mempty 0
 
 newtype Code = Code { _unCode :: Text }
   deriving (Eq,Ord,Generic)
@@ -110,7 +114,10 @@ instance Show Info where
     show (Info Nothing) = ""
     show (Info (Just (r,_d))) = renderCompactString r
 
-instance Default Info where def = Info Nothing
+instance Default Info where def = noInfo
+
+noInfo :: Info
+noInfo = Info Nothing
 
 -- | Charge zero for Info to avoid quadratic blowup (i.e. for modules)
 instance SizeOf Info where
diff --git a/src/Pact/Types/Runtime.hs b/src/Pact/Types/Runtime.hs
index 90f3f172e..dd024768e 100644
--- a/src/Pact/Types/Runtime.hs
+++ b/src/Pact/Types/Runtime.hs
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@ module Pact.Types.Runtime
    eeAdvice, eeWarnings, eeSigCapBypass,
    toPactId,
    Purity(..),
-   RefState(..),rsLoaded,rsLoadedModules,rsNamespace,rsQualifiedDeps,
-   EvalState(..),evalRefs,evalCallStack,evalPactExec,
+   RefState(..),rsLoaded,rsLoadedModules,rsNamespace,rsQualifiedDeps,emptyRefState,
+   EvalState(..),evalRefs,evalCallStack,evalPactExec,emptyEvalState,
    evalCapabilities,evalLogGas,evalEvents,evalUserCapabilitiesBeingEvaluated,
    Eval(..),runEval,runEval',catchesPactError,
    call,method,
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ module Pact.Types.Runtime
    NamespacePolicy(..),
    permissiveNamespacePolicy,
    ExecutionConfig(..),ExecutionFlag(..),ecFlags,isExecutionFlagSet,flagRep,flagReps,
-   mkExecutionConfig,
+   mkExecutionConfig,emptyExecutionConfig,
    ifExecutionFlagSet,ifExecutionFlagSet',
    whenExecutionFlagSet, unlessExecutionFlagSet,
    emitPactWarning,
@@ -242,10 +242,13 @@ newtype ExecutionConfig = ExecutionConfig
   deriving (FromJSON)
 
 makeLenses ''ExecutionConfig
-instance Default ExecutionConfig where def = ExecutionConfig def
+instance Default ExecutionConfig where def = emptyExecutionConfig
 instance Pretty ExecutionConfig where
   pretty = pretty . S.toList . _ecFlags
 
+emptyExecutionConfig :: ExecutionConfig
+emptyExecutionConfig = ExecutionConfig mempty
+
 instance Arbitrary ExecutionConfig where
   arbitrary = ExecutionConfig <$> arbitrary
 
@@ -323,7 +326,10 @@ data RefState = RefState {
 
 makeLenses ''RefState
 instance NFData RefState
-instance Default RefState where def = RefState HM.empty HM.empty Nothing HM.empty
+instance Default RefState where def = emptyRefState
+
+emptyRefState :: RefState
+emptyRefState = RefState mempty mempty Nothing mempty
 
 data PactEvent = PactEvent
   { _eventName :: !Text
@@ -373,7 +379,10 @@ data EvalState = EvalState {
     } deriving (Show, Generic)
 makeLenses ''EvalState
 instance NFData EvalState
-instance Default EvalState where def = EvalState def def def def def def def
+instance Default EvalState where def = emptyEvalState
+
+emptyEvalState :: EvalState
+emptyEvalState = EvalState emptyRefState mempty Nothing emptyCapabilities mempty mempty mempty
 
 -- | Interpreter monad, parameterized over back-end MVar state type.
 newtype Eval e a =