diff --git a/src/domain/metadata/usecases/MetadataSyncUseCase.ts b/src/domain/metadata/usecases/MetadataSyncUseCase.ts
index 2c08376ad..184f3605f 100644
--- a/src/domain/metadata/usecases/MetadataSyncUseCase.ts
+++ b/src/domain/metadata/usecases/MetadataSyncUseCase.ts
@@ -5,11 +5,12 @@ import { ExportBuilder } from "../../../types/synchronization";
 import { promiseMap } from "../../../utils/common";
 import { debug } from "../../../utils/debug";
 import { Ref } from "../../common/entities/Ref";
+import { Id } from "../../common/entities/Schemas";
 import { Instance } from "../../instance/entities/Instance";
 import { MappingMapper } from "../../mapping/helpers/MappingMapper";
 import { SynchronizationResult } from "../../reports/entities/SynchronizationResult";
 import { GenericSyncUseCase } from "../../synchronization/usecases/GenericSyncUseCase";
-import { Document, MetadataEntities, MetadataPackage, Program } from "../entities/MetadataEntities";
+import { DataElement, Document, MetadataEntities, MetadataPackage, Program } from "../entities/MetadataEntities";
 import { NestedRules } from "../entities/MetadataExcludeIncludeRules";
 import { buildNestedRules, cleanObject, cleanReferences, getAllReferences } from "../utils";
 
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ export class MetadataSyncUseCase extends GenericSyncUseCase {
             const metadataRepository = await this.getMetadataRepository();
             const syncMetadata = await metadataRepository.getMetadataByIds(ids);
             const elements = syncMetadata[collectionName] || [];
+            const defaultIds = await metadataRepository.getDefaultIds();
 
             for (const element of elements) {
                 //ProgramRules is not included in programs items in the response by the dhis2 API
@@ -48,11 +50,16 @@ export class MetadataSyncUseCase extends GenericSyncUseCase {
                 const fixedElement =
                     type === "programs" ? await this.requestAndIncludeProgramRules(element as Program) : element;
 
+                const elementWithoutDefaults =
+                    type === "dataElements"
+                        ? this.excludeDefaultsFromDataElement(fixedElement as DataElement, defaultIds)
+                        : fixedElement;
+
                 // Store metadata object in result
                 const object = cleanObject(
                     this.api,
                     schema.name,
-                    fixedElement,
+                    elementWithoutDefaults,
                     excludeRules,
                     includeSharingSettings,
                     removeOrgUnitReferences,
@@ -87,6 +94,12 @@ export class MetadataSyncUseCase extends GenericSyncUseCase {
         return recursiveExport(originalBuilder);
     }
 
+    private excludeDefaultsFromDataElement(fixedElement: DataElement, defaultIds: Id[]): Partial<DataElement> {
+        return fixedElement.categoryCombo && defaultIds.includes(fixedElement.categoryCombo.id)
+            ? _(fixedElement).omit("categoryCombo").value()
+            : fixedElement;
+    }
+
     public buildPayload = memoize(async () => {
         const { metadataIds, syncParams, filterRules = [] } = this.builder;
         const {