diff --git a/i18n/en.pot b/i18n/en.pot
index 5102f45ca..1fcaf189b 100644
--- a/i18n/en.pot
+++ b/i18n/en.pot
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@ msgstr ""
 "Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8\n"
 "Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit\n"
 "Plural-Forms: nplurals=2; plural=(n != 1)\n"
-"POT-Creation-Date: 2024-05-08T09:54:22.766Z\n"
-"PO-Revision-Date: 2024-05-08T09:54:22.767Z\n"
+"POT-Creation-Date: 2024-06-10T12:10:57.544Z\n"
+"PO-Revision-Date: 2024-06-10T12:10:57.544Z\n"
 
 msgid ""
 "THIS NEW RELEASE INCLUDES SHARING SETTINGS PER INSTANCES. FOR THIS VERSION "
diff --git a/src/data/metadata/D2MetadataUtils.ts b/src/data/metadata/D2MetadataUtils.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..59213c380
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/data/metadata/D2MetadataUtils.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+import _ from "lodash";
+import { Id } from "../../domain/common/entities/Schemas";
+import { DataElement, DataSet, Program } from "../../domain/metadata/entities/MetadataEntities";
+import { D2Api } from "../../types/d2-api";
+import { cache } from "../../utils/cache";
+
+export class D2MetadataUtils {
+    static async excludeDefaults(metadata: GenericMetadata, defaultIds: Id[]) {
+        // In DHIS 2.38.5 and above the defaults parameter is not working
+        // /api/metadata.json?fields=id,categoryCombo&filter=id:eq:data_element_id&defaults=INCLUDE/EXCLUDE; this is not working
+        // so manually removing the default categoryCombo
+        const result = _(metadata)
+            .mapValues(elements => {
+                return elements.map(element => this.excludeDefaultsFromModels(element, defaultIds));
+            })
+            .value();
+        return result;
+    }
+
+    @cache()
+    static async getDefaultIds(api: D2Api, filter?: string): Promise<string[]> {
+        const response = (await api
+            .get("/metadata", {
+                filter: "identifiable:eq:default",
+                fields: "id",
+            })
+            .getData()) as {
+            [key: string]: { id: string }[];
+        };
+
+        const metadata = _.pickBy(response, (_value, type) => !filter || type === filter);
+
+        return _(metadata)
+            .omit(["system"])
+            .values()
+            .flatten()
+            .map(({ id }) => id)
+            .value();
+    }
+
+    private static excludeDefaultsFromModels(fixedElement: MetadataDefaultCategoryCombo, defaultIds: Id[]) {
+        return fixedElement.categoryCombo && defaultIds.includes(fixedElement.categoryCombo.id)
+            ? _(fixedElement).omit("categoryCombo").value()
+            : fixedElement;
+    }
+}
+
+type GenericMetadata = { dataElements: DataElement[]; dataSets: DataSet[]; programs: Program[] };
+type MetadataDefaultCategoryCombo = DataElement | DataSet | Program;
diff --git a/src/data/metadata/MetadataD2ApiRepository.ts b/src/data/metadata/MetadataD2ApiRepository.ts
index 2614560ee..801e449f7 100644
--- a/src/data/metadata/MetadataD2ApiRepository.ts
+++ b/src/data/metadata/MetadataD2ApiRepository.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import { getD2APiFromInstance } from "../../utils/d2-utils";
 import { debug } from "../../utils/debug";
 import { paginate } from "../../utils/pagination";
 import { metadataTransformations } from "../transformations/PackageTransformations";
+import { D2MetadataUtils } from "./D2MetadataUtils";
 
 export class MetadataD2ApiRepository implements MetadataRepository {
     private api: D2Api;
@@ -158,23 +159,8 @@ export class MetadataD2ApiRepository implements MetadataRepository {
 
     @cache()
     public async getDefaultIds(filter?: string): Promise<string[]> {
-        const response = (await this.api
-            .get("/metadata", {
-                filter: "identifiable:eq:default",
-                fields: "id",
-            })
-            .getData()) as {
-            [key: string]: { id: string }[];
-        };
-
-        const metadata = _.pickBy(response, (_value, type) => !filter || type === filter);
-
-        return _(metadata)
-            .omit(["system"])
-            .values()
-            .flatten()
-            .map(({ id }) => id)
-            .value();
+        const metadata = D2MetadataUtils.getDefaultIds(this.api, filter);
+        return metadata;
     }
 
     @cache()
@@ -557,7 +543,11 @@ export class MetadataD2ApiRepository implements MetadataRepository {
         if (results.system) delete results.system;
 
         const metadata = await this.validateEventVisualizationsByIds(results);
-        return metadata;
+        const defaultIds = await this.getDefaultIds();
+        const metadataExcludeDefaults = includeDefaults
+            ? metadata
+            : await D2MetadataUtils.excludeDefaults(metadata, defaultIds);
+        return metadataExcludeDefaults;
     }
 
     private async validateEventVisualizationsByIds(metadata: any) {
diff --git a/src/utils/synchronization.ts b/src/utils/synchronization.ts
index fe9d4122a..34effe51a 100644
--- a/src/utils/synchronization.ts
+++ b/src/utils/synchronization.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import FileSaver from "file-saver";
 import _ from "lodash";
 import moment, { unitOfTime } from "moment";
+import { D2MetadataUtils } from "../data/metadata/D2MetadataUtils";
 import { MetadataMapping, MetadataMappingDictionary } from "../domain/mapping/entities/MetadataMapping";
 import { CategoryOptionCombo } from "../domain/metadata/entities/MetadataEntities";
 import { SynchronizationRule } from "../domain/rules/entities/SynchronizationRule";
@@ -29,7 +30,9 @@ export async function getMetadata(api: D2Api, elements: string[], fields = ":all
     const response = await Promise.all(promises);
     const results = _.deepMerge({}, ...response);
     if (results.system) delete results.system;
-    return results;
+    const defaultIds = await D2MetadataUtils.getDefaultIds(api);
+    const metadataExcludeDefaults = await D2MetadataUtils.excludeDefaults(results, defaultIds);
+    return metadataExcludeDefaults;
 }
 
 export const availablePeriods = buildObject<{