diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yaml b/.github/workflows/test.yaml
index 422c4de62..825139a05 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yaml
@@ -16,21 +16,11 @@ concurrency:
 
 jobs:
   pre_commit:
-    name: Run pre-commit hooks
+    name: Run pre-commit
     runs-on: 'ubuntu-latest'
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
-        with:
-          fetch-depth: "1"
-      - name: set PY
-        run: echo "PY=$(python -VV | sha256sum | cut -d' ' -f1)" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-      - uses: actions/cache@v3
-        with:
-          path: ~/.cache/pre-commit
-          key: pre-commit|${{ env.PY }}|${{ hashFiles('.pre-commit-config.yaml') }}
-      - name: pre-commit
-        uses: pre-commit/action@v3.0.0
-  test_suite:
+      - uses: holoviz-dev/holoviz_tasks/pre-commit@v0.1a18
+  unit_test_suite:
     name: Pytest on ${{ matrix.python-version }}, ${{ matrix.os }}
     needs: [pre_commit]
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
@@ -47,9 +37,9 @@ jobs:
       GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
     steps:
 
-      - uses: holoviz-dev/holoviz_tasks/install@v0.1a15
+      - uses: holoviz-dev/holoviz_tasks/install@v0.1a18
         with:
-          name: test_suite
+          name: unit_test_suite
           python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
           channel-priority: flexible
           channels: pyviz/label/dev,bokeh,conda-forge,nodefaults
diff --git a/lumen/filters/base.py b/lumen/filters/base.py
index 1082980f5..535739f10 100644
--- a/lumen/filters/base.py
+++ b/lumen/filters/base.py
@@ -63,9 +63,13 @@ class Filter(MultiTypeComponent):
 
     def __init__(self, **params):
         super().__init__(**params)
-        if state.config and state.config.sync_with_url and self.sync_with_url and pn.state.location:
+        if self._sync_with_url:
             pn.state.location.sync(self, {'value': self.field}, on_error=self._url_sync_error)
 
+    @property
+    def _sync_with_url(self) -> bool:
+        return bool(state.config and state.config.sync_with_url and self.sync_with_url and pn.state.location)
+
     @classproperty
     def _required_keys(cls) -> List[str | Tuple[str, ...]]:  # type: ignore
         return ['field'] if cls._requires_field else []
@@ -313,8 +317,11 @@ def __init__(self, **params):
         self.widget.name = self.label
         self.widget.visible = self.visible
         self.widget.disabled = self.disabled
+        val = self.value
         self.widget.link(self, bidirectional=True, value='value', visible='visible', disabled='disabled')
-        if self.default is not None:
+        if val is not None:
+            self.widget.value = val
+        elif self.default is not None:
             self.widget.value = self.default
 
     @classmethod
diff --git a/lumen/tests/sample_dashboard/sync_query_filters_default.yaml b/lumen/tests/sample_dashboard/sync_query_filters_default.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8ea7a15ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lumen/tests/sample_dashboard/sync_query_filters_default.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+config:
+  sync_with_url: true
+sources:
+  test:
+    type: 'file'
+    files: ['../sources/test.csv']
+targets:
+  - title: "Test"
+    source: test
+    filters:
+      - type: widget
+        field: A
+      - type: widget
+        field: C
+        default: ['foo1']
+    views:
+      - table: test
+        type: test
diff --git a/lumen/tests/sources/test_duckdb.py b/lumen/tests/sources/test_duckdb.py
index 3492fa1b2..460f6725c 100644
--- a/lumen/tests/sources/test_duckdb.py
+++ b/lumen/tests/sources/test_duckdb.py
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ def duckdb_source():
             f"SET home_directory='{root}';"
         ],
         root=root,
-        sql_expr='SELECT A, B, C, D::TIMESTAMP AS D FROM {table}',
+        sql_expr='SELECT A, B, C, D::TIMESTAMP_NS AS D FROM {table}',
         tables={
             'test_sql': f"sqlite_scan('{root + '/test.db'}', 'mixed')",
             'test_sql_with_none': f"sqlite_scan('{root + '/test.db'}', 'mixed_none')",
@@ -81,15 +81,18 @@ def test_duckdb_get_schema(duckdb_source):
             'type': 'string'
         }
     }
-    assert duckdb_source.get_schema('test_sql') == expected_sql
+    source = duckdb_source.get_schema('test_sql')
+    source["C"]["enum"].sort()
+    assert source == expected_sql
     assert list(duckdb_source._schema_cache.keys()) == ['test_sql']
 
 
 def test_duckdb_get_schema_with_none(duckdb_source):
+    enum = ['foo1', None, 'foo3', 'foo5']
     expected_sql = {
         'A': {'inclusiveMaximum': 4.0, 'inclusiveMinimum': 0.0, 'type': 'number'},
         'B': {'inclusiveMaximum': 1.0, 'inclusiveMinimum': 0.0, 'type': 'number'},
-        'C': {'enum': ['foo1', np.nan, 'foo3', 'foo5'], 'type': 'string'},
+        'C': {'enum': enum, 'type': 'string'},
         'D': {
             'format': 'datetime',
             'inclusiveMaximum': '2009-01-07 00:00:00',
@@ -97,7 +100,9 @@ def test_duckdb_get_schema_with_none(duckdb_source):
             'type': 'string'
         }
     }
-    assert duckdb_source.get_schema('test_sql_with_none') == expected_sql
+    source = duckdb_source.get_schema('test_sql_with_none')
+    source["C"]["enum"].sort(key=enum.index)
+    assert source == expected_sql
     assert list(duckdb_source._schema_cache.keys()) == ['test_sql_with_none']
 
 
diff --git a/lumen/tests/test_dashboard.py b/lumen/tests/test_dashboard.py
index 262b721c5..29bec53ef 100644
--- a/lumen/tests/test_dashboard.py
+++ b/lumen/tests/test_dashboard.py
@@ -90,6 +90,37 @@ def test_dashboard_with_url_sync_filters(set_root, document):
     pn.state.location.search = '?A=%5B0.3%2C+0.8%5D&C=%5B%22foo1%22%2C+%22foo2%22%2C+%22foo3%22%5D'
     assert f2.value == ['foo1', 'foo2', 'foo3']
 
+def test_dashboard_with_url_sync_filters_with_default(set_root, document):
+    root = pathlib.Path(__file__).parent / 'sample_dashboard'
+    set_root(str(root))
+    dashboard = Dashboard(str(root / 'sync_query_filters_default.yaml'))
+    dashboard._render_dashboard()
+    layout = dashboard.layouts[0]
+    f1, f2 = list(layout._pipelines.values())[0].filters
+    f1.value = (0.1, 0.7)
+    assert pn.state.location.search == '?C=%5B%27foo1%27%5D&A=%5B0.1%2C+0.7%5D'
+    pn.state.location.search = '?A=%5B0.3%2C+0.8%5D'
+    assert f1.value == (0.3, 0.8)
+    assert f2.value == ['foo1']
+    assert f1.widget.value == (0.3, 0.8)
+    assert f2.widget.value == ['foo1']
+    f2.value = ['foo1', 'foo2']
+    assert pn.state.location.search == '?A=%5B0.3%2C+0.8%5D&C=%5B%22foo1%22%2C+%22foo2%22%5D'
+    pn.state.location.search = '?A=%5B0.3%2C+0.8%5D&C=%5B%22foo1%22%2C+%22foo2%22%2C+%22foo3%22%5D'
+    assert f2.value == ['foo1', 'foo2', 'foo3']
+    assert f2.widget.value == ['foo1', 'foo2', 'foo3']
+
+def test_dashboard_with_url_sync_filters_with_overwritten_default(set_root, document):
+    root = pathlib.Path(__file__).parent / 'sample_dashboard'
+    set_root(str(root))
+    dashboard = Dashboard(str(root / 'sync_query_filters_default.yaml'))
+    dashboard._render_dashboard()
+    layout = dashboard.layouts[0]
+    f1, f2 = list(layout._pipelines.values())[0].filters
+    f1.value = (0.1, 0.7)
+    f2.value = []  # overwriting default with empty list
+    assert pn.state.location.search == '?C=%5B%5D&A=%5B0.1%2C+0.7%5D'
+    assert f2.widget.value == []
 
 @sql_available
 def test_dashboard_with_sql_source_and_transforms(set_root, document, mixed_df_object_type):
diff --git a/lumen/util.py b/lumen/util.py
index 106a0d7c3..2aa399fe5 100644
--- a/lumen/util.py
+++ b/lumen/util.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 import bokeh
 import pandas as pd
 import panel as pn
+import param
 
 from jinja2 import DebugUndefined, Environment, Undefined
 from packaging.version import Version
@@ -25,6 +26,9 @@
 log = getLogger(__name__)
 
 bokeh3 = Version(bokeh.__version__) > Version("3.0")
+param2 = Version(param.__version__) > Version("2.0rc1")
+
+disallow_refs = {'allow_refs': False} if param2 else {}
 
 VARIABLE_RE = re.compile(r'\$variables\.([a-zA-Z_]\w*)')
 
diff --git a/lumen/variables/base.py b/lumen/variables/base.py
index 98bf1f731..d43bd596d 100644
--- a/lumen/variables/base.py
+++ b/lumen/variables/base.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 
 from ..base import MultiTypeComponent
 from ..state import state
-from ..util import is_ref, resolve_module_reference
+from ..util import disallow_refs, is_ref, resolve_module_reference
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from panel.viewable import Viewable
@@ -378,7 +378,8 @@ class Parameter(Variable):
     `Parameter` variables reflect the current value of a parameter.
     """
 
-    parameter = param.ClassSelector(class_=param.Parameter, constant=True, doc="""
+    parameter = param.ClassSelector(class_=param.Parameter, constant=True,
+        **disallow_refs, doc="""
         A parameter instance whose current value will be reflected
         on this variable.""")
 
diff --git a/lumen/views/base.py b/lumen/views/base.py
index 6a4877028..fff8d51b1 100644
--- a/lumen/views/base.py
+++ b/lumen/views/base.py
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ def __panel__(self) -> Viewable:
         return pn.panel(pn.bind(lambda e: self.panel, self.param.rerender))
 
     def _update_loading(self, event):
-        if self._panel is not None:
+        if hasattr(self._panel, 'loading'):
             with immediate_dispatch():
                 self._panel.loading = event.new
 
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index d6c1c5c31..981dac808 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ def get_setup_version(reponame):
         'codecov',
         'pre-commit',
         'matplotlib >=3.4',  # Ubuntu + Python 3.9 installs old version matplotlib (3.3.2)
+        'pytest-github-actions-annotate-failures',
     ],
     'doc': [
         'nbsite >=0.8.2',