diff --git a/datasette/static/edit-tools.js b/datasette/static/edit-tools.js
index 87b63838..9e2f2d01 100644
--- a/datasette/static/edit-tools.js
+++ b/datasette/static/edit-tools.js
@@ -5586,8 +5586,8 @@ function resetBulkInsertPreview(state) {
   syncRowEditInsertModeUi(state);
 }
 
-function normalizeBulkInsertCell(column, value, isMissing) {
-  if (isMissing || typeof value === "undefined") {
+function normalizeBulkInsertCell(column, value) {
+  if (typeof value === "undefined") {
     return column.notnull ? "" : null;
   }
   if (value === null) {
@@ -5609,11 +5609,10 @@ function rowObjectForBulkInsert(valuesByColumn, columns) {
       valuesByColumn,
       column.name,
     );
-    row[column.name] = normalizeBulkInsertCell(
-      column,
-      hasValue ? valuesByColumn[column.name] : undefined,
-      !hasValue,
-    );
+    if (!hasValue) {
+      return;
+    }
+    row[column.name] = normalizeBulkInsertCell(column, valuesByColumn[column.name]);
   });
   return row;
 }
@@ -5869,8 +5868,9 @@ function renderBulkInsertPreview(state, rows) {
     var tr = document.createElement("tr");
     state.bulkInsertColumnDetails.forEach(function (column) {
       var td = document.createElement("td");
-      var value = row[column.name];
-      td.textContent = bulkInsertPreviewValue(value);
+      var hasValue = Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(row, column.name);
+      var value = hasValue ? row[column.name] : "";
+      td.textContent = hasValue ? bulkInsertPreviewValue(value) : "";
       if (value === null) {
         td.className = "row-edit-bulk-preview-null";
       }
diff --git a/tests/test_playwright.py b/tests/test_playwright.py
index 60c81315..9bededc6 100644
--- a/tests/test_playwright.py
+++ b/tests/test_playwright.py
@@ -102,6 +102,12 @@ def write_playwright_database(db_path):
             id integer primary key,
             created_ms integer default (CAST((julianday('now') - 2440587.5) * 86400000 AS INTEGER))
         );
+        create table bulk_defaults (
+            id integer primary key,
+            title text not null,
+            status text not null default 'todo',
+            score integer default 5
+        );
         insert into projects (title, metadata, logo, notes, score) values
             (
                 'Build Datasette',
@@ -146,6 +152,11 @@ def write_playwright_config(config_path):
                                     "alter-table": True,
                                 },
                             },
+                            "bulk_defaults": {
+                                "permissions": {
+                                    "insert-row": True,
+                                },
+                            },
                         },
                     },
                 },
@@ -279,6 +290,16 @@ def project_row(datasette_server, pk):
     return rows[0]
 
 
+def bulk_default_rows(datasette_server, **filters):
+    params = {
+        "_shape": "objects",
+        **{key: str(value) for key, value in filters.items()},
+    }
+    response = httpx.get(f"{datasette_server}data/bulk_defaults.json", params=params)
+    response.raise_for_status()
+    return response.json()["rows"]
+
+
 def open_jump_menu(page):
     page.keyboard.press("/")
     page.locator("navigation-search .search-input").wait_for()
@@ -1007,7 +1028,8 @@ def test_insert_row_flow_uses_custom_column_field(page, datasette_server):
     assert "metadata" in preview_text
     assert "id" not in preview_text
     assert "From CSV" in preview_text
-    assert "null" in preview_text
+    assert "null" not in preview_text
+    assert "undefined" not in preview_text
     preview_cell_style = dialog.locator(
         ".row-edit-bulk-preview-table td"
     ).first.evaluate(
@@ -1097,6 +1119,38 @@ def test_bulk_insert_preview_inserts_rows(page, datasette_server):
     assert project_rows(datasette_server, title="Bulk two")
 
 
+@pytest.mark.playwright
+def test_bulk_insert_omits_columns_absent_from_pasted_input(page, datasette_server):
+    page.goto(f"{datasette_server}data/bulk_defaults")
+    page.locator('button[data-table-action="insert-row"]').click()
+
+    dialog = page.locator("#row-edit-dialog")
+    dialog.wait_for()
+    dialog.locator(".row-edit-bulk-insert").click()
+    dialog.locator(".row-edit-bulk-textarea").fill("title\nOnly title")
+    dialog.locator(".row-edit-save").click()
+
+    assert dialog.locator(".row-edit-save").inner_text() == "Insert these rows"
+    preview_text = dialog.locator(".row-edit-bulk-preview-table").inner_text()
+    assert "Only title" in preview_text
+    assert "undefined" not in preview_text
+
+    dialog.locator(".row-edit-save").click()
+    dialog.locator(
+        ".row-edit-bulk-progress-status", has_text="1 row inserted."
+    ).wait_for()
+
+    rows = bulk_default_rows(datasette_server, title="Only title")
+    assert rows == [
+        {
+            "id": 1,
+            "title": "Only title",
+            "status": "todo",
+            "score": 5,
+        }
+    ]
+
+
 @pytest.mark.playwright
 def test_bulk_insert_preview_accepts_single_column_input(page, datasette_server):
     page.goto(f"{datasette_server}data/projects")
@@ -1116,7 +1170,8 @@ def test_bulk_insert_preview_accepts_single_column_input(page, datasette_server)
     assert "one" in preview_text
     assert "two" in preview_text
     assert "three" in preview_text
-    assert "null" in preview_text
+    assert "null" not in preview_text
+    assert "undefined" not in preview_text
 
 
 @pytest.mark.playwright