diff --git a/studio/backend/core/training/diffusion_dit_trainer.py b/studio/backend/core/training/diffusion_dit_trainer.py
index 226b011320..50bb0f5d3b 100644
--- a/studio/backend/core/training/diffusion_dit_trainer.py
+++ b/studio/backend/core/training/diffusion_dit_trainer.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ from typing import Any, Callable, Optional
 
 from core.training.diffusion_train_common import (
     DEFAULT_LORA_FILENAME,
+    DEFAULT_LORA_TARGETS,
     DiffusionLoraConfig,
     EventCb,
     StopCb,
@@ -63,9 +64,11 @@ def _select_lora_targets(
 ) -> tuple[str, ...]:
     """Pick the LoRA target modules for a DiT run.
 
-    An empty ``cfg_targets`` means "unset": use the family's ``spec.lora_targets``. Any
-    explicit tuple is a deliberate override and still wins."""
-    if not tuple(cfg_targets):
+    ``normalized()`` always fills ``lora_target_modules`` with the generic
+    ``DEFAULT_LORA_TARGETS`` when a caller does not set it, so that value means "unset"
+    here: prefer the family's ``spec.lora_targets`` (which add the DiT-specific
+    projections). Any OTHER explicit tuple is a deliberate override and still wins."""
+    if tuple(cfg_targets) == DEFAULT_LORA_TARGETS:
         return tuple(spec_targets)
     return tuple(cfg_targets)
 
diff --git a/studio/backend/core/training/diffusion_lora_trainer.py b/studio/backend/core/training/diffusion_lora_trainer.py
index 3424df7dc3..db2eca1011 100644
--- a/studio/backend/core/training/diffusion_lora_trainer.py
+++ b/studio/backend/core/training/diffusion_lora_trainer.py
@@ -211,15 +211,13 @@ def run_diffusion_lora_training(
     for m in (unet, *text_encoders):
         m.to(device, dtype = weight_dtype)
 
-    # Empty (unset) config means use the family default.
-    unet_targets = list(cfg.lora_target_modules) or list(DEFAULT_LORA_TARGETS)
     unet.add_adapter(
         LoraConfig(
             r = cfg.lora_rank,
             lora_alpha = cfg.lora_alpha,
             lora_dropout = cfg.lora_dropout,
             init_lora_weights = "gaussian",
-            target_modules = unet_targets,
+            target_modules = list(cfg.lora_target_modules),
         )
     )
     if cfg.gradient_checkpointing:
diff --git a/studio/backend/core/training/diffusion_train_common.py b/studio/backend/core/training/diffusion_train_common.py
index e4a83b8c50..cdf78995b3 100644
--- a/studio/backend/core/training/diffusion_train_common.py
+++ b/studio/backend/core/training/diffusion_train_common.py
@@ -30,8 +30,9 @@ from core.inference.diffusion_families import (
     trainable_family_names,
 )
 
-# Default LoRA target modules: the SDXL U-Net attention projections. DiT trainers supply
-# their own wider set instead.
+# Default LoRA target modules: the attention projections common to the SDXL U-Net and the
+# DiT transformers (the diffusers/kohya convention). A family whose trainer wants a wider
+# set overrides this in its own defaults; kept here so DiffusionLoraConfig has a sane fallback.
 DEFAULT_LORA_TARGETS: tuple[str, ...] = ("to_k", "to_q", "to_v", "to_out.0")
 
 # diffusers' SchedulerType names (diffusers.optimization.get_scheduler).
@@ -235,8 +236,7 @@ class DiffusionLoraConfig:
     lora_rank: int = 16
     lora_alpha: Optional[int] = None  # defaults to lora_rank
     lora_dropout: float = 0.0
-    # Empty = "unset": each trainer supplies its own family default.
-    lora_target_modules: tuple[str, ...] = ()
+    lora_target_modules: tuple[str, ...] = DEFAULT_LORA_TARGETS
     seed: int = 42
     mixed_precision: str = "bf16"  # "bf16" | "fp16" | "no"
     snr_gamma: Optional[float] = 5.0  # min-SNR loss weighting; None disables
@@ -300,8 +300,7 @@ class DiffusionLoraConfig:
         if learning_rate <= 0:
             raise ValueError("learning_rate must be > 0")
         alpha = self.lora_alpha if self.lora_alpha is not None else self.lora_rank
-        # Leave an unset (empty) target list empty so the trainer fills the family default.
-        targets = tuple(self.lora_target_modules)
+        targets = tuple(self.lora_target_modules) or DEFAULT_LORA_TARGETS
         # A blank Hub token (the Studio default when none is configured) must load
         # anonymously, not as an explicit empty credential.
         token = self.hf_token.strip() if isinstance(self.hf_token, str) else self.hf_token
diff --git a/studio/backend/models/training.py b/studio/backend/models/training.py
index 224caad35d..3883b9847f 100644
--- a/studio/backend/models/training.py
+++ b/studio/backend/models/training.py
@@ -698,11 +698,11 @@ class DiffusionTrainingStartRequest(BaseModel):
     lora_alpha: Optional[int] = Field(None, ge = 1, le = 640, description = "Defaults to lora_rank")
     lora_dropout: float = Field(0.0, ge = 0.0, le = 1.0)
     # Mirror the remaining training-affecting knobs of DiffusionLoraConfig so a client that
-    # sets them is not silently trained with defaults. Empty = "unset": the trainer fills in
-    # its family default.
+    # sets them is not silently trained with defaults. Default the target list to the SDXL
+    # attention projections (the trainer's DEFAULT_LORA_TARGETS) so it is never None.
     lora_target_modules: List[str] = Field(
-        default_factory = list,
-        description = "Modules to attach LoRA to; empty = the trainer's family default",
+        default_factory = lambda: ["to_k", "to_q", "to_v", "to_out.0"],
+        description = "U-Net modules to attach LoRA to",
     )
     max_grad_norm: float = Field(1.0, gt = 0, description = "Gradient clipping max-norm")
     seed: int = Field(42)
diff --git a/studio/backend/tests/test_diffusion_dit_trainer.py b/studio/backend/tests/test_diffusion_dit_trainer.py
index 79a3777113..63cc01922c 100644
--- a/studio/backend/tests/test_diffusion_dit_trainer.py
+++ b/studio/backend/tests/test_diffusion_dit_trainer.py
@@ -41,25 +41,23 @@ def test_specs_cover_the_three_dit_families():
 
 
 def test_select_lora_targets_uses_family_default_for_generic_config():
-    # normalized() leaves lora_target_modules empty when a caller doesn't set it, so an empty
-    # tuple must resolve to the family's targets (which add the DiT-specific joint-attention
-    # projections), not the generic SDXL list.
-    assert _select_lora_targets((), _FLUX_TARGETS) == _FLUX_TARGETS
-    assert _select_lora_targets((), _QWEN_TARGETS) == _QWEN_TARGETS
-    assert _select_lora_targets((), _ZIMAGE_TARGETS) == _ZIMAGE_TARGETS
-    # The generic SDXL default is NOT treated as unset here: an explicit list wins.
-    assert _select_lora_targets(DEFAULT_LORA_TARGETS, _FLUX_TARGETS) == DEFAULT_LORA_TARGETS
+    # normalized() fills lora_target_modules with the generic DEFAULT_LORA_TARGETS when a
+    # caller doesn't set it, so that value must resolve to the family's targets (which add
+    # the DiT-specific projections), not stay stuck on the generic SDXL list.
+    assert _select_lora_targets(DEFAULT_LORA_TARGETS, _FLUX_TARGETS) == _FLUX_TARGETS
+    assert _select_lora_targets(DEFAULT_LORA_TARGETS, _QWEN_TARGETS) == _QWEN_TARGETS
+    assert _select_lora_targets(DEFAULT_LORA_TARGETS, _ZIMAGE_TARGETS) == _ZIMAGE_TARGETS
 
 
 def test_select_lora_targets_explicit_override_wins():
-    # Any explicit tuple is a deliberate override and must win over the family spec.
+    # Any OTHER explicit tuple is a deliberate override and must win over the family spec.
     override = ("to_q", "to_k")
     assert _select_lora_targets(override, _FLUX_TARGETS) == override
-    # The default request path (config leaving targets unset) reaches the spec.
+    # The default request path (config carrying the generic default) reaches the spec.
     cfg = DiffusionLoraConfig(
         base_model = "black-forest-labs/FLUX.1-dev", data_dir = "d", output_dir = "o"
     ).normalized()
-    assert cfg.lora_target_modules == ()
+    assert cfg.lora_target_modules == DEFAULT_LORA_TARGETS
     assert (
         _select_lora_targets(cfg.lora_target_modules, _SPECS["flux.1"].lora_targets)
         == _FLUX_TARGETS
diff --git a/studio/backend/tests/test_diffusion_lora_trainer.py b/studio/backend/tests/test_diffusion_lora_trainer.py
index dc84b70f17..d9078bf0e7 100644
--- a/studio/backend/tests/test_diffusion_lora_trainer.py
+++ b/studio/backend/tests/test_diffusion_lora_trainer.py
@@ -94,8 +94,7 @@ def test_discover_missing_dir_raises(tmp_path):
 def test_config_normalized_defaults():
     cfg = DiffusionLoraConfig(base_model = "b", data_dir = "d", output_dir = "o").normalized()
     assert cfg.lora_alpha == cfg.lora_rank  # alpha defaults to rank
-    # Targets stay empty (unset) after normalize; each trainer fills its own family default.
-    assert cfg.lora_target_modules == ()
+    assert cfg.lora_target_modules == DEFAULT_LORA_TARGETS
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(