diff --git a/Chickensoft.AutoInject.Tests/src/auto_inject/dependent/DependencyResolver.cs b/Chickensoft.AutoInject.Tests/src/auto_inject/dependent/DependencyResolver.cs
index f7520aa..fe3a5d6 100644
--- a/Chickensoft.AutoInject.Tests/src/auto_inject/dependent/DependencyResolver.cs
+++ b/Chickensoft.AutoInject.Tests/src/auto_inject/dependent/DependencyResolver.cs
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ public static TValue DependOn<TValue>(
     // all the other dependency resolution methods.
     var state = dependent.MixinState.Get<DependentState>();
     if (state.ProviderFakes.TryGetValue(typeof(TValue), out var fakeProvider)) {
-      return fakeProvider.Value();
+      return (TValue)fakeProvider.Value();
     }
 
     // Lookup dependency, per usual, respecting any fallback values if there
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ public static TValue DependOn<TValue>(
         return provider.Value();
       }
       else if (providerNode is DefaultProvider defaultProvider) {
-        return defaultProvider.Value();
+        return (TValue)defaultProvider.Value();
       }
     }
     else if (fallback is not null) {
@@ -284,14 +284,41 @@ void onProviderInitialized(IBaseProvider provider) {
   }
 
   public class DefaultProvider : IBaseProvider {
-    private readonly dynamic _value;
+    private readonly object _value;
     public ProviderState ProviderState { get; }
 
-    public DefaultProvider(dynamic value) {
-      _value = value;
+    // When working with reference types, we must wrap the value in a WeakReference<>()
+    // to allow the garbage collection to work when the assembly is being unloaded or reloaded;
+    // such as in the case of rebuilding within the Godot Editor.
+    public DefaultProvider(object value) {
+      // Ensure value is never null and is a valid reference type when required
+      if (value == null) {
+        throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(value), "Value cannot be null.");
+      }
+
+      if (value.GetType().IsValueType) {
+        _value = value;
+      } else {
+        _value = new WeakReference<object>(value);
+      }
       ProviderState = new() { IsInitialized = true };
     }
 
-    public dynamic Value() => _value;
+    public object Value() {
+      if (_value is WeakReference<object> weakReference) {
+        if (weakReference.TryGetTarget(out var target)) {
+          //TODO: What should happen in the case that a weak reference
+          // has been GC'd but the default provider is still here?
+          // should it clean up the old reference and make a new one?
+          // who would benefit from the thrown error?
+          return target;
+        }
+        throw new ObjectDisposedException(
+          "The reference object has been garbage collected"
+        );
+      } else {
+        return _value;
+      }
+    }
   }
 }
diff --git a/Chickensoft.AutoInject.Tests/test/fixtures/Dependents.cs b/Chickensoft.AutoInject.Tests/test/fixtures/Dependents.cs
index 589b7bd..7cd24ac 100644
--- a/Chickensoft.AutoInject.Tests/test/fixtures/Dependents.cs
+++ b/Chickensoft.AutoInject.Tests/test/fixtures/Dependents.cs
@@ -56,6 +56,25 @@ public void OnResolved() {
   }
 }
 
+[Meta(typeof(IAutoOn), typeof(IDependent))]
+public partial class ReferenceDependentFallback : Node {
+  public override void _Notification(int what) => this.Notify(what);
+
+  [Dependency]
+  public object MyDependency => this.DependOn(() => FallbackValue);
+
+  public object FallbackValue { get; set; } = null!;
+  public bool OnResolvedCalled { get; private set; }
+  public object ResolvedValue { get; set; } = null!;
+
+  public void OnReady() { }
+
+  public void OnResolved() {
+    OnResolvedCalled = true;
+    ResolvedValue = MyDependency;
+  }
+}
+
 [Meta(typeof(IAutoOn), typeof(IDependent))]
 public partial class IntDependent : Node {
   public override void _Notification(int what) => this.Notify(what);
diff --git a/Chickensoft.AutoInject.Tests/test/src/ResolutionTest.cs b/Chickensoft.AutoInject.Tests/test/src/ResolutionTest.cs
index b5e825f..50185e7 100644
--- a/Chickensoft.AutoInject.Tests/test/src/ResolutionTest.cs
+++ b/Chickensoft.AutoInject.Tests/test/src/ResolutionTest.cs
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ public void ThrowsWhenNoProviderFound() {
   }
 
   [Test]
-  public void UsesFallbackValueWhenNoProviderFound() {
+  public void UsesValueFallbackValueWhenNoProviderFound() {
     var fallback = "Hello, world!";
     var dependent = new StringDependentFallback {
       FallbackValue = fallback
@@ -142,6 +142,20 @@ public void UsesFallbackValueWhenNoProviderFound() {
     dependent.ResolvedValue.ShouldBe(fallback);
     dependent.MyDependency.ShouldBe(fallback);
   }
+
+  [Test]
+  public void UsesReferenceFallbackValueWhenNoProviderFound() {
+    var fallback = new Resource();
+    var dependent = new ReferenceDependentFallback {
+      FallbackValue = fallback
+    };
+
+    dependent._Notification((int)Node.NotificationReady);
+
+    dependent.ResolvedValue.ShouldBe(fallback);
+    dependent.MyDependency.ShouldBe(fallback);
+  }
+
   [Test]
   public void ThrowsOnDependencyTableThatWasTamperedWith() {
     var fallback = "Hello, world!";