diff --git a/impexp-client-cli/src/main/java/org/citydb/cli/options/deleter/QueryOption.java b/impexp-client-cli/src/main/java/org/citydb/cli/options/deleter/QueryOption.java
index 64b4f02b7..8e1c9ee00 100644
--- a/impexp-client-cli/src/main/java/org/citydb/cli/options/deleter/QueryOption.java
+++ b/impexp-client-cli/src/main/java/org/citydb/cli/options/deleter/QueryOption.java
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@
 import org.citydb.registry.ObjectRegistry;
 import picocli.CommandLine;
 
-import javax.xml.datatype.DatatypeFactory;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
 
@@ -92,14 +91,14 @@ public QueryConfig toQueryConfig() {
                 queryConfig.setFeatureTypeFilter(typeNamesOption.toFeatureTypeFilter());
             }
 
-            if (featureVersionOption != null) {
-                DatatypeFactory datatypeFactory = ObjectRegistry.getInstance().getDatatypeFactory();
-                SimpleFeatureVersionFilter versionFilter = featureVersionOption.toFeatureVersionFilter(datatypeFactory);
-                if (versionFilter != null) {
-                    AbstractPredicate predicate = versionFilter.toPredicate();
-                    if (predicate != null) {
-                        predicates.add(predicate);
-                    }
+            SimpleFeatureVersionFilter versionFilter = featureVersionOption != null ?
+                    featureVersionOption.toFeatureVersionFilter(ObjectRegistry.getInstance().getDatatypeFactory()) :
+                    FeatureVersionOption.defaultFeatureVersionFilter();
+
+            if (versionFilter != null) {
+                AbstractPredicate predicate = versionFilter.toPredicate();
+                if (predicate != null) {
+                    predicates.add(predicate);
                 }
             }
 
diff --git a/impexp-client-cli/src/main/java/org/citydb/cli/options/exporter/QueryOption.java b/impexp-client-cli/src/main/java/org/citydb/cli/options/exporter/QueryOption.java
index 8105b6bbb..5b2ef77e0 100644
--- a/impexp-client-cli/src/main/java/org/citydb/cli/options/exporter/QueryOption.java
+++ b/impexp-client-cli/src/main/java/org/citydb/cli/options/exporter/QueryOption.java
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@
 import org.citydb.registry.ObjectRegistry;
 import picocli.CommandLine;
 
-import javax.xml.datatype.DatatypeFactory;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
 
@@ -104,14 +103,14 @@ public QueryConfig toQueryConfig() {
                 queryConfig.setFeatureTypeFilter(typeNamesOption.toFeatureTypeFilter());
             }
 
-            if (featureVersionOption != null) {
-                DatatypeFactory datatypeFactory = ObjectRegistry.getInstance().getDatatypeFactory();
-                SimpleFeatureVersionFilter versionFilter = featureVersionOption.toFeatureVersionFilter(datatypeFactory);
-                if (versionFilter != null) {
-                    AbstractPredicate predicate = versionFilter.toPredicate();
-                    if (predicate != null) {
-                        predicates.add(predicate);
-                    }
+            SimpleFeatureVersionFilter versionFilter = featureVersionOption != null ?
+                    featureVersionOption.toFeatureVersionFilter(ObjectRegistry.getInstance().getDatatypeFactory()) :
+                    FeatureVersionOption.defaultFeatureVersionFilter();
+
+            if (versionFilter != null) {
+                AbstractPredicate predicate = versionFilter.toPredicate();
+                if (predicate != null) {
+                    predicates.add(predicate);
                 }
             }
 
diff --git a/impexp-config/src/main/java/org/citydb/config/project/query/simple/SimpleFeatureVersionFilter.java b/impexp-config/src/main/java/org/citydb/config/project/query/simple/SimpleFeatureVersionFilter.java
index b2abd6e11..fdcd7fb9d 100644
--- a/impexp-config/src/main/java/org/citydb/config/project/query/simple/SimpleFeatureVersionFilter.java
+++ b/impexp-config/src/main/java/org/citydb/config/project/query/simple/SimpleFeatureVersionFilter.java
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ public class SimpleFeatureVersionFilter {
     private XMLGregorianCalendar endDate;
 
     public SimpleFeatureVersionFilterMode getMode() {
-        return mode;
+        return mode != null ? mode : SimpleFeatureVersionFilterMode.LATEST;
     }
 
     public void setMode(SimpleFeatureVersionFilterMode mode) {
diff --git a/impexp-plugin-api/src/main/java/org/citydb/plugin/cli/FeatureVersionOption.java b/impexp-plugin-api/src/main/java/org/citydb/plugin/cli/FeatureVersionOption.java
index 153250d83..4efb11f7f 100644
--- a/impexp-plugin-api/src/main/java/org/citydb/plugin/cli/FeatureVersionOption.java
+++ b/impexp-plugin-api/src/main/java/org/citydb/plugin/cli/FeatureVersionOption.java
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@
 import java.time.temporal.ChronoField;
 
 public class FeatureVersionOption implements CliOption {
-    @CommandLine.Option(names = {"-r", "--feature-version"}, required = true,
-            description = "Feature version: ${COMPLETION-CANDIDATES}.")
+    @CommandLine.Option(names = {"-r", "--feature-version"}, required = true, defaultValue = "latest",
+            description = "Feature version: ${COMPLETION-CANDIDATES} (default: ${DEFAULT-VALUE}).")
     private Version version;
 
     @CommandLine.Option(names = {"-R", "--feature-version-timestamp"}, paramLabel = "<timestamp[,timestamp]>",
@@ -60,6 +60,10 @@ public class FeatureVersionOption implements CliOption {
     private OffsetDateTime endDateTime;
     private SimpleFeatureVersionFilter featureVersionFilter;
 
+    public static SimpleFeatureVersionFilter defaultFeatureVersionFilter() {
+        return new SimpleFeatureVersionFilter();
+    }
+
     public SimpleFeatureVersionFilter toFeatureVersionFilter(DatatypeFactory datatypeFactory) {
         if (featureVersionFilter != null) {
             if (startDateTime != null) {