diff --git a/lib/src/form/src/controller.dart b/lib/src/form/src/controller.dart
index 2003f0d..79e8019 100644
--- a/lib/src/form/src/controller.dart
+++ b/lib/src/form/src/controller.dart
@@ -70,44 +70,37 @@ class AstromicFormController {
     //   _nodes[id] = newNode;
     //   return newNode;
     // }
+    // 1. Check if it exists
     if (_nodes.containsKey(id)) {
-      // Use 'as' carefully. Since _nodes stores AstromicFieldNode<dynamic>,
-      // we cast the node itself, not just the value.
-      return _nodes[id] as AstromicFieldNode<T>;
+      final existing = _nodes[id];
+      if (existing is AstromicFieldNode<T>) {
+        return existing;
+      }
+      // If there's a type mismatch, cast it to bypass strict JS-dev checks
+      // but try to maintain the reference.
+      return (existing as dynamic) as AstromicFieldNode<T>;
     }
 
-    // If we have an initial value, or the type is nullable, create the node with type <T>
-    if (initialValue != null || _isNullable<T>()) {
-      final newNode = AstromicFieldNode<T>(
-        initialValue as T,
-        formatter: (v) => v?.toString() ?? '',
-        parser: (v) => (T == String ? v : null) as T?,
-      );
-      _nodes[id] = newNode;
-      return newNode;
+    // 2. Determine the starting value for lazy-init
+    T? startValue = initialValue;
+
+    if (startValue == null) {
+      if (T == String)
+        startValue = '' as T;
+      else if (T == int)
+        startValue = 0 as T;
+      else if (T == bool) startValue = false as T;
     }
 
-    // Standard defaults for primitives
-    T? defaultValue;
-    if (T == String) {
-      defaultValue = '' as T;
-    } else if (T == int) {
-      defaultValue = 0 as T;
-    } else if (T == bool) {
-      defaultValue = false as T; // This ensures bools start correctly
-    }
+    // 3. Create the node with the EXPLICIT generic type <T>
+    final newNode = AstromicFieldNode<T>(
+      startValue as T,
+      formatter: (v) => v?.toString() ?? '',
+      parser: (v) => (T == String ? v : null) as T?,
+    );
 
-    if (defaultValue != null) {
-      final newNode = AstromicFieldNode<T>(
-        defaultValue,
-        formatter: (v) => v.toString(),
-        parser: (v) => null,
-      );
-      _nodes[id] = newNode;
-      return newNode;
-    }
-
-    throw Exception('Node $id not found and cannot be lazy-inited for type $T. Provide an initialValue.');
+    _nodes[id] = newNode;
+    return newNode;
   }
 
   Type _typeOf<T>() => T;
diff --git a/lib/src/form/src/widgets/value_wrapper.dart b/lib/src/form/src/widgets/value_wrapper.dart
index 1790259..1c27a29 100644
--- a/lib/src/form/src/widgets/value_wrapper.dart
+++ b/lib/src/form/src/widgets/value_wrapper.dart
@@ -35,11 +35,10 @@ class _AstromicValueWrapperState<T> extends State<AstromicValueWrapper<T>> {
   void initState() {
     super.initState();
 
-    try {
-      _node = widget.controller.node<T>(widget.nodeId, initialValue: widget.initialValue);
-    } catch (_) {
-      throw Exception('Node ${widget.nodeId}: failed to initialize.');
-    }
+    _node = widget.controller.node<T>(
+      widget.nodeId,
+      initialValue: widget.initialValue,
+    );
 
     if (widget.validators != null) {
       _node.validators = widget.validators!;