diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/BuildAvroProjection.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/BuildAvroProjection.java
index 4ad709d9c3..bafb21af93 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/BuildAvroProjection.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/BuildAvroProjection.java
@@ -92,13 +92,13 @@ public Schema record(Schema record, List<String> names, Iterable<Schema.Field> s
 
       if (avroField != null) {
         // if the expectedField has a defaultValue, but the avroField does not, we need to
-        // create a newField to copy over the non-null default value
+        // create a newField to copy over the non-null default value.
         if (expectedField.hasDefaultValue() && !AvroSchemaUtil.hasNonNullDefaultValue(avroField)) {
           Schema newFiledSchema = (expectedField.isOptional()) ?
-              AvroSchemaUtil.toOption(AvroSchemaUtil.convert(expectedField.type()), true) :
-              AvroSchemaUtil.convert(expectedField.type());
+                  AvroSchemaUtil.toOption(avroField.schema(), true) :
+                  avroField.schema();
           Schema.Field newField =
-              new Schema.Field(avroField.name(), newFiledSchema, avroField.doc(), expectedField.getDefaultValue());
+                  new Schema.Field(avroField.name(), newFiledSchema, avroField.doc(), expectedField.getDefaultValue());
           newField.addProp(AvroSchemaUtil.FIELD_ID_PROP, expectedField.fieldId());
           updatedFields.add(newField);
           hasChange = true;