diff --git a/sqlite_utils/db.py b/sqlite_utils/db.py
index c011d9bb0..514269302 100644
--- a/sqlite_utils/db.py
+++ b/sqlite_utils/db.py
@@ -1074,6 +1074,10 @@ def quote_default_value(self, value: str) -> str:
         ):
             return value
 
+        if str(value).upper().startswith("X'") and str(value).endswith("'"):
+            # Blob literal, e.g. X'FF'
+            return value
+
         if str(value).upper() in ("CURRENT_TIME", "CURRENT_DATE", "CURRENT_TIMESTAMP"):
             return value
 
@@ -1083,11 +1087,46 @@ def quote_default_value(self, value: str) -> str:
             return value
 
         if str(value).endswith(")"):
-            # Expr
+            # Expr - already parenthesized values pass through unchanged
+            if str(value).startswith("("):
+                return value
             return f"({value})"
 
         return self.quote(value)
 
+    def transform_default_fragment(self, value: str) -> str:
+        """Return a re-emittable DEFAULT fragment for a PRAGMA-returned value.
+
+        PRAGMA strips the parentheses from an expression default (``DEFAULT
+        (1+2)`` is reported as ``1+2``), so expressions must be wrapped again
+        or SQLite would treat them as string literals. Literals and keywords
+        are passed through unchanged.
+        """
+        s = str(value)
+        if s.startswith("'") and s.endswith("'"):
+            # A single quoted string literal
+            if "''" not in s[1:-1] and "'" not in s[1:-1]:
+                return s
+        if s.upper().startswith("X'") and s.endswith("'"):
+            # Blob literal, e.g. X'FF'
+            return s
+        if s.upper() in (
+            "TRUE",
+            "FALSE",
+            "NULL",
+            "CURRENT_TIME",
+            "CURRENT_DATE",
+            "CURRENT_TIMESTAMP",
+        ):
+            return s
+        try:
+            float(s)
+            return s
+        except ValueError:
+            pass
+        # Anything else was a parenthesized expression, e.g. "1+2" or "'a'||'b'"
+        return f"({s})"
+
     def table_names(self, fts4: bool = False, fts5: bool = False) -> list[str]:
         """
         List of string table names in this database.
@@ -3061,7 +3100,9 @@ def fk_with_renamed_columns(fk: ForeignKey) -> ForeignKey:
             )
         # defaults=
         create_table_defaults = {
-            (rename.get(c.name) or c.name): c.default_value
+            (rename.get(c.name) or c.name): self.db.transform_default_fragment(
+                c.default_value
+            )
             for c in self.columns
             if c.default_value is not None and c.name not in drop
         }
diff --git a/tests/test_transform.py b/tests/test_transform.py
index 873871308..0fecb0818 100644
--- a/tests/test_transform.py
+++ b/tests/test_transform.py
@@ -288,6 +288,35 @@ def test_transform_preserves_keyword_literal_defaults(fresh_db):
     assert after == (1, 0, None)
 
 
+def test_transform_preserves_expression_defaults(fresh_db):
+    # PRAGMA strips the parentheses from expression defaults, so transform()
+    # used to re-emit them as string literals: DEFAULT (1+2) became DEFAULT
+    # '1+2' and every new row silently got the text '1+2' instead of 3.
+    fresh_db.execute(
+        "CREATE TABLE t ("
+        " a TEXT,"
+        " b INTEGER DEFAULT (1+2),"
+        " c BLOB DEFAULT (X'ff'),"
+        " d TEXT DEFAULT ('x' || 'y')"
+        ")"
+    )
+    table = fresh_db.table("t")
+    table.insert({"a": "first"})
+
+    # Rebuild via an unrelated change.
+    table.transform(rename={"a": "aa"})
+
+    schema = table.schema
+    assert "DEFAULT (1+2)" in schema
+    assert "DEFAULT X'ff'" in schema
+    assert "DEFAULT ('x' || 'y')" in schema
+
+    table.insert({"aa": "second"})
+    assert fresh_db.execute(
+        "SELECT b, c, d FROM t WHERE aa = 'second'"
+    ).fetchone() == (3, b"\xff", "xy")
+
+
 def test_transform_not_null(fresh_db):
     dogs = fresh_db.table("dogs")
     dogs.insert({"id": 1, "name": "Cleo", "age": "5"}, pk="id")