diff --git a/internal/jimm/model.go b/internal/jimm/model.go
index 8fd46257b..ea6c16d7d 100644
--- a/internal/jimm/model.go
+++ b/internal/jimm/model.go
@@ -247,6 +247,7 @@ func (b *modelBuilder) WithCloudRegion(region string) *modelBuilder {
 				continue
 			}
 			region = r.Name
+			break
 		}
 	}
 	// loop through all cloud regions
@@ -579,22 +580,6 @@ func (j *JIMM) AddModel(ctx context.Context, user *openfga.User, args *ModelCrea
 		return nil, errors.E(op, err)
 	}
 
-	// fetch cloud defaults
-	// TODO(SimoneDutto): we should get the implicit cloud and then get the defaults.
-	if args.Cloud != (names.CloudTag{}) {
-		cloudDefaults := dbmodel.CloudDefaults{
-			IdentityName: user.Name,
-			Cloud: dbmodel.Cloud{
-				Name: args.Cloud.Id(),
-			},
-		}
-		err = j.Database.CloudDefaults(ctx, &cloudDefaults)
-		if err != nil && errors.ErrorCode(err) != errors.CodeNotFound {
-			return nil, errors.E(op, "failed to fetch cloud defaults")
-		}
-		builder = builder.WithConfig(cloudDefaults.Defaults)
-	}
-
 	builder = builder.WithCloud(user, args.Cloud)
 	if err := builder.Error(); err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.E(op, err)
@@ -604,6 +589,28 @@ func (j *JIMM) AddModel(ctx context.Context, user *openfga.User, args *ModelCrea
 	if err := builder.Error(); err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.E(op, err)
 	}
+	// fetch cloud defaults
+	cloudDefaults := dbmodel.CloudDefaults{
+		IdentityName: user.Name,
+		Cloud:        *builder.cloud,
+	}
+	err = j.Database.CloudDefaults(ctx, &cloudDefaults)
+	if err != nil && errors.ErrorCode(err) != errors.CodeNotFound {
+		return nil, errors.E(op, "failed to fetch cloud defaults")
+	}
+	builder = builder.WithConfig(cloudDefaults.Defaults)
+
+	// fetch cloud region defaults
+	cloudRegionDefaults := dbmodel.CloudDefaults{
+		IdentityName: user.Name,
+		Cloud:        *builder.cloud,
+		Region:       builder.cloudRegion,
+	}
+	err = j.Database.CloudDefaults(ctx, &cloudRegionDefaults)
+	if err != nil && errors.ErrorCode(err) != errors.CodeNotFound {
+		return nil, errors.E(op, "failed to fetch cloud defaults")
+	}
+	builder = builder.WithConfig(cloudRegionDefaults.Defaults)
 
 	// at this point we know which cloud will host the model and
 	// we must check the user has add-model permission on the cloud
@@ -615,22 +622,6 @@ func (j *JIMM) AddModel(ctx context.Context, user *openfga.User, args *ModelCrea
 		return nil, errors.E(op, errors.CodeUnauthorized, "unauthorized")
 	}
 
-	// fetch cloud region defaults
-	if args.Cloud != (names.CloudTag{}) && builder.cloudRegion != "" {
-		cloudRegionDefaults := dbmodel.CloudDefaults{
-			IdentityName: user.Name,
-			Cloud: dbmodel.Cloud{
-				Name: args.Cloud.Id(),
-			},
-			Region: builder.cloudRegion,
-		}
-		err = j.Database.CloudDefaults(ctx, &cloudRegionDefaults)
-		if err != nil && errors.ErrorCode(err) != errors.CodeNotFound {
-			return nil, errors.E(op, "failed to fetch cloud defaults")
-		}
-		builder = builder.WithConfig(cloudRegionDefaults.Defaults)
-	}
-
 	// last but not least, use the provided config values
 	// overriding all defaults
 	builder = builder.WithConfig(args.Config)
diff --git a/internal/jimm/model_test.go b/internal/jimm/model_test.go
index 4b70e4855..8a3bb835d 100644
--- a/internal/jimm/model_test.go
+++ b/internal/jimm/model_test.go
@@ -367,6 +367,17 @@ cloud-credentials:
   owner: alice@canonical.com
   cloud: test-cloud
   auth-type: empty
+cloud-defaults:
+- user: alice@canonical.com
+  cloud: test-cloud
+  region: test-region-1
+  defaults:
+    key1: value1
+    key2: value2
+- user: alice@canonical.com
+  cloud: test-cloud
+  defaults:
+    key3: value3
 controllers:
 - name: controller-1
   uuid: 00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000001
@@ -391,7 +402,11 @@ controllers:
 	grantJIMMModelAdmin: func(_ context.Context, _ names.ModelTag) error {
 		return nil
 	},
-	createModel: createModel(`
+	createModel: assertConfig(map[string]interface{}{
+		"key1": "value1",
+		"key2": "value2",
+		"key3": "value3",
+	}, createModel(`
 uuid: 00000001-0000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001
 status:
   status: started
@@ -402,7 +417,7 @@ users:
   access: admin
 - user: bob
   access: read
-`[1:]),
+`[1:])),
 	username:  "alice@canonical.com",
 	jimmAdmin: true,
 	args: jujuparams.ModelCreateArgs{
@@ -870,10 +885,12 @@ cloud-defaults:
   defaults:
     key1: value1
     key2: value2
+    key4: value4
 - user: alice@canonical.com
   cloud: test-cloud
   defaults:
     key3: value3
+    key4: val5
 cloud-credentials:
 - name: test-credential-1
   owner: alice@canonical.com
@@ -903,7 +920,12 @@ controllers:
 	grantJIMMModelAdmin: func(_ context.Context, _ names.ModelTag) error {
 		return nil
 	},
-	createModel: createModel(`
+	createModel: assertConfig(map[string]interface{}{
+		"key1": "value1",
+		"key2": "value2",
+		"key3": "value3",
+		"key4": "value4",
+	}, createModel(`
 uuid: 00000001-0000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001
 status:
   status: started
@@ -914,7 +936,7 @@ users:
   access: admin
 - user: bob
   access: read
-`[1:]),
+`[1:])),
 	username:  "alice@canonical.com",
 	jimmAdmin: true,
 	args: jujuparams.ModelCreateArgs{