diff --git a/cli/bpmetadata/cmd.go b/cli/bpmetadata/cmd.go
index a288a03f264..ee2add8a6b0 100644
--- a/cli/bpmetadata/cmd.go
+++ b/cli/bpmetadata/cmd.go
@@ -305,6 +305,10 @@ func CreateBlueprintDisplayMetadata(bpPath string, bpDisp, bpCore *BlueprintMeta
 	bpDisp.Spec.Info.Source = bpCore.Spec.Info.Source
 	buildUIInputFromVariables(bpCore.Spec.Interfaces.Variables, bpDisp.Spec.Ui.Input)
 
+	existingInput := proto.Clone(bpCore.Spec.Ui.Input).(*BlueprintUIInput)
+	// Merge existing data (if any) into the newly generated UI Input
+	mergeExistingAltDefaults(bpDisp.Spec.Ui.Input, existingInput)
+
 	return bpDisp, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/cli/bpmetadata/display.go b/cli/bpmetadata/display.go
index 58d6cc6a0eb..fbe31eda8b1 100644
--- a/cli/bpmetadata/display.go
+++ b/cli/bpmetadata/display.go
@@ -34,3 +34,19 @@ func createTitleFromName(name string) string {
 
 	return strings.Join(titleSplit, " ")
 }
+
+// mergeExistingAltDefaults merges existing alt_defaults from an old BlueprintUIInput into a new one,
+// preserving manually authored alt_defaults.
+func mergeExistingAltDefaults(newInput, existingInput *BlueprintUIInput) {
+	if existingInput == nil {
+		return // Nothing to merge if existingInput is nil
+	}
+
+	for i, variable := range newInput.Variables {
+		for _, existingVariable := range existingInput.Variables {
+			if variable.Name == existingVariable.Name && existingVariable.AltDefaults != nil {
+				newInput.Variables[i].AltDefaults = existingVariable.AltDefaults
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cli/bpmetadata/display_test.go b/cli/bpmetadata/display_test.go
index b657a3f716b..04c35aabe8f 100644
--- a/cli/bpmetadata/display_test.go
+++ b/cli/bpmetadata/display_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"google.golang.org/protobuf/types/known/structpb"
 )
 
 func TestUIInputFromVariables(t *testing.T) {
@@ -128,3 +129,96 @@ func TestCreateTitleFromName(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestMergeExistingAltDefaults(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name          string
+		newInput      *BlueprintUIInput
+		existingInput *BlueprintUIInput
+		expectInput   *BlueprintUIInput
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "Merge alt default into UI input",
+			newInput: &BlueprintUIInput{
+				Variables: map[string]*DisplayVariable{
+					"test_var_1": {
+						Name: "test_var_1",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			existingInput: &BlueprintUIInput{
+				Variables: map[string]*DisplayVariable{
+					"test_var_1": {
+						Name: "test_var_1",
+						AltDefaults: []*DisplayVariable_AlternateDefault{
+							{
+								Type:  0,
+								Value: structpb.NewStringValue("alt_default_value"),
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			expectInput: &BlueprintUIInput{
+				Variables: map[string]*DisplayVariable{
+					"test_var_1": {
+						Name: "test_var_1",
+						AltDefaults: []*DisplayVariable_AlternateDefault{
+							{
+								Type:  0,
+								Value: structpb.NewStringValue("alt_default_value"),
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "No existing input",
+			newInput: &BlueprintUIInput{
+				Variables: map[string]*DisplayVariable{
+					"test_var_1": {
+						Name: "test_var_1",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			existingInput: nil,
+			expectInput: &BlueprintUIInput{
+				Variables: map[string]*DisplayVariable{
+					"test_var_1": {
+						Name: "test_var_1",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "Empty new input",
+			newInput: &BlueprintUIInput{
+				Variables: map[string]*DisplayVariable{},
+			},
+			existingInput: &BlueprintUIInput{
+				Variables: map[string]*DisplayVariable{
+					"test_var_1": {
+						Name: "test_var_1",
+						AltDefaults: []*DisplayVariable_AlternateDefault{
+							{
+								Type:  0,
+								Value: structpb.NewStringValue("alt_default_value"),
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			expectInput: &BlueprintUIInput{
+				Variables: map[string]*DisplayVariable{},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			mergeExistingAltDefaults(tt.newInput, tt.existingInput)
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.newInput, tt.expectInput)
+		})
+	}
+}