diff --git a/include/open62541/util.h b/include/open62541/util.h
index ac339f214be..ff5ce52de78 100644
--- a/include/open62541/util.h
+++ b/include/open62541/util.h
@@ -299,8 +299,9 @@ UA_RelativePath_print(const UA_RelativePath *rp, UA_String *out);
  * values reported for each event instance.
  *
  * The TypeDefinitionId is a NodeId and restricts the starting point for the
- * lookup to instances of the TypeDefinitionNode or one of its subtypes. The
- * NodeId defaults to the wildcard ns=0;i=0. The NodeId is extended-and-escaped.
+ * lookup to instances of the TypeDefinitionNode or one of its subtypes. If not
+ * defined, the NodeId defaults to the BaseEventType. The NodeId is
+ * extended-and-escaped.
  *
  * The BrowsePath is a list of BrowseNames (QualifiedName expression with
  * extended-and-escaping of the name) to be followed from the TypeDefinitionNode
@@ -310,8 +311,10 @@ UA_RelativePath_print(const UA_RelativePath *rp, UA_String *out);
  * to only follow into Variable- and ObjectNodes. If the BrowsePath is empty,
  * the value is taken from the instance of the TypeDefinition itself.
  *
- * The attribute is the textual name of the possible node attributes.
- * For the index range, see the section on :ref:`numericrange`.::
+ * The attribute is the textual name of the selected node attribute.
+ * If undefined, the attribute defaults to the Value attribute.
+ * For the index range, see the section on :ref:`numericrange`.
+ * The BNF definition of the SimpleAttributeOperand is as follows::
  *
  *   SimpleAttributeOperand :=
  *     TypeDefinitionId? SimpleBrowsePath ("#" Attribute)? ("[" IndexRange "]")?
diff --git a/src/util/ua_types_lex.c b/src/util/ua_types_lex.c
index 3976a29bd41..d233b218ca4 100644
--- a/src/util/ua_types_lex.c
+++ b/src/util/ua_types_lex.c
@@ -937,6 +937,9 @@ UA_SimpleAttributeOperand_parse(UA_SimpleAttributeOperand *sao,
         res = UA_NodeId_parse(&sao->typeDefinitionId, typeString);
         if(res != UA_STATUSCODE_GOOD)
             goto cleanup;
+    } else {
+        /* BaseEventType is the default */
+        sao->typeDefinitionId = UA_NODEID_NUMERIC(0, UA_NS0ID_BASEEVENTTYPE);
     }
 
     /* Parse the BrowsePath */
@@ -994,6 +997,9 @@ UA_SimpleAttributeOperand_parse(UA_SimpleAttributeOperand *sao,
             res = UA_STATUSCODE_BADDECODINGERROR;
             goto cleanup;
         }
+    } else {
+        /* The value attribute is the default */
+        sao->attributeId = UA_ATTRIBUTEID_VALUE;
     }
 
     /* Check whether the IndexRange can be parsed.
diff --git a/src/util/ua_types_lex.re b/src/util/ua_types_lex.re
index f9cd1fd0eb6..0a7ab36af8d 100644
--- a/src/util/ua_types_lex.re
+++ b/src/util/ua_types_lex.re
@@ -434,6 +434,9 @@ UA_SimpleAttributeOperand_parse(UA_SimpleAttributeOperand *sao,
         res = UA_NodeId_parse(&sao->typeDefinitionId, typeString);
         if(res != UA_STATUSCODE_GOOD)
             goto cleanup;
+    } else {
+        /* BaseEventType is the default */
+        sao->typeDefinitionId = UA_NODEID_NUMERIC(0, UA_NS0ID_BASEEVENTTYPE);
     }
 
     /* Parse the BrowsePath */
@@ -491,6 +494,9 @@ UA_SimpleAttributeOperand_parse(UA_SimpleAttributeOperand *sao,
             res = UA_STATUSCODE_BADDECODINGERROR;
             goto cleanup;
         }
+    } else {
+        /* The value attribute is the default */
+        sao->attributeId = UA_ATTRIBUTEID_VALUE;
     }
 
     /* Check whether the IndexRange can be parsed.