diff --git a/lamindb/models/feature.py b/lamindb/models/feature.py
index ae0078b7d..e5c86d1e1 100644
--- a/lamindb/models/feature.py
+++ b/lamindb/models/feature.py
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
     Registry,
     Space,
     SQLRecord,
+    UNSET,
     _get_record_kwargs,
     pop_space_branch_kwargs,
 )
@@ -670,7 +671,7 @@ def process_init_feature_param(args, kwargs):
     name: str = kwargs.pop("name", None)
     dtype: SimpleDtype | SimpleDtypeStr | str | None = kwargs.pop("dtype", None)
     is_type: bool = kwargs.pop("is_type", False)
-    type_: Feature | str | None = kwargs.pop("type", None)
+    type_: Feature | str | None = kwargs.pop("type", UNSET)
     description: str | None = kwargs.pop("description", None)
     space_branch_kwargs = pop_space_branch_kwargs(kwargs)
     _skip_validation = kwargs.pop("_skip_validation", False)
diff --git a/lamindb/models/record.py b/lamindb/models/record.py
index 93213b083..13d50722a 100644
--- a/lamindb/models/record.py
+++ b/lamindb/models/record.py
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
     IsLink,
     Space,
     SQLRecord,
+    UNSET,
     _get_record_kwargs,
     pop_space_branch_kwargs,
 )
@@ -900,7 +901,7 @@ def __init__(
         if len(args) > 0:
             raise ValueError("Only one non-keyword arg allowed")
         name: str = kwargs.pop("name", None)
-        type: str | None = kwargs.pop("type", None)
+        type: str | None = kwargs.pop("type", UNSET)
         is_type: bool = kwargs.pop("is_type", False)
         features: dict[str | Feature, Any] | None = kwargs.pop("features", None)
         description: str | None = kwargs.pop("description", None)
diff --git a/lamindb/models/schema.py b/lamindb/models/schema.py
index c92a49554..42225807c 100644
--- a/lamindb/models/schema.py
+++ b/lamindb/models/schema.py
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
     Registry,
     Space,
     SQLRecord,
+    UNSET,
     _get_record_kwargs,
     init_self_from_db,
     pop_space_branch_kwargs,
@@ -672,7 +673,7 @@ def __init__(
         description: str | None = kwargs.pop("description", None)
         itype: str | SQLRecord | DeferredAttribute | None = kwargs.pop("itype", None)
         flexible: bool | None = kwargs.pop("flexible", None)
-        type: Feature | None = kwargs.pop("type", None)
+        type: Feature | None = kwargs.pop("type", UNSET)
         is_type: bool = kwargs.pop("is_type", False)
         otype: str | None = kwargs.pop("otype", None)
         suffix: str | None = kwargs.pop("suffix", None)
@@ -857,7 +858,7 @@ def _validate_kwargs_calculate_hash(
         validated_kwargs = {
             "name": name,
             "description": description,
-            "type": type,
+            "type": None if type is UNSET else type,
             "is_type": is_type,
             "_dtype_str": dtype,
             "otype": otype,
diff --git a/lamindb/models/sqlrecord.py b/lamindb/models/sqlrecord.py
index 0255522a3..e7be87647 100644
--- a/lamindb/models/sqlrecord.py
+++ b/lamindb/models/sqlrecord.py
@@ -107,6 +107,10 @@
 
 
 T = TypeVar("T", bound="SQLRecord")
+
+# Sentinel to distinguish "user didn't pass type=" from "user explicitly passed type=None".
+# Uses object() so identity checks (is) never call __eq__ on model instances.
+UNSET = object()
 IPYTHON = getattr(builtins, "__IPYTHON__", False)
 UNIQUE_FIELD_NAMES = {
     "root",
@@ -1158,6 +1162,10 @@ class Meta:
 
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         skip_validation = kwargs.pop("_skip_validation", False)
+        # strip sentinel before validate_fields and Django's Model.__init__ see it
+        # `is` never calls __eq__, so FeaturePredicate objects are safe
+        if isinstance(self, HasType) and kwargs.get("type", UNSET) is UNSET:
+            kwargs.pop("type", None)
         if not args:
 
             def resolve_fk_or_id(field_name: str) -> bool:
diff --git a/lamindb/models/ulabel.py b/lamindb/models/ulabel.py
index be30e2698..4582a3c8a 100644
--- a/lamindb/models/ulabel.py
+++ b/lamindb/models/ulabel.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
     HasType,
     IsLink,
     SQLRecord,
+    UNSET,
     _get_record_kwargs,
     pop_space_branch_kwargs,
 )
@@ -249,7 +250,7 @@ def __init__(
         if len(args) > 0:
             raise ValueError("Only one non-keyword arg allowed")
         name: str = kwargs.pop("name", None)
-        type: str | None = kwargs.pop("type", None)
+        type: str | None = kwargs.pop("type", UNSET)
         is_type: bool = kwargs.pop("is_type", False)
         description: str | None = kwargs.pop("description", None)
         reference: str | None = kwargs.pop("reference", None)