diff --git a/src/cli/rustup_mode.rs b/src/cli/rustup_mode.rs
index 091e41734e..b35bd6b817 100644
--- a/src/cli/rustup_mode.rs
+++ b/src/cli/rustup_mode.rs
@@ -858,13 +858,13 @@ async fn default_(
                 cfg.set_default(Some(&toolchain_name.into()))?;
             }
             MaybeResolvableToolchainName::Some(ResolvableToolchainName::Official(toolchain)) => {
-                let desc = toolchain.resolve(&cfg.default_host_tuple()?)?;
+                let desc = toolchain.clone().resolve(&cfg.default_host_tuple()?)?;
                 let status = cfg
                     .ensure_installed(&desc, vec![], vec![], None, force_non_host, true)
                     .await?
                     .status;
 
-                cfg.set_default(Some(&desc.clone().into()))?;
+                cfg.set_default(Some(&toolchain.into()))?;
 
                 writeln!(cfg.process.stdout().lock())?;
 
@@ -1063,7 +1063,7 @@ async fn update(
                     force_non_host,
                 )?;
             }
-            let desc = name.resolve(&cfg.default_host_tuple()?)?;
+            let desc = name.clone().resolve(&cfg.default_host_tuple()?)?;
 
             let components = opts.component.iter().map(|s| &**s).collect::<Vec<_>>();
             let targets = opts.target.iter().map(|s| &**s).collect::<Vec<_>>();
@@ -1104,7 +1104,7 @@ async fn update(
             }
 
             if cfg.get_default()?.is_none() && matches!(status, UpdateStatus::Installed) {
-                cfg.set_default(Some(&desc.into()))?;
+                cfg.set_default(Some(&name.into()))?;
             }
         }
         exit_code &= self_update_mode.update(should_self_update, &dl_cfg).await?;
diff --git a/src/cli/self_update.rs b/src/cli/self_update.rs
index ef1e0a950c..38d1e6ec46 100644
--- a/src/cli/self_update.rs
+++ b/src/cli/self_update.rs
@@ -70,7 +70,6 @@ use crate::{
     process::Process,
     toolchain::{
         DistributableToolchain, MaybeOfficialToolchainName, ResolvableToolchainName, Toolchain,
-        ToolchainName,
     },
     utils::{self, ExitCode},
 };
@@ -107,7 +106,7 @@ pub(crate) struct InstallOpts<'a> {
 }
 
 impl InstallOpts<'_> {
-    fn install(self, cfg: &mut Cfg<'_>) -> Result<Option<ToolchainDesc>> {
+    fn install(self, cfg: &mut Cfg<'_>) -> Result<Option<PartialToolchainDesc>> {
         let Self {
             default_host_tuple,
             default_toolchain,
@@ -165,18 +164,14 @@ impl InstallOpts<'_> {
                         MaybeOfficialToolchainName::None => unreachable!(),
                         MaybeOfficialToolchainName::Some(n) => n,
                     };
-                    Some(toolchain_name.resolve(&cfg.default_host_tuple()?)?)
+                    Some(toolchain_name)
                 }
-                None => match cfg.get_default()? {
+                None => match cfg.get_default_resolvable()? {
                     // Default is installable
-                    Some(ToolchainName::Official(t)) => Some(t),
+                    Some(ResolvableToolchainName::Official(t)) => Some(t),
                     // Default is custom, presumably from a prior install. Do nothing.
-                    Some(ToolchainName::Custom(_)) => None,
-                    None => Some(
-                        "stable"
-                            .parse::<PartialToolchainDesc>()?
-                            .resolve(&cfg.default_host_tuple()?)?,
-                    ),
+                    Some(ResolvableToolchainName::Custom(_)) => None,
+                    None => Some(PartialToolchainDesc::from_str("stable")?),
                 },
             })
         } else {
@@ -1022,7 +1017,8 @@ async fn maybe_install_rust(opts: InstallOpts<'_>, cfg: &mut Cfg<'_>) -> Result<
 
     let (components, targets) = (opts.components, opts.targets);
     let toolchain = opts.install(cfg)?;
-    if let Some(desc) = &toolchain {
+    if let Some(partial_desc) = toolchain {
+        let desc = &partial_desc.clone().resolve(&cfg.default_host_tuple()?)?;
         let options = DistOptions::new(components, targets, desc, cfg.get_profile()?, true, cfg)?;
         let status = if Toolchain::exists(cfg, &desc.into())? {
             warn!("Updating existing toolchain, profile choice will be ignored");
@@ -1041,7 +1037,7 @@ async fn maybe_install_rust(opts: InstallOpts<'_>, cfg: &mut Cfg<'_>) -> Result<
 
         check_proxy_sanity(cfg.process, components, desc)?;
 
-        cfg.set_default(Some(&desc.clone().into()))?;
+        cfg.set_default(Some(&partial_desc.into()))?;
         writeln!(cfg.process.stdout().lock())?;
         common::show_channel_update(cfg, PackageUpdate::Toolchain(desc.clone()), Ok(status))?;
     }
@@ -1521,11 +1517,7 @@ mod tests {
             };
 
             assert_eq!(
-                "stable"
-                    .parse::<PartialToolchainDesc>()
-                    .unwrap()
-                    .resolve(&cfg.default_host_tuple().unwrap())
-                    .unwrap(),
+                "stable".parse::<PartialToolchainDesc>().unwrap(),
                 opts.install(&mut cfg)
                     .unwrap() // result
                     .unwrap() // option
diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index 7797e7ab59..dd54e1c0fe 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -380,7 +380,7 @@ impl<'a> Cfg<'a> {
         Ok(cfg)
     }
 
-    pub(crate) fn set_default(&self, toolchain: Option<&ToolchainName>) -> Result<()> {
+    pub(crate) fn set_default(&self, toolchain: Option<&ResolvableToolchainName>) -> Result<()> {
         self.settings_file.with_mut(|s| {
             s.default_toolchain = toolchain.map(|t| t.to_string());
             Ok(())
@@ -891,6 +891,16 @@ impl<'a> Cfg<'a> {
     /// If none is configured, returns None
     /// If a bad toolchain name is configured, errors.
     pub(crate) fn get_default(&self) -> Result<Option<ToolchainName>> {
+        let Some(toolchain) = self.get_default_resolvable()? else {
+            return Ok(None);
+        };
+        Ok(Some(toolchain.resolve(&self.default_host_tuple()?)?))
+    }
+
+    /// Gets the configured default toolchain.
+    /// If none is configured, returns None
+    /// If a bad toolchain name is configured, errors.
+    pub(crate) fn get_default_resolvable(&self) -> Result<Option<ResolvableToolchainName>> {
         let user_opt = self.settings_file.with(|s| Ok(s.default_toolchain.clone()));
         let toolchain_maybe_str = if let Some(fallback_settings) = &self.fallback_settings {
             match user_opt {
@@ -900,11 +910,10 @@ impl<'a> Cfg<'a> {
         } else {
             user_opt
         }?;
-        toolchain_maybe_str
-            .map(ResolvableToolchainName::try_from)
-            .transpose()?
-            .map(|t| t.resolve(&self.default_host_tuple()?))
-            .transpose()
+        let Some(toolchain) = toolchain_maybe_str else {
+            return Ok(None);
+        };
+        Ok(Some(ResolvableToolchainName::try_from(toolchain)?))
     }
 
     /// List all the installed toolchains: that is paths in the toolchain dir
diff --git a/src/toolchain/names.rs b/src/toolchain/names.rs
index 37d92b9912..e80c503d8b 100644
--- a/src/toolchain/names.rs
+++ b/src/toolchain/names.rs
@@ -304,6 +304,17 @@ impl ResolvableLocalToolchainName {
     }
 }
 
+from_variant!(
+    PartialToolchainDesc,
+    ResolvableToolchainName,
+    ResolvableToolchainName::Official
+);
+from_variant!(
+    CustomToolchainName,
+    ResolvableToolchainName,
+    ResolvableToolchainName::Custom
+);
+
 try_from_str!(ResolvableLocalToolchainName);
 
 impl Display for ResolvableLocalToolchainName {