diff --git a/cmake/scripts/codegen/generate_tx_classes.py b/cmake/scripts/codegen/generate_tx_classes.py
index 6c7546cc41..1d5d97ec59 100644
--- a/cmake/scripts/codegen/generate_tx_classes.py
+++ b/cmake/scripts/codegen/generate_tx_classes.py
@@ -105,6 +105,15 @@ def parse_settings(settings_str):
     if len(re.findall(r"\.\w+", body)) != len(seen):
         raise ValueError(f"Could not parse every setting in {settings_str!r}")
 
+    # A blob with content but no designated initializer is positional, which
+    # would otherwise be read as "all defaults" and silently generate the
+    # wrong output.
+    if body.strip() and not seen:
+        raise ValueError(
+            "TxSettings requires designated initializers (.member = value), "
+            f"got {settings_str!r}"
+        )
+
     return settings
 
 
diff --git a/include/xrpl/protocol/TxSettings.h b/include/xrpl/protocol/TxSettings.h
index 984c483334..142a4b3b25 100644
--- a/include/xrpl/protocol/TxSettings.h
+++ b/include/xrpl/protocol/TxSettings.h
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ enum Delegation { Delegable, NotDelegable };
  * These are declared per-transaction in transactions.macro (via
  * TxSettings::privileges) and enforced in InvariantCheck.cpp.
  */
-// Bitwise flags, 86 files, used in macros files
+// Bitwise flags, used in macro files
 // NOLINTNEXTLINE(cppcoreguidelines-use-enum-class)
 enum Privilege {
     NoPriv = 0x0000,              // The transaction can not do any of the enumerated operations
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ struct TxSettings
     /**
      * The amendment gating this transaction, or uint256{} if always available.
      */
-    uint256 amendment{};
+    uint256 amendment;
 
     /**
      * Operations this transaction is permitted to perform.
diff --git a/include/xrpl/protocol/detail/transactions.macro b/include/xrpl/protocol/detail/transactions.macro
index 3ca5def3c4..03c31a0131 100644
--- a/include/xrpl/protocol/detail/transactions.macro
+++ b/include/xrpl/protocol/detail/transactions.macro
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
  *     struct TxSettings
  *     {
  *         Delegation delegable = Delegable;
- *         uint256 amendment{};
+ *         uint256 amendment;
  *         Privilege privileges = NoPriv;
  *     };
  *
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@
  *
  *     ({.delegable = Delegation::NotDelegable, .amendment = featureFoo})
  *
+ * You must use designated initializers, as shown above. Positional
+ * initialization such as `({Delegation::NotDelegable})` is not supported,
+ * because the code generator reads these settings by member name.
+ *
  * The `privileges` setting is a bitfield defining which operations the
  * transaction can perform. The values are defined in TxSettings.h and
  * enforced in InvariantCheck.cpp.