diff --git a/node-graph/libraries/core-types/src/lane.rs b/node-graph/libraries/core-types/src/lane.rs
index 5c220db367..c1537fdfd9 100644
--- a/node-graph/libraries/core-types/src/lane.rs
+++ b/node-graph/libraries/core-types/src/lane.rs
@@ -6,9 +6,13 @@ use crate::attribute::Attribute;
 /// One marker's column on a source, resolved once so lane reads skip the key
 /// lookup.
 pub trait LaneColumn<'a, A: Attribute> {
-	/// The lane's value, or the marker's census default where the column is
-	/// absent.
-	fn get(&self, lane: usize) -> A::Value<'a>;
+	/// The lane's value, `None` where the source carries no such column.
+	fn try_get(&self, lane: usize) -> Option<A::Value<'a>>;
+
+	/// The lane's value, falling back to the marker's census default.
+	fn get(&self, lane: usize) -> A::Value<'a> {
+		self.try_get(lane).unwrap_or_else(A::default)
+	}
 }
 
 /// A source of lanes carrying an element and census attributes.
@@ -27,6 +31,11 @@ pub trait LaneSource {
 	fn attr<A: Attribute>(&self, lane: usize) -> A::Value<'_> {
 		self.column::<A>().get(lane)
 	}
+
+	/// Distinguishes an absent column from one holding the census default.
+	fn try_attr<A: Attribute>(&self, lane: usize) -> Option<A::Value<'_>> {
+		self.column::<A>().try_get(lane)
+	}
 }
 
 #[cfg(test)]
diff --git a/node-graph/libraries/core-types/src/list.rs b/node-graph/libraries/core-types/src/list.rs
index 43ff7467d3..d685c29fad 100644
--- a/node-graph/libraries/core-types/src/list.rs
+++ b/node-graph/libraries/core-types/src/list.rs
@@ -1180,8 +1180,8 @@ pub struct ListColumn<'a, A: crate::attribute::Attribute> {
 }
 
 impl<'a, A: crate::attribute::Attribute> crate::lane::LaneColumn<'a, A> for ListColumn<'a, A> {
-	fn get(&self, lane: usize) -> A::Value<'a> {
-		self.stored.and_then(|column| column.get_any(lane)).and_then(A::from_stored).unwrap_or_else(A::default)
+	fn try_get(&self, lane: usize) -> Option<A::Value<'a>> {
+		self.stored.and_then(|column| column.get_any(lane)).and_then(A::from_stored)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/node-graph/libraries/core-types/src/record.rs b/node-graph/libraries/core-types/src/record.rs
index 2dfcde7f82..54cbb1986b 100644
--- a/node-graph/libraries/core-types/src/record.rs
+++ b/node-graph/libraries/core-types/src/record.rs
@@ -1888,13 +1888,10 @@ pub struct RunColumn<'a, A: crate::attribute::Attribute> {
 }
 
 impl<'a, A: crate::attribute::Attribute> crate::lane::LaneColumn<'a, A> for RunColumn<'a, A> {
-	fn get(&self, lane: usize) -> A::Value<'a> {
-		match self.offset {
-			// SAFETY: the offset comes from the item's own layout, whose field at
-			// this name holds this marker's value type by census registration.
-			Some(offset) => unsafe { self.item.lanes().get(lane).rec().ptr().add(offset).cast::<A::Value<'a>>().read() },
-			None => A::default(),
-		}
+	fn try_get(&self, lane: usize) -> Option<A::Value<'a>> {
+		// SAFETY: the offset comes from the item's own layout, whose field at
+		// this name holds this marker's value type by census registration.
+		self.offset.map(|offset| unsafe { self.item.lanes().get(lane).rec().ptr().add(offset).cast::<A::Value<'a>>().read() })
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/node-graph/libraries/rendering/src/renderer.rs b/node-graph/libraries/rendering/src/renderer.rs
index c14372a971..3d47871b3e 100644
--- a/node-graph/libraries/rendering/src/renderer.rs
+++ b/node-graph/libraries/rendering/src/renderer.rs
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@ use crate::render_ext::{PaintTarget, RenderExt};
 use crate::to_peniko::{BlendModeExt, ToPenikoColor};
 use core_types::CacheHash;
 use core_types::attribute::{
-	Background as BackgroundAttr, BlendMode as BlendModeAttr, Clip, ClippingMask, Dimensions, EditorLayerPath, FontSize, LetterSpacing, LetterTilt, LineHeight, Location, MaxHeight, MaxWidth, Opacity,
-	OpacityFill, Transform,
+	Background as BackgroundAttr, BlendMode as BlendModeAttr, Clip, ClippingMask, Dimensions, EditorLayerPath, EditorTextFrame, FontSize, LetterSpacing, LetterTilt, LineHeight, Location, MaxHeight,
+	MaxWidth, Opacity, OpacityFill, Transform,
 };
 use core_types::blending::BlendMode;
 use core_types::bounds::BoundingBox;
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ use core_types::math::quad::Quad;
 use core_types::render_complexity::RenderComplexity;
 use core_types::transform::Footprint;
 use core_types::uuid::{NodeId, generate_uuid};
-use core_types::{ATTR_EDITOR_LAYER_PATH, ATTR_EDITOR_TEXT_FRAME, ATTR_TRANSFORM};
+use core_types::{ATTR_EDITOR_LAYER_PATH, ATTR_TRANSFORM};
 use dyn_any::DynAny;
 use glam::{DAffine2, DMat2, DVec2};
 use graphene_hash::CacheHashWrapper;
@@ -43,7 +43,8 @@ use std::ops::Deref;
 use std::sync::{Arc, LazyLock};
 use text_nodes::markers::{Font, TextAlign};
 use vector_types::gradient::GradientSpreadMethod;
-use vector_types::{ATTR_EDITOR_CLICK_TARGET, ATTR_GRADIENT_TYPE, ATTR_SPREAD_METHOD};
+use vector_types::markers::EditorClickTarget;
+use vector_types::{ATTR_GRADIENT_TYPE, ATTR_SPREAD_METHOD};
 use vello::*;
 
 #[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, PartialEq)]
@@ -1588,7 +1589,7 @@ impl Render for List<Vector> {
 				}
 
 				// Use click-target override if the item provides one (e.g. 'Text' node's per-glyph bboxes)
-				let click_target_vector = self.attribute::<Vector>(ATTR_EDITOR_CLICK_TARGET, index).unwrap_or(source);
+				let click_target_vector = self.attr::<EditorClickTarget>(index).unwrap_or(source);
 
 				let item_relative_transform = item_zero_inverse * transform;
 
@@ -1617,7 +1618,7 @@ impl Render for List<Vector> {
 				}
 
 				// Surface `editor:text_frame` for the Text tool's drag cage
-				if let Some(&frame) = self.attribute::<DAffine2>(ATTR_EDITOR_TEXT_FRAME, index) {
+				if let Some(frame) = self.try_attr::<EditorTextFrame>(index) {
 					metadata.text_frames.entry(element_id).or_insert(frame);
 				}
 			}
@@ -1647,7 +1648,7 @@ impl Render for List<Vector> {
 			let transform: DAffine2 = self.attr::<Transform>(index);
 
 			// Use click-target override geometry if the item provides one (e.g. 'Text' node's per-glyph bounding boxes)
-			let vector = self.attribute::<Vector>(ATTR_EDITOR_CLICK_TARGET, index).unwrap_or(source);
+			let vector = self.attr::<EditorClickTarget>(index).unwrap_or(source);
 
 			extend_targets_from_vector(click_targets, self, index, vector, transform);
 		}
diff --git a/node-graph/nodes/text/src/path_builder.rs b/node-graph/nodes/text/src/path_builder.rs
index eb037bcf19..4694ad374d 100644
--- a/node-graph/nodes/text/src/path_builder.rs
+++ b/node-graph/nodes/text/src/path_builder.rs
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ impl PathBuilder {
 			for (entry, widened) in entries.iter().zip(layer_bboxes.iter()) {
 				let glyph_local = [widened[0] - entry.1, widened[1] - entry.1];
 				let rect = Subpath::new_rectangle(glyph_local[0], glyph_local[1]);
-				self.vector_list.set_attribute(ATTR_EDITOR_CLICK_TARGET, entry.0, Vector::from_subpaths([rect], false));
+				self.vector_list.set_attribute(ATTR_EDITOR_CLICK_TARGET, entry.0, Some(Vector::from_subpaths([rect], false)));
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ impl PathBuilder {
 			widen_horizontal_gaps(&mut bboxes, &self.merged_click_target_baselines);
 
 			let widened_subpaths: Vec<_> = bboxes.iter().map(|[min, max]| Subpath::new_rectangle(*min, *max)).collect();
-			self.vector_list.set_attribute(ATTR_EDITOR_CLICK_TARGET, 0, Vector::from_subpaths(widened_subpaths, false));
+			self.vector_list.set_attribute(ATTR_EDITOR_CLICK_TARGET, 0, Some(Vector::from_subpaths(widened_subpaths, false)));
 		}
 
 		// Fill in text frame for items that don't have one yet (single-item mode, where item 0 = identity)