diff --git a/src/pygama/evt/aggregators.py b/src/pygama/evt/aggregators.py
index 9a82e9ce2..33044be48 100644
--- a/src/pygama/evt/aggregators.py
+++ b/src/pygama/evt/aggregators.py
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@ def evaluate_at_channel_vov(
 
         else:
             length = len(np.where(ch_comp.flattened_data.nda == ch)[0])
-            res = np.full(length, np.nan)
+            res = np.full(length, default_value)
             out[ch_comp.flattened_data.nda == ch] = res
 
         if ch == ch_comp_channels[0]:
diff --git a/tests/evt/configs/basic-evt-config.yaml b/tests/evt/configs/basic-evt-config.yaml
index bf229504e..08df66fff 100644
--- a/tests/evt/configs/basic-evt-config.yaml
+++ b/tests/evt/configs/basic-evt-config.yaml
@@ -72,14 +72,17 @@ operations:
     expression: hit.cuspEmax_ctc_cal
     initial: 0
   is_usable_aoe:
+    channels: geds_on
     aggregation_mode: keep_at_ch:evt.energy_id
     expression: "True"
     initial: false
   aoe:
+    channels: geds_on
     aggregation_mode: keep_at_ch:evt.energy_id
     expression: hit.AoE_Classifier
     initial: np.nan
   is_aoe_rejected:
+    channels: geds_on
     aggregation_mode: keep_at_ch:evt.energy_id
     expression: ~(hit.AoE_Double_Sided_Cut)
     initial: false
diff --git a/tests/evt/configs/vov-test-evt-config.json b/tests/evt/configs/vov-test-evt-config.json
index 6de44075b..1003f40d5 100644
--- a/tests/evt/configs/vov-test-evt-config.json
+++ b/tests/evt/configs/vov-test-evt-config.json
@@ -55,10 +55,12 @@
       "initial": 0
     },
     "aoe": {
+      "channels": "geds_on",
       "aggregation_mode": "keep_at_ch:evt.energy_id",
       "expression": "hit.AoE_Classifier"
     },
     "aoe_idx": {
+      "channels": "geds_on",
       "aggregation_mode": "keep_at_idx:evt.energy_idx",
       "expression": "hit.AoE_Classifier"
     },
@@ -71,6 +73,7 @@
       "dtype": "int16"
     },
     "is_saturated": {
+      "channels": "geds_on",
       "aggregation_mode": "keep_at_ch:evt.energy_id",
       "expression": "hit.is_saturated"
     },