diff --git a/src/apify/storage_clients/_apify/_alias_resolving.py b/src/apify/storage_clients/_apify/_alias_resolving.py
index 1170193b..c07edca3 100644
--- a/src/apify/storage_clients/_apify/_alias_resolving.py
+++ b/src/apify/storage_clients/_apify/_alias_resolving.py
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ async def open_by_alias(
     The alias mapping is stored in the default key-value store for persistence across Actor runs.
 
     Args:
-        alias: The alias name for the storage (e.g., '__default__', 'my-storage').
+        alias: The alias name for the storage (e.g., 'my-storage').
         storage_type: The type of storage to open.
         collection_client: The Apify API collection client for the storage type.
         get_resource_client_by_id: A callable that takes a storage ID and returns the resource client.
@@ -131,6 +131,8 @@ class AliasResolver:
     _alias_init_lock: Lock | None = None
     """Lock for creating alias storages. Only one alias storage can be created at the time. Global for all instances."""
 
+    default_storage_key: ClassVar[str] = '__default__'
+
     def __init__(
         self,
         storage_type: Literal['Dataset', 'KeyValueStore', 'RequestQueue'],
@@ -195,7 +197,7 @@ async def resolve_id(self) -> str | None:
         """
         # First try to find the alias in the configuration mapping to avoid any API calls.
         # This mapping is maintained by the Apify platform and does not have to be maintained in the default KVS.
-        if self._configuration.actor_storages and self._alias != 'default':
+        if self._configuration.actor_storages:
             storage_maps = {
                 'Dataset': self._configuration.actor_storages['datasets'],
                 'KeyValueStore': self._configuration.actor_storages['key_value_stores'],
diff --git a/src/apify/storage_clients/_apify/_api_client_creation.py b/src/apify/storage_clients/_apify/_api_client_creation.py
index 39e2a087..542a203f 100644
--- a/src/apify/storage_clients/_apify/_api_client_creation.py
+++ b/src/apify/storage_clients/_apify/_api_client_creation.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 from apify_client import ApifyClientAsync
 from crawlee._utils.crypto import crypto_random_object_id
 
-from apify.storage_clients._apify._alias_resolving import open_by_alias
+from apify.storage_clients._apify._alias_resolving import AliasResolver, open_by_alias
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from apify_client.clients import DatasetClientAsync, KeyValueStoreClientAsync, RequestQueueClientAsync
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ def get_resource_client(storage_id: str) -> DatasetClientAsync:
         # Normalize unnamed default storage to unnamed storage aliased as `__default__`.
         case (None, None, None, None):
             return await open_by_alias(
-                alias='__default__',
+                alias=AliasResolver.default_storage_key,
                 storage_type=storage_type,
                 collection_client=collection_client,
                 get_resource_client_by_id=get_resource_client,
diff --git a/tests/e2e/test_schema_storages/actor_source/main.py b/tests/e2e/test_schema_storages/actor_source/main.py
index 43a82207..454d3bf7 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/test_schema_storages/actor_source/main.py
+++ b/tests/e2e/test_schema_storages/actor_source/main.py
@@ -7,3 +7,7 @@ async def main() -> None:
         dataset = await Actor.open_dataset(alias='custom')
         expected_id = Actor.configuration.actor_storages['datasets']['custom']
         assert dataset.id == expected_id
+
+        implicit_default_dataset = await Actor.open_dataset()
+        explicit_default_dataset = await Actor.open_dataset(alias='default')
+        assert implicit_default_dataset.id == explicit_default_dataset.id
diff --git a/tests/integration/test_storages.py b/tests/integration/test_storages.py
index 7ad807fe..d09036d8 100644
--- a/tests/integration/test_storages.py
+++ b/tests/integration/test_storages.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 from apify import Actor, Configuration
 from apify.storage_clients import ApifyStorageClient, MemoryStorageClient, SmartApifyStorageClient
+from apify.storage_clients._apify._alias_resolving import AliasResolver
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
@@ -125,3 +126,11 @@ async def test_actor_implicit_storage_init(apify_token: str) -> None:
         assert await Actor.open_dataset() is not await Actor.open_dataset(force_cloud=True)
         assert await Actor.open_key_value_store() is not await Actor.open_key_value_store(force_cloud=True)
         assert await Actor.open_request_queue() is not await Actor.open_request_queue(force_cloud=True)
+
+
+async def test_default_storage(apify_token: str) -> None:
+    service_locator.set_configuration(Configuration(token=apify_token))
+    async with Actor:
+        dataset_1 = await Actor.open_dataset(force_cloud=True)
+        dataset_2 = await Actor.open_dataset(force_cloud=True, alias=AliasResolver.default_storage_key)
+        assert dataset_1.id == dataset_2.id