diff --git a/src/jit/lib/resolveDefaultsAtRules.js b/src/jit/lib/resolveDefaultsAtRules.js
index 14e7bf19a..2f3f7543f 100644
--- a/src/jit/lib/resolveDefaultsAtRules.js
+++ b/src/jit/lib/resolveDefaultsAtRules.js
@@ -1,14 +1,43 @@
 import postcss from 'postcss'
 import selectorParser from 'postcss-selector-parser'
 
+function minimumImpactSelector(nodes) {
+  let pseudos = nodes.filter((n) => n.type === 'pseudo')
+  let [bestNode] = nodes
+
+  for (let [type, getNode = (n) => n] of [
+    ['class'],
+    [
+      'id',
+      (n) =>
+        selectorParser.attribute({
+          attribute: 'id',
+          operator: '=',
+          value: n.value,
+          quoteMark: '"',
+        }),
+    ],
+    ['attribute'],
+  ]) {
+    let match = nodes.find((n) => n.type === type)
+
+    if (match) {
+      bestNode = getNode(match)
+      break
+    }
+  }
+
+  return [bestNode, ...pseudos].join('').trim()
+}
+
 let elementSelectorParser = selectorParser((selectors) => {
   return selectors.map((s) => {
-    return s
+    let nodes = s
       .split((n) => n.type === 'combinator')
       .pop()
       .filter((n) => n.type !== 'pseudo' || n.value.startsWith('::'))
-      .join('')
-      .trim()
+
+    return minimumImpactSelector(nodes)
   })
 })
 
@@ -28,7 +57,7 @@ export default function resolveDefaultsAtRules() {
     let universals = new Set()
 
     root.walkAtRules('defaults', (rule) => {
-      if (rule.nodes.length > 0) {
+      if (rule.nodes && rule.nodes.length > 0) {
         universals.add(rule)
         return
       }
diff --git a/tests/jit/resolve-defaults-at-rules.test.js b/tests/jit/resolve-defaults-at-rules.test.js
index 4ca62e163..240422994 100644
--- a/tests/jit/resolve-defaults-at-rules.test.js
+++ b/tests/jit/resolve-defaults-at-rules.test.js
@@ -605,3 +605,104 @@ test('when a utility uses defaults but they do not exist', async () => {
     `)
   })
 })
+
+test('selectors are reduced to the lowest possible specificity', async () => {
+  let config = {
+    mode: 'jit',
+    purge: [
+      {
+        raw: '<div class="foo"></div>',
+      },
+    ],
+    theme: {},
+    plugins: [],
+    corePlugins: [],
+  }
+
+  let css = `
+    @defaults test {
+      --color: black;
+    }
+
+    /* --- */
+
+    .foo {
+      @defaults test;
+      background-color: var(--color);
+    }
+
+    #app {
+      @defaults test;
+      border-color: var(--color);
+    }
+
+    span#page {
+      @defaults test;
+      color: var(--color);
+    }
+
+    div[data-foo="bar"]#other {
+      @defaults test;
+      fill: var(--color);
+    }
+
+    div[data-bar="baz"] {
+      @defaults test;
+      stroke: var(--color);
+    }
+
+    article {
+      @defaults test;
+      --article: var(--color);
+    }
+
+    div[data-foo="bar"]#another::before {
+      @defaults test;
+      fill: var(--color);
+    }
+  `
+
+  return run(css, config).then((result) => {
+    expect(result.css).toMatchFormattedCss(`
+      .foo,
+      [id="app"],
+      [id="page"],
+      [id="other"],
+      [data-bar="baz"],
+      article,
+      [id="another"]::before {
+        --color: black;
+      }
+
+      /* --- */
+
+      .foo {
+        background-color: var(--color);
+      }
+
+      #app {
+        border-color: var(--color);
+      }
+
+      span#page {
+        color: var(--color);
+      }
+
+      div[data-foo="bar"]#other {
+        fill: var(--color);
+      }
+
+      div[data-bar="baz"] {
+        stroke: var(--color);
+      }
+
+      article {
+        --article: var(--color);
+      }
+
+      div[data-foo="bar"]#another::before {
+        fill: var(--color);
+      }
+    `)
+  })
+})