diff --git a/lib/ridl/node.rb b/lib/ridl/node.rb
index 1e1f5c1..4f488a5 100644
--- a/lib/ridl/node.rb
+++ b/lib/ridl/node.rb
@@ -2722,6 +2722,7 @@ def has_default?
 
     def default_label
       swtype = @switchtype.resolved_type
+      return nil if IDL::Type::WChar === swtype
       lbls = members.collect { |m| m.labels.include?(:default) ? [] : m.labels.collect { |l| l.value } }.flatten
       lbls = lbls.sort unless IDL::Type::Boolean === swtype ## work around bug in Ruby 1.9.2
       def_lbl = swtype.min
diff --git a/lib/ridl/parser.rb b/lib/ridl/parser.rb
index 1400ac7..65af372 100644
--- a/lib/ridl/parser.rb
+++ b/lib/ridl/parser.rb
@@ -4044,13 +4044,13 @@ def _reduce_359(val, _values)
 
 module_eval(<<'.,.,', 'parser.ry', 665)
   def _reduce_365(val, _values)
-     if @idlversion < 4 then raise "union with octect discriminator type is only supported with IDL4 or newer" end
+     if @idlversion < 4 then raise "union with octect discriminator type is only supported with IDL4 or newer" else ::IDL::Type::Octet.new end
   end
 .,.,
 
 module_eval(<<'.,.,', 'parser.ry', 666)
   def _reduce_366(val, _values)
-     if @idlversion < 4 then raise "union with octect discriminator type is only supported with IDL4 or newer" end
+     if @idlversion < 4 then raise "union with octect discriminator type is only supported with IDL4 or newer" else ::IDL::Type::WChar.new end
   end
 .,.,
 
diff --git a/lib/ridl/parser.ry b/lib/ridl/parser.ry
index 166f53c..602a207 100644
--- a/lib/ridl/parser.ry
+++ b/lib/ridl/parser.ry
@@ -663,8 +663,8 @@ rule
                    | boolean_type
                    | enum_type
                    | scoped_name
-                   | octet_type { if @idlversion < 4 then raise "union with octect discriminator type is only supported with IDL4 or newer" end }
-                   | wide_char_type { if @idlversion < 4 then raise "union with octect discriminator type is only supported with IDL4 or newer" end }
+                   | octet_type { if @idlversion < 4 then raise "union with octect discriminator type is only supported with IDL4 or newer" else ::IDL::Type::Octet.new end }
+                   | wide_char_type { if @idlversion < 4 then raise "union with octect discriminator type is only supported with IDL4 or newer" else ::IDL::Type::WChar.new end }
 
   union_body : union_case
              | union_body union_case