diff --git a/packages/react-aria-components/src/Tree.tsx b/packages/react-aria-components/src/Tree.tsx
index f743c06c70b..c05ce61afa2 100644
--- a/packages/react-aria-components/src/Tree.tsx
+++ b/packages/react-aria-components/src/Tree.tsx
@@ -1004,6 +1004,7 @@ export const TreeItem = /*#__PURE__*/ createBranchComponent(
                   CheckboxContext,
                   {
                     slots: {
+                      [DEFAULT_SLOT]: {},
                       selection: checkboxProps
                     }
                   }
@@ -1012,6 +1013,7 @@ export const TreeItem = /*#__PURE__*/ createBranchComponent(
                   CheckboxFieldContext,
                   {
                     slots: {
+                      [DEFAULT_SLOT]: {},
                       selection: checkboxProps
                     }
                   }
diff --git a/packages/react-aria-components/test/Tree.test.tsx b/packages/react-aria-components/test/Tree.test.tsx
index 2e0f634ad75..ee5a6d7f891 100644
--- a/packages/react-aria-components/test/Tree.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/react-aria-components/test/Tree.test.tsx
@@ -664,6 +664,21 @@ describe('Tree', () => {
     }
   );
 
+  it('should allow unslotted checkboxes in item content', () => {
+    let {getByRole} = render(
+      <Tree aria-label="test tree">
+        <TreeItem id="item" textValue="Item">
+          <TreeItemContent>
+            <Text>Item</Text>
+            <Checkbox>Flag item</Checkbox>
+          </TreeItemContent>
+        </TreeItem>
+      </Tree>
+    );
+
+    expect(getByRole('checkbox', {name: 'Flag item'})).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
   it('should not render checkboxes for selection with selectionBehavior=replace ', async () => {
     let {getByRole, getAllByRole} = render(
       <StaticTree treeProps={{selectionMode: 'multiple', selectionBehavior: 'replace'}} />