diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 957b53d..93b63a6 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "@placekit/autocomplete-react",
-  "version": "2.2.2",
+  "version": "2.3.0",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "@placekit/autocomplete-react",
-      "version": "2.2.2",
+      "version": "2.3.0",
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
         "@placekit/autocomplete-js": "^2.2.1",
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@
         "rollup-plugin-copy": "^3.5.0"
       },
       "peerDependencies": {
-        "react": "^16 || ^17 || ^18",
-        "react-dom": "^16 || ^17 || ^18"
+        "react": "^16 || ^17 || ^18 || ^19",
+        "react-dom": "^16 || ^17 || ^18 || ^19"
       }
     },
     "node_modules/@aashutoshrathi/word-wrap": {
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 2c9fa5c..22bac2f 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@placekit/autocomplete-react",
-  "version": "2.2.2",
+  "version": "2.3.0",
   "author": "PlaceKit <support@placekit.io>",
   "description": "PlaceKit Autocomplete React library",
   "keywords": [
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@
     "prop-types": "^15.8.1"
   },
   "peerDependencies": {
-    "react": "^16 || ^17 || ^18",
-    "react-dom": "^16 || ^17 || ^18"
+    "react": "^16 || ^17 || ^18 || ^19",
+    "react-dom": "^16 || ^17 || ^18 || ^19"
   }
 }
diff --git a/rollup.config.js b/rollup.config.js
index 4c8d369..40690cb 100644
--- a/rollup.config.js
+++ b/rollup.config.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { babel } from '@rollup/plugin-babel';
 import { nodeResolve } from '@rollup/plugin-node-resolve';
 import copy from 'rollup-plugin-copy';
 
-import pkg from './package.json' assert { type: 'json' };
+import pkg from './package.json' with { type: 'json' };
 const banner = [
   `/*! ${pkg.name} v${pkg.version}`,
   '© placekit.io',
diff --git a/src/PlaceKit.jsx b/src/PlaceKit.jsx
index affe52e..4be80b4 100644
--- a/src/PlaceKit.jsx
+++ b/src/PlaceKit.jsx
@@ -3,13 +3,19 @@ import React, { forwardRef, useCallback, useEffect } from 'react';
 
 import { usePlaceKit } from './usePlaceKit';
 
+// default props as parameter defaults (React 19 ignores `defaultProps` on function components)
+// `options` default is a module-level constant to keep a stable reference across renders
+const DEFAULT_OPTIONS = {};
+const DEFAULT_PLACEHOLDER = 'Search places...';
+
 const PlaceKit = forwardRef(
   (
     {
       apiKey,
       className,
-      geolocation,
-      options,
+      geolocation = true,
+      options = DEFAULT_OPTIONS,
+      placeholder = DEFAULT_PLACEHOLDER,
       onClient,
       onOpen,
       onClose,
@@ -108,16 +114,17 @@ const PlaceKit = forwardRef(
         >
           <span className="pka-sr-only">Clear value</span>
         </button>
-        <input {...inputProps} type="search" ref={target} />
+        <input {...inputProps} placeholder={placeholder} type="search" ref={target} />
       </div>
     );
   },
 );
 
+// kept for backward compatibility on React 16 to 18 (apps reading or mutating `PlaceKit.defaultProps`)
 PlaceKit.defaultProps = {
   geolocation: true,
-  options: {},
-  placeholder: 'Search places...',
+  options: DEFAULT_OPTIONS,
+  placeholder: DEFAULT_PLACEHOLDER,
 };
 
 PlaceKit.propTypes = {
diff --git a/src/index.d.ts b/src/index.d.ts
index 218cd6e..142bfae 100644
--- a/src/index.d.ts
+++ b/src/index.d.ts
@@ -34,6 +34,6 @@ export type PlaceKitHooks = {
   state: PKAState;
 };
 
-declare function PlaceKit(props: PlaceKitProps): JSX.Element;
+declare function PlaceKit(props: PlaceKitProps): React.ReactElement;
 
 declare function usePlaceKit(apiKey: string, options?: PlaceKitOptions): PlaceKitHooks;