diff --git a/.changeset/ten-peaches-sleep.md b/.changeset/ten-peaches-sleep.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fa13017112
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/ten-peaches-sleep.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'svelte': patch
+---
+
+fix: better support for top-level snippet declarations
diff --git a/packages/svelte/src/compiler/phases/3-transform/client/visitors/template.js b/packages/svelte/src/compiler/phases/3-transform/client/visitors/template.js
index d62f1fcb49..7c06cac973 100644
--- a/packages/svelte/src/compiler/phases/3-transform/client/visitors/template.js
+++ b/packages/svelte/src/compiler/phases/3-transform/client/visitors/template.js
@@ -2477,7 +2477,14 @@ export const template_visitors = {
 			body = /** @type {import('estree').BlockStatement} */ (context.visit(node.body));
 		}
 
-		context.state.init.push(b.const(node.expression, b.arrow(args, body)));
+		const path = context.path;
+		// If we're top-level, then we can create a function for the snippet so that it can be referenced
+		// in the props declaration (default value pattern).
+		if (path.length === 1 && path[0].type === 'Fragment') {
+			context.state.init.push(b.function_declaration(node.expression, args, body));
+		} else {
+			context.state.init.push(b.const(node.expression, b.arrow(args, body)));
+		}
 		if (context.state.options.dev) {
 			context.state.init.push(b.stmt(b.call('$.add_snippet_symbol', node.expression)));
 		}
diff --git a/packages/svelte/tests/runtime-runes/samples/snippet-top-level/_config.js b/packages/svelte/tests/runtime-runes/samples/snippet-top-level/_config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..129a573402
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/svelte/tests/runtime-runes/samples/snippet-top-level/_config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+import { test } from '../../test';
+
+export default test({
+	compileOptions: {
+		dev: true // Render in dev mode to check that the validation error is not thrown
+	},
+	html: `<p>hello world</p>`
+});
diff --git a/packages/svelte/tests/runtime-runes/samples/snippet-top-level/main.svelte b/packages/svelte/tests/runtime-runes/samples/snippet-top-level/main.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b5da34accb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/svelte/tests/runtime-runes/samples/snippet-top-level/main.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+<script>
+	const {children = snippet} = $props();
+</script>
+{@render children()}
+{#snippet snippet()}
+	<p>hello world</p>
+{/snippet}