diff --git a/internal/codegen/cli/extensions.go b/internal/codegen/cli/extensions.go
index f44c8faad8..ee53014f9e 100644
--- a/internal/codegen/cli/extensions.go
+++ b/internal/codegen/cli/extensions.go
@@ -2,14 +2,10 @@ package cli
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"slices"
 
-	"github.com/samber/lo"
-	"google.golang.org/protobuf/compiler/protogen"
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/proto"
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/reflect/protoreflect"
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/runtime/protoimpl"
-	"google.golang.org/protobuf/types/dynamicpb"
 )
 
 func getExtension[T proto.Message](desc protoreflect.Descriptor, ext *protoimpl.ExtensionInfo) (out T, ok bool) {
@@ -65,30 +61,3 @@ func applyOptions(desc protoreflect.Descriptor, out proto.Message) {
 		proto.Merge(out, opts)
 	}
 }
-
-func (f *FlagSetOptions) ForEachDefault(fieldMessage *protogen.Message, fn func(fd protoreflect.FieldDescriptor, v protoreflect.Value) bool) {
-	if f.Default == nil {
-		return
-	}
-	dm := dynamicpb.NewMessage(fieldMessage.Desc)
-	if err := f.Default.UnmarshalTo(dm.Interface()); err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	}
-	orderedRange(dm, fn)
-}
-
-func orderedRange(dm protoreflect.Message, fn func(fd protoreflect.FieldDescriptor, v protoreflect.Value) bool) {
-	ordered := []lo.Tuple2[protoreflect.FieldDescriptor, protoreflect.Value]{}
-	dm.Range(func(fd protoreflect.FieldDescriptor, v protoreflect.Value) bool {
-		ordered = append(ordered, lo.T2(fd, v))
-		return true
-	})
-	slices.SortFunc(ordered, func(a, b lo.Tuple2[protoreflect.FieldDescriptor, protoreflect.Value]) int {
-		return int(a.A.Number() - b.A.Number())
-	})
-	for _, t := range ordered {
-		if !fn(t.A, t.B) {
-			return
-		}
-	}
-}
diff --git a/internal/codegen/cli/generator.go b/internal/codegen/cli/generator.go
index f4eb4f7fae..ee88f7e775 100644
--- a/internal/codegen/cli/generator.go
+++ b/internal/codegen/cli/generator.go
@@ -14,8 +14,13 @@ import (
 	"google.golang.org/genproto/googleapis/api/annotations"
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/compiler/protogen"
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/proto"
+	"google.golang.org/protobuf/reflect/protopath"
+	"google.golang.org/protobuf/reflect/protorange"
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/reflect/protoreflect"
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/types/descriptorpb"
+	"google.golang.org/protobuf/types/dynamicpb"
+	"google.golang.org/protobuf/types/known/durationpb"
+	"google.golang.org/protobuf/types/known/timestamppb"
 )
 
 func NewGenerator() *Generator {
@@ -758,19 +763,78 @@ func (cg *Generator) generateFlagSet(g *protogen.GeneratedFile, message *protoge
 						g.P("fs.AddFlagSet(in.", field.GoName, `.FlagSet(append(prefix,"`, kebabName, `")...))`)
 					}
 
-					flagSetOpts.ForEachDefault(field.Message, func(fd protoreflect.FieldDescriptor, v protoreflect.Value) bool {
-						fdOpts := FlagOptions{}
-						applyOptions(fd, &fdOpts)
-						if fdOpts.Skip {
-							return true
+					if flagSetOpts.Default != nil {
+						dm := dynamicpb.NewMessage(field.Message.Desc)
+						if err := flagSetOpts.Default.UnmarshalTo(dm.Interface()); err != nil {
+							panic(err)
 						}
-						if flagSetOpts.NoPrefix {
-							g.P(_flagutil.Ident("SetDefValue"), `(fs, `, _strings.Ident("Join"), `(append(prefix, "`, formatKebab(fd.Name()), `"), "."), `, fmt.Sprintf("%q", v.String()), `)`)
-						} else {
-							g.P(_flagutil.Ident("SetDefValue"), `(fs, `, _strings.Ident("Join"), `(append(prefix, "`, kebabName, `", "`, formatKebab(fd.Name()), `"), "."), `, fmt.Sprintf("%q", v.String()), `)`)
-						}
-						return true
-					})
+
+						protorange.Options{
+							Stable: true,
+						}.Range(dm, func(vs protopath.Values) (retVal error) {
+							v := vs.Index(-1)
+							if v.Step.Kind() != protopath.FieldAccessStep {
+								return nil
+							}
+							fd := v.Step.FieldDescriptor()
+							fdOpts := FlagOptions{}
+							applyOptions(fd, &fdOpts)
+							if fdOpts.Skip {
+								return protorange.Break
+							}
+
+							var valueStr string
+							if fd.Kind() == protoreflect.MessageKind && !fd.IsMap() {
+								switch fd.Message().FullName() {
+								case "google.protobuf.Timestamp":
+									dm := v.Value.Message().Interface().(*dynamicpb.Message)
+									wire, _ := proto.Marshal(dm)
+									ts := &timestamppb.Timestamp{}
+									proto.Unmarshal(wire, ts)
+									valueStr = fmt.Sprintf("%q", ts.AsTime().Format(time.RFC3339))
+
+									retVal = protorange.Break
+								case "google.protobuf.Duration":
+									dm := v.Value.Message().Interface().(*dynamicpb.Message)
+									wire, _ := proto.Marshal(dm)
+									dur := &durationpb.Duration{}
+									proto.Unmarshal(wire, dur)
+									valueStr = fmt.Sprintf("%q", dur.AsDuration().String())
+
+									retVal = protorange.Break
+								default:
+									// recurse into nested messages
+									return nil
+								}
+							}
+
+							if valueStr == "" {
+								if fd.IsList() {
+									strs := []string{}
+									list := v.Value.List()
+									for i := 0; i < list.Len(); i++ {
+										strs = append(strs, fmt.Sprintf("%q", list.Get(i).String()))
+									}
+									valueStr = fmt.Sprintf("`[%s]`", strings.Join(strs, ","))
+								} else {
+									valueStr = fmt.Sprintf("%q", v.Value.String())
+								}
+							}
+
+							parts := []string{}
+							for _, part := range vs.Path[1:] {
+								parts = append(parts, formatKebab(part.FieldDescriptor().Name()))
+							}
+
+							if flagSetOpts.NoPrefix {
+								g.P(_flagutil.Ident("SetDefValue"), `(fs, `, _strings.Ident("Join"), `(append(prefix, "`, strings.Join(parts, "."), `"), "."), `, valueStr, `)`)
+							} else {
+								g.P(_flagutil.Ident("SetDefValue"), `(fs, `, _strings.Ident("Join"), `(append(prefix, "`, kebabName, `", "`, strings.Join(parts, "."), `"), "."), `, valueStr, `)`)
+							}
+
+							return
+						}, nil)
+					}
 				}
 				continue
 			}
diff --git a/plugins/metrics/apis/cortexops/cortexops_cli.pb.go b/plugins/metrics/apis/cortexops/cortexops_cli.pb.go
index f990ee192c..c30028640f 100644
--- a/plugins/metrics/apis/cortexops/cortexops_cli.pb.go
+++ b/plugins/metrics/apis/cortexops/cortexops_cli.pb.go
@@ -607,7 +607,7 @@ func (in *CortexApplicationConfig) FlagSet(prefix ...string) *pflag.FlagSet {
 	fs.AddFlagSet(in.Limits.FlagSet(append(prefix, "limits")...))
 	flagutil.SetDefValue(fs, strings.Join(append(prefix, "limits", "ingestion-rate"), "."), "600000")
 	flagutil.SetDefValue(fs, strings.Join(append(prefix, "limits", "ingestion-burst-size"), "."), "1000000")
-	flagutil.SetDefValue(fs, strings.Join(append(prefix, "limits", "compactor-blocks-retention-period"), "."), "seconds:2592000")
+	flagutil.SetDefValue(fs, strings.Join(append(prefix, "limits", "compactor-blocks-retention-period"), "."), "720h0m0s")
 	if in.RuntimeConfig == nil {
 		in.RuntimeConfig = &runtimeconfig.RuntimeConfigValues{}
 	}