diff --git a/vyper/builtins/_signatures.py b/vyper/builtins/_signatures.py
index d2aefb2fd4..0244f0ad19 100644
--- a/vyper/builtins/_signatures.py
+++ b/vyper/builtins/_signatures.py
@@ -88,7 +88,9 @@ class BuiltinFunctionT(VyperType):
     _is_terminus = False
 
     # helper function to deal with TYPE_DEFINITIONs
-    def _validate_single(self, arg: vy_ast.VyperNode, expected_type: VyperType) -> None:
+    def _validate_single(
+        self, arg: vy_ast.VyperNode, expected_type: VyperType, modifiability: Modifiability
+    ) -> None:
         # TODO using "TYPE_DEFINITION" is a kludge in derived classes,
         # refactor me.
         if expected_type == "TYPE_DEFINITION":
@@ -97,6 +99,9 @@ def _validate_single(self, arg: vy_ast.VyperNode, expected_type: VyperType) -> N
             type_from_annotation(arg)
         else:
             validate_expected_type(arg, expected_type)
+            if not check_modifiability(arg, modifiability):
+                # CMC 2024-01-15 TODO: change to StateAccessViolation
+                raise TypeMismatch("Value must be literal", arg)
 
     def _validate_arg_types(self, node: vy_ast.Call) -> None:
         num_args = len(self._inputs)  # the number of args the signature indicates
@@ -109,15 +114,15 @@ def _validate_arg_types(self, node: vy_ast.Call) -> None:
         validate_call_args(node, expect_num_args, list(self._kwargs.keys()))
 
         for arg, (_, expected) in zip(node.args, self._inputs):
-            self._validate_single(arg, expected)
+            self._validate_single(arg, expected, Modifiability.MODIFIABLE)
 
         for kwarg in node.keywords:
             kwarg_settings = self._kwargs[kwarg.arg]
-            if kwarg_settings.require_literal and not check_modifiability(
-                kwarg.value, Modifiability.CONSTANT
-            ):
-                raise TypeMismatch("Value must be literal", kwarg.value)
-            self._validate_single(kwarg.value, kwarg_settings.typ)
+
+            modifiability = Modifiability.MODIFIABLE
+            if kwarg_settings.require_literal:
+                modifiability = Modifiability.CONSTANT
+            self._validate_single(kwarg.value, kwarg_settings.typ, modifiability)
 
         # typecheck varargs. we don't have type info from the signature,
         # so ensure that the types of the args can be inferred exactly.
diff --git a/vyper/semantics/analysis/local.py b/vyper/semantics/analysis/local.py
index c4af5b1e3a..e136078a16 100644
--- a/vyper/semantics/analysis/local.py
+++ b/vyper/semantics/analysis/local.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 from vyper.semantics.analysis.base import Modifiability, VarInfo
 from vyper.semantics.analysis.common import VyperNodeVisitorBase
 from vyper.semantics.analysis.utils import (
+    check_modifiability,
     get_common_types,
     get_exact_type_from_node,
     get_expr_info,
@@ -214,7 +215,11 @@ def analyze(self):
         # visit default args
         assert self.func.n_keyword_args == len(self.fn_node.args.defaults)
         for kwarg in self.func.keyword_args:
-            self.expr_visitor.visit(kwarg.default_value, kwarg.typ)
+            value = kwarg.default_value
+            self.expr_visitor.visit(value, kwarg.typ)
+            # CMC 2024-01-15 move these check_modifiability checks into expr visitor
+            if not check_modifiability(value, Modifiability.RUNTIME_CONSTANT):
+                raise StateAccessViolation("Value must be literal or environment variable", value)
 
     def visit(self, node):
         super().visit(node)
diff --git a/vyper/semantics/types/function.py b/vyper/semantics/types/function.py
index 7c77560e49..39210deaab 100644
--- a/vyper/semantics/types/function.py
+++ b/vyper/semantics/types/function.py
@@ -13,20 +13,10 @@
     CompilerPanic,
     FunctionDeclarationException,
     InvalidType,
-    StateAccessViolation,
     StructureException,
 )
-from vyper.semantics.analysis.base import (
-    FunctionVisibility,
-    Modifiability,
-    StateMutability,
-    StorageSlot,
-)
-from vyper.semantics.analysis.utils import (
-    check_modifiability,
-    get_exact_type_from_node,
-    validate_expected_type,
-)
+from vyper.semantics.analysis.base import FunctionVisibility, StateMutability, StorageSlot
+from vyper.semantics.analysis.utils import get_exact_type_from_node, validate_expected_type
 from vyper.semantics.data_locations import DataLocation
 from vyper.semantics.types.base import KwargSettings, VyperType
 from vyper.semantics.types.primitives import BoolT
@@ -701,9 +691,6 @@ def _parse_args(
             positional_args.append(PositionalArg(argname, type_, ast_source=arg))
         else:
             value = funcdef.args.defaults[i - n_positional_args]
-            if not check_modifiability(value, Modifiability.RUNTIME_CONSTANT):
-                raise StateAccessViolation("Value must be literal or environment variable", value)
-            validate_expected_type(value, type_)
             keyword_args.append(KeywordArg(argname, type_, value, ast_source=arg))
 
         argnames.add(argname)