diff --git a/src/Compiler/SlotCompiler.php b/src/Compiler/SlotCompiler.php
index e6ddf56..9474fe8 100644
--- a/src/Compiler/SlotCompiler.php
+++ b/src/Compiler/SlotCompiler.php
@@ -26,24 +26,33 @@ public function __construct(
     public function compile(string $slotsVariableName, array $children): string
     {
         $output = '';
+        $hasExplicitDefault = $this->hasExplicitDefaultSlot($children);
 
-        // Compile implicit default slot from loose content (non-SlotNode children)
-        if (! $this->hasExplicitDefaultSlot($children)) {
-            $output .= $this->compileSlot('slot', $this->renderLooseContent($children), '[]', $slotsVariableName) . "\n";
+        if (! $hasExplicitDefault) {
+            $output .= '<' . '?php ob_start(); ?>';
         }
 
-        // Compile each named slot
         foreach ($children as $child) {
             if ($child instanceof SlotNode) {
-                $output .= $this->compileSlot(
+                $output .= ' ' . $this->compileSlot(
                     $this->resolveSlotName($child),
                     $this->renderChildren($child->children),
                     $this->compileSlotAttributes($child),
                     $slotsVariableName,
-                ) . "\n";
+                );
+            } else {
+                $output .= $child->render();
             }
         }
 
+        if (! $hasExplicitDefault) {
+            $contentHandler = $this->manager->isFolding()
+                ? '$__blaze->processPassthroughContent(\'trim\', trim(ob_get_clean()))'
+                : 'trim(ob_get_clean())';
+
+            $output .= '<' . '?php ' . $slotsVariableName . '[\'slot\'] = new \Illuminate\View\ComponentSlot(' . $contentHandler . ', []); ?>' . "\n";
+        }
+
         return $output;
     }
 
@@ -63,37 +72,6 @@ protected function hasExplicitDefaultSlot(array $children): bool
         return false;
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Render non-SlotNode children as the default slot content.
-     *
-     * @param array<Node> $children
-     */
-    protected function renderLooseContent(array $children): string
-    {
-        $content = '';
-        $previousWasSlot = false;
-
-        foreach ($children as $child) {
-            if ($child instanceof SlotNode) {
-                $previousWasSlot = true;
-                continue;
-            }
-
-            $rendered = $child->render();
-
-            // Laravel's slot compilation consumes the newline after </x-slot> and adds a leading space.
-            // We match this by prepending a space and stripping any leading newline.
-            if ($previousWasSlot) {
-                $rendered = ' ' . preg_replace('/^\n/', '', $rendered);
-            }
-
-            $content .= $rendered;
-            $previousWasSlot = false;
-        }
-
-        return $content;
-    }
-
     /**
      * Compile a slot into ob_start/ob_get_clean code.
      */
diff --git a/tests/ComparisonTest.php b/tests/ComparisonTest.php
index e9ffa12..54ff918 100644
--- a/tests/ComparisonTest.php
+++ b/tests/ComparisonTest.php
@@ -99,4 +99,26 @@
         </x-card>
     </x-card>
     BLADE
+));
+
+test('conditional slots', fn () => compare(<<<'BLADE'
+    <x-card>
+        @if(false)
+        <x-slot name="header">
+            Header
+        </x-slot>
+        @endif
+    </x-card>
+    BLADE
+));
+
+test('foldable conditional slots', fn () => compare(<<<'BLADE'
+    <x-foldable.card>
+        @if(false)
+        <x-slot name="header">
+            Header
+        </x-slot>
+        @endif
+    </x-foldable.card>
+    BLADE
 ));
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/Compiler/CompilerTest.php b/tests/Compiler/CompilerTest.php
index 00bea7b..0f59d03 100644
--- a/tests/Compiler/CompilerTest.php
+++ b/tests/Compiler/CompilerTest.php
@@ -47,9 +47,11 @@
         '<?php if (isset($__attrs'. $hash .')) $__attrsOriginal = $__attrs'. $hash .'; ?> ',
         '<?php $__attrs'. $hash .' = [\'class\' => \'mt-8\']; ?> ',
         '<?php $__slots'. $hash .' = []; ?> ',
-        '<?php ob_start(); ?> Body <?php $__slots'. $hash .'[\'slot\'] = new \Illuminate\View\ComponentSlot(trim(ob_get_clean()), []); ?> ',
+        '<?php ob_start(); ?> ',
         '<?php ob_start(); ?> Header <?php $__slots'. $hash .'[\'header\'] = new \Illuminate\View\ComponentSlot(trim(ob_get_clean()), [\'class\' => \'p-2\']); ?> ',
+        'Body ',
         '<?php ob_start(); ?> Footer <?php $__slots'. $hash .'[\'footer\'] = new \Illuminate\View\ComponentSlot(trim(ob_get_clean()), [\'class\' => \'mt-4\']); ?> ',
+        '<?php $__slots'. $hash .'[\'slot\'] = new \Illuminate\View\ComponentSlot(trim(ob_get_clean()), []); ?> ',
         '<?php $__blaze->pushData($__attrs'. $hash .'); ?> ',
         '<?php $__blaze->pushSlots($__slots'. $hash .'); ?> ',
         '<?php _'. $hash .'($__blaze, $__attrs'. $hash .', $__slots'. $hash .', [], isset($this) ? $this : null); ?> ',