diff --git a/crates/bevy_app/src/app.rs b/crates/bevy_app/src/app.rs
index f221dc04e2..be19d82da4 100644
--- a/crates/bevy_app/src/app.rs
+++ b/crates/bevy_app/src/app.rs
@@ -328,7 +328,15 @@ impl App {
     pub fn add_state<S: States>(&mut self) -> &mut Self {
         self.init_resource::<State<S>>();
         self.init_resource::<NextState<S>>();
-        self.add_systems(
+
+        let mut schedules = self.world.resource_mut::<Schedules>();
+
+        let Some(default_schedule) = schedules.get_mut(&*self.default_schedule_label) else {
+            let schedule_label = &self.default_schedule_label;
+            panic!("Default schedule {schedule_label:?} does not exist.")
+        };
+
+        default_schedule.add_systems(
             (
                 run_enter_schedule::<S>.run_if(run_once_condition()),
                 apply_state_transition::<S>,
@@ -337,9 +345,8 @@ impl App {
                 .in_base_set(CoreSet::StateTransitions),
         );
 
-        let main_schedule = self.get_schedule_mut(CoreSchedule::Main).unwrap();
         for variant in S::variants() {
-            main_schedule.configure_set(
+            default_schedule.configure_set(
                 OnUpdate(variant.clone())
                     .in_base_set(CoreSet::Update)
                     .run_if(in_state(variant)),