diff --git a/packages/form-core/src/formOptions.ts b/packages/form-core/src/formOptions.ts
index e77460e6c..5fa45bfd6 100644
--- a/packages/form-core/src/formOptions.ts
+++ b/packages/form-core/src/formOptions.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import type {
+  AnyFormOptions,
   FormAsyncValidateOrFn,
   FormOptions,
   FormValidateOrFn,
@@ -21,22 +22,7 @@ without losing the benefits from the TOptions generic.
 */
 
 export function formOptions<
-  TOptions extends Partial<
-    FormOptions<
-      TFormData,
-      TOnMount,
-      TOnChange,
-      TOnChangeAsync,
-      TOnBlur,
-      TOnBlurAsync,
-      TOnSubmit,
-      TOnSubmitAsync,
-      TOnDynamic,
-      TOnDynamicAsync,
-      TOnServer,
-      TSubmitMeta
-    >
-  >,
+  TOptions,
   TFormData,
   TOnMount extends undefined | FormValidateOrFn<TFormData>,
   TOnChange extends undefined | FormValidateOrFn<TFormData>,
@@ -48,23 +34,25 @@ export function formOptions<
   TOnDynamic extends undefined | FormValidateOrFn<TFormData>,
   TOnDynamicAsync extends undefined | FormAsyncValidateOrFn<TFormData>,
   TOnServer extends undefined | FormAsyncValidateOrFn<TFormData>,
-  TSubmitMeta = never,
+  /*
+   Defaulting this to never makes it no longer assignable to `AnyFieldApi` when using listeners for some reason.
+   Stick to the default `unknown` instead, as it will still prevent unsafe overwrites of `onSubmitMeta`.
+   */
+  TSubmitMeta,
 >(
-  defaultOpts: Partial<
-    FormOptions<
-      TFormData,
-      TOnMount,
-      TOnChange,
-      TOnChangeAsync,
-      TOnBlur,
-      TOnBlurAsync,
-      TOnSubmit,
-      TOnSubmitAsync,
-      TOnDynamic,
-      TOnDynamicAsync,
-      TOnServer,
-      TSubmitMeta
-    >
+  defaultOpts: FormOptions<
+    TFormData,
+    TOnMount,
+    TOnChange,
+    TOnChangeAsync,
+    TOnBlur,
+    TOnBlurAsync,
+    TOnSubmit,
+    TOnSubmitAsync,
+    TOnDynamic,
+    TOnDynamicAsync,
+    TOnServer,
+    TSubmitMeta
   > &
     TOptions,
 ): TOptions {
diff --git a/packages/form-core/tests/formOptions.test-d.ts b/packages/form-core/tests/formOptions.test-d.ts
index eb7b39a45..d34496779 100644
--- a/packages/form-core/tests/formOptions.test-d.ts
+++ b/packages/form-core/tests/formOptions.test-d.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 import { describe, expectTypeOf, it } from 'vitest'
-import { FormApi, formOptions } from '../src/index'
-import type { FormAsyncValidateOrFn, FormValidateOrFn } from '../src/index'
+import { FieldApi, FormApi, formOptions } from '../src/index'
+import type {
+  AnyFieldApi,
+  FormAsyncValidateOrFn,
+  FormValidateOrFn,
+} from '../src/index'
 
 describe('formOptions', () => {
   it('types should be properly inferred', () => {
@@ -197,7 +201,8 @@ describe('formOptions', () => {
       FormAsyncValidateOrFn<FormData> | undefined,
       FormValidateOrFn<FormData> | undefined,
       FormAsyncValidateOrFn<FormData> | undefined,
-      FormAsyncValidateOrFn<FormData> | undefined
+      FormAsyncValidateOrFn<FormData> | undefined,
+      unknown
     >
 
     const formOpts = formOptions({
@@ -208,7 +213,7 @@ describe('formOptions', () => {
       listeners: {
         onSubmit: ({ formApi, meta }) => {
           expectTypeOf(formApi).toEqualTypeOf<ExpectedShape>()
-          expectTypeOf(meta).toEqualTypeOf<never>()
+          expectTypeOf(meta).toEqualTypeOf<unknown>()
         },
       },
     })
@@ -323,4 +328,98 @@ describe('formOptions', () => {
       (undefined | 'Too short!' | 'I just need an error')[]
     >()
   })
+
+  it('should allow listeners', () => {
+    const options = formOptions({
+      defaultValues: { name: '' },
+      validators: {
+        onChange: () => 'Error',
+      },
+      listeners: {
+        onChange: ({ formApi }) => {
+          expectTypeOf(formApi.state.values).toEqualTypeOf<{ name: string }>()
+        },
+      },
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('should prevent overwriting onSubmitMeta if used', () => {
+    type FormData = {
+      firstName: string
+      lastName: string
+    }
+    type SubmitMeta = { bool: boolean }
+
+    const optsWithUsedMeta = formOptions({
+      defaultValues: { firstName: '', lastName: '' } as FormData,
+      onSubmitMeta: { bool: false } as SubmitMeta,
+      onSubmit: ({ meta }) => {
+        expectTypeOf(meta).toEqualTypeOf<SubmitMeta>()
+      },
+    })
+
+    const form1 = new FormApi(optsWithUsedMeta)
+    expectTypeOf(form1.handleSubmit).toBeCallableWith({ bool: true })
+    const form2 = new FormApi({
+      ...optsWithUsedMeta,
+      // @ts-expect-error cannot overwrite used submitMeta
+      onSubmitMeta: { change: 'value' },
+    })
+    expectTypeOf(form2.handleSubmit).toBeCallableWith({ bool: true })
+  })
+
+  it('should allow overwriting onSubmitMeta if unused', () => {
+    type FormData = {
+      firstName: string
+      lastName: string
+    }
+    type SubmitMeta = { bool: boolean }
+
+    const optsWithUnusedMeta = formOptions({
+      defaultValues: { firstName: '', lastName: '' } as FormData,
+      onSubmitMeta: { bool: false } as SubmitMeta,
+    })
+
+    const form1 = new FormApi({
+      ...optsWithUnusedMeta,
+    })
+
+    const form2 = new FormApi({
+      ...optsWithUnusedMeta,
+      onSubmitMeta: { change: 'value' },
+      onSubmit: ({ meta }) => {
+        expectTypeOf(meta).toEqualTypeOf<{ change: string }>()
+      },
+    })
+
+    expectTypeOf(form1.handleSubmit).toBeCallableWith({ bool: true })
+    // @ts-expect-error wrong meta shape
+    expectTypeOf(form2.handleSubmit).toBeCallableWith({ bool: true })
+    expectTypeOf(form2.handleSubmit).toBeCallableWith({ change: 'test' })
+  })
+
+  it('should allow assigning fields to be assignable to AnyFieldApi', () => {
+    const formOpts = formOptions({
+      defaultValues: { firstName: '' },
+      onSubmit: async ({ value }) => {
+        console.log(value)
+      },
+    })
+
+    const form = new FormApi({ ...formOpts })
+    const field = new FieldApi({
+      form,
+      name: 'firstName',
+      validators: {
+        onChange: ({ value }) =>
+          !value
+            ? 'A first name is required'
+            : value.length < 3
+              ? 'First name must be at least 3 characters'
+              : undefined,
+      },
+    })
+
+    expectTypeOf(field).toExtend<AnyFieldApi>()
+  })
 })