diff --git a/api/src/main/java/org/apache/cloudstack/query/QueryService.java b/api/src/main/java/org/apache/cloudstack/query/QueryService.java
index 828f9d5e064a..5181ebe2b763 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/org/apache/cloudstack/query/QueryService.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/org/apache/cloudstack/query/QueryService.java
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ public interface QueryService {
 
     ConfigKey<String> UserVMReadOnlyDetails = new ConfigKey<>(String.class,
     "user.vm.readonly.details", "Advanced", "dataDiskController, rootDiskController",
-            "List of read-only VM settings/details as comma separated string", true, ConfigKey.Scope.Global, null, null, null, null, null, ConfigKey.Kind.CSV, null);
+            "List of read-only VM settings/details as comma separated string", true, ConfigKey.Scope.Global, null, null, null, null, null, ConfigKey.Kind.CSV, null, "");
 
     ConfigKey<Boolean> SortKeyAscending = new ConfigKey<>("Advanced", Boolean.class, "sortkey.algorithm", "true",
             "Sort algorithm - ascending or descending - to use. For entities that use sort key(template, disk offering, service offering, " +
diff --git a/framework/config/src/main/java/org/apache/cloudstack/framework/config/ConfigKey.java b/framework/config/src/main/java/org/apache/cloudstack/framework/config/ConfigKey.java
index 00cf56345c8d..27b04ddf8937 100644
--- a/framework/config/src/main/java/org/apache/cloudstack/framework/config/ConfigKey.java
+++ b/framework/config/src/main/java/org/apache/cloudstack/framework/config/ConfigKey.java
@@ -120,10 +120,18 @@ public String toString() {
 
     static ConfigDepotImpl s_depot = null;
 
-    static public void init(ConfigDepotImpl depot) {
+    private String _defaultValueIfEmpty = null;
+
+    public static void init(ConfigDepotImpl depot) {
         s_depot = depot;
     }
 
+    public ConfigKey(Class<T> type, String name, String category, String defaultValue, String description, boolean isDynamic, Scope scope, T multiplier,
+                     String displayText, String parent, Ternary<String, String, Long> group, Pair<String, Long> subGroup, Kind kind, String options, String defaultValueIfEmpty) {
+        this(type, name, category, defaultValue, description, isDynamic, scope, multiplier, displayText, parent, group, subGroup, kind, options);
+        this._defaultValueIfEmpty = defaultValueIfEmpty;
+    }
+
     public ConfigKey(String category, Class<T> type, String name, String defaultValue, String description, boolean isDynamic, Scope scope) {
         this(type, name, category, defaultValue, description, isDynamic, scope, null);
     }
@@ -216,7 +224,19 @@ public boolean isSameKeyAs(Object obj) {
     public T value() {
         if (_value == null || isDynamic()) {
             String value = s_depot != null ? s_depot.getConfigStringValue(_name, Scope.Global, null) : null;
-            _value = valueOf((value == null) ? defaultValue() : value);
+
+            String effective;
+            if (value != null) {
+                if (value.isEmpty() && _defaultValueIfEmpty != null) {
+                    effective = _defaultValueIfEmpty;
+                } else {
+                    effective = value;
+                }
+            } else {
+                effective = _defaultValueIfEmpty != null ? _defaultValueIfEmpty : defaultValue();
+            }
+
+            _value = valueOf(effective);
         }
 
         return _value;
@@ -231,6 +251,10 @@ protected T valueInScope(Scope scope, Long id) {
         if (value == null) {
             return value();
         }
+
+        if (value.isEmpty() && _defaultValueIfEmpty != null) {
+            return valueOf(_defaultValueIfEmpty);
+        }
         return valueOf(value);
     }