diff --git a/include/nlohmann/detail/macro_scope.hpp b/include/nlohmann/detail/macro_scope.hpp
index 1ec5e40de..58aceb9e7 100644
--- a/include/nlohmann/detail/macro_scope.hpp
+++ b/include/nlohmann/detail/macro_scope.hpp
@@ -395,7 +395,7 @@
 
 #define NLOHMANN_JSON_TO(v1) nlohmann_json_j[#v1] = nlohmann_json_t.v1;
 #define NLOHMANN_JSON_FROM(v1) nlohmann_json_j.at(#v1).get_to(nlohmann_json_t.v1);
-#define NLOHMANN_JSON_FROM_WITH_DEFAULT(v1) nlohmann_json_t.v1 = nlohmann_json_j.value(#v1, nlohmann_json_default_obj.v1);
+#define NLOHMANN_JSON_FROM_WITH_DEFAULT(v1) nlohmann_json_t.v1 = !nlohmann_json_j.is_null() ? nlohmann_json_j.value(#v1, nlohmann_json_default_obj.v1) : nlohmann_json_default_obj.v1;
 
 /*!
 @brief macro
diff --git a/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp b/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp
index c462f45dd..430210795 100644
--- a/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp
+++ b/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp
@@ -2761,7 +2761,7 @@ JSON_HEDLEY_DIAGNOSTIC_POP
 
 #define NLOHMANN_JSON_TO(v1) nlohmann_json_j[#v1] = nlohmann_json_t.v1;
 #define NLOHMANN_JSON_FROM(v1) nlohmann_json_j.at(#v1).get_to(nlohmann_json_t.v1);
-#define NLOHMANN_JSON_FROM_WITH_DEFAULT(v1) nlohmann_json_t.v1 = nlohmann_json_j.value(#v1, nlohmann_json_default_obj.v1);
+#define NLOHMANN_JSON_FROM_WITH_DEFAULT(v1) nlohmann_json_t.v1 = !nlohmann_json_j.is_null() ? nlohmann_json_j.value(#v1, nlohmann_json_default_obj.v1) : nlohmann_json_default_obj.v1;
 
 /*!
 @brief macro
diff --git a/tests/src/unit-udt_macro.cpp b/tests/src/unit-udt_macro.cpp
index e2cc7c9ee..8a71d4483 100644
--- a/tests/src/unit-udt_macro.cpp
+++ b/tests/src/unit-udt_macro.cpp
@@ -551,6 +551,13 @@ TEST_CASE_TEMPLATE("Serialization/deserialization via NLOHMANN_DEFINE_TYPE_INTRU
         CHECK(p3.getName() == "");
         CHECK(p3.getAge() == 0);
         CHECK(p3.getMetadata() == nullptr);
+
+        // check default value in case of empty json
+        const json j4;
+        T p4 = j4.get<T>();
+        CHECK(p4.getName() == "");
+        CHECK(p4.getAge() == 0);
+        CHECK(p4.getMetadata() == nullptr);
     }
 }