diff --git a/internal/engine/eval/trusty/config.go b/internal/engine/eval/trusty/config.go
index 95a11cdd83..bd84365013 100644
--- a/internal/engine/eval/trusty/config.go
+++ b/internal/engine/eval/trusty/config.go
@@ -19,7 +19,32 @@ var (
 	// SummaryScore is the score to use for the summary score
 	SummaryScore = "score"
 	// DefaultScore is the default score to use
-	DefaultScore = ""
+	DefaultScore           = ""
+	defaultAction          = pr_actions.ActionReviewPr
+	defaultEcosystemConfig = []ecosystemConfig{
+		{
+			Name:            "npm",
+			Score:           5.0,
+			Provenance:      5.0,
+			Activity:        5.0,
+			AllowMalicious:  false,
+			AllowDeprecated: false,
+		},
+		{
+			Name:            "pypi",
+			Score:           5.0,
+			Provenance:      5.0,
+			Activity:        5.0,
+			AllowDeprecated: false,
+		},
+		{
+			Name:            "go",
+			Score:           5.0,
+			Provenance:      5.0,
+			Activity:        5.0,
+			AllowDeprecated: false,
+		},
+	}
 )
 
 type ecosystemConfig struct {
@@ -50,40 +75,19 @@ type config struct {
 	EcosystemConfig []ecosystemConfig `json:"ecosystem_config" mapstructure:"ecosystem_config" validate:"required"`
 }
 
-func defaultConfig() *config {
-	return &config{
-		Action: pr_actions.ActionReviewPr,
-		EcosystemConfig: []ecosystemConfig{
-			{
-				Name:            "npm",
-				Score:           5.0,
-				Provenance:      5.0,
-				Activity:        5.0,
-				AllowMalicious:  false,
-				AllowDeprecated: false,
-			},
-			{
-				Name:            "pypi",
-				Score:           5.0,
-				Provenance:      5.0,
-				Activity:        5.0,
-				AllowDeprecated: false,
-			},
-			{
-				Name:            "go",
-				Score:           5.0,
-				Provenance:      5.0,
-				Activity:        5.0,
-				AllowDeprecated: false,
-			},
-		},
+func populateDefaultsIfEmpty(ruleCfg map[string]any) {
+	if ruleCfg["ecosystem_config"] == nil {
+		ruleCfg["ecosystem_config"] = defaultEcosystemConfig
+	} else if ecoCfg, ok := ruleCfg["ecosystem_config"].([]interface{}); ok && len(ecoCfg) == 0 {
+		ruleCfg["ecosystem_config"] = defaultEcosystemConfig
+	}
+	if ruleCfg["action"] == nil {
+		ruleCfg["action"] = defaultAction
 	}
 }
 
 func parseConfig(ruleCfg map[string]any) (*config, error) {
-	if len(ruleCfg) == 0 {
-		return defaultConfig(), nil
-	}
+	populateDefaultsIfEmpty(ruleCfg)
 
 	var conf config
 	validate := validator.New(validator.WithRequiredStructEnabled())
diff --git a/internal/engine/eval/trusty/trusty_test.go b/internal/engine/eval/trusty/trusty_test.go
index 653af4e45d..b9da915bc6 100644
--- a/internal/engine/eval/trusty/trusty_test.go
+++ b/internal/engine/eval/trusty/trusty_test.go
@@ -161,7 +161,9 @@ func TestParseRuleConfig(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		{
 			"invalid-config", map[string]any{
-				"hey": "you",
+				"ecosystem_config": []string{
+					"hey",
+				},
 			}, true,
 		},
 	} {
@@ -597,3 +599,10 @@ func TestEvaluationDetailRendering(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func defaultConfig() *config {
+	return &config{
+		Action:          defaultAction,
+		EcosystemConfig: defaultEcosystemConfig,
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/engine/eval/vulncheck/config.go b/internal/engine/eval/vulncheck/config.go
index ecafcae2fa..00fdc977a5 100644
--- a/internal/engine/eval/vulncheck/config.go
+++ b/internal/engine/eval/vulncheck/config.go
@@ -19,6 +19,39 @@ type vulnDbType string
 
 const (
 	vulnDbTypeOsv vulnDbType = "osv"
+	defaultAction            = pr_actions.ActionReviewPr
+)
+
+var (
+	defaultEcosystemConfig = []ecosystemConfig{
+		{
+			Name:       "npm",
+			DbType:     vulnDbTypeOsv,
+			DbEndpoint: "https://api.osv.dev/v1/query",
+			PackageRepository: packageRepository{
+				Url: "https://registry.npmjs.org",
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			Name:       "pypi",
+			DbType:     vulnDbTypeOsv,
+			DbEndpoint: "https://api.osv.dev/v1/query",
+			PackageRepository: packageRepository{
+				Url: "https://pypi.org/pypi",
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			Name:       "go",
+			DbType:     vulnDbTypeOsv,
+			DbEndpoint: "https://api.osv.dev/v1/query",
+			PackageRepository: packageRepository{
+				Url: "https://proxy.golang.org",
+			},
+			SumRepository: packageRepository{
+				Url: "https://sum.golang.org",
+			},
+		},
+	}
 )
 
 type packageRepository struct {
@@ -41,45 +74,20 @@ type config struct {
 	EcosystemConfig []ecosystemConfig `json:"ecosystem_config" mapstructure:"ecosystem_config" validate:"required"`
 }
 
-func defaultConfig() *config {
-	return &config{
-		Action: pr_actions.ActionReviewPr,
-		EcosystemConfig: []ecosystemConfig{
-			{
-				Name:       "npm",
-				DbType:     vulnDbTypeOsv,
-				DbEndpoint: "https://api.osv.dev/v1/query",
-				PackageRepository: packageRepository{
-					Url: "https://registry.npmjs.org",
-				},
-			},
-			{
-				Name:       "pypi",
-				DbType:     vulnDbTypeOsv,
-				DbEndpoint: "https://api.osv.dev/v1/query",
-				PackageRepository: packageRepository{
-					Url: "https://pypi.org/pypi",
-				},
-			},
-			{
-				Name:       "go",
-				DbType:     vulnDbTypeOsv,
-				DbEndpoint: "https://api.osv.dev/v1/query",
-				PackageRepository: packageRepository{
-					Url: "https://proxy.golang.org",
-				},
-				SumRepository: packageRepository{
-					Url: "https://sum.golang.org",
-				},
-			},
-		},
+func populateDefaultsIfEmpty(ruleCfg map[string]any) {
+	if ruleCfg["ecosystem_config"] == nil {
+		ruleCfg["ecosystem_config"] = defaultEcosystemConfig
+	} else if ecoCfg, ok := ruleCfg["ecosystem_config"].([]interface{}); ok && len(ecoCfg) == 0 {
+		ruleCfg["ecosystem_config"] = defaultEcosystemConfig
+	}
+
+	if ruleCfg["action"] == nil {
+		ruleCfg["action"] = defaultAction
 	}
 }
 
 func parseConfig(ruleCfg map[string]any) (*config, error) {
-	if len(ruleCfg) == 0 {
-		return defaultConfig(), nil
-	}
+	populateDefaultsIfEmpty(ruleCfg)
 
 	var conf config
 	validate := validator.New(validator.WithRequiredStructEnabled())