diff --git a/lib/utils.js b/lib/utils.js
index de22b554..8d47f93e 100644
--- a/lib/utils.js
+++ b/lib/utils.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 'use strict';
 
 function getProp(obj, path, defaultValue) {
-  return obj[path] === undefined ? defaultValue : obj[path];
+  return (obj[path] === undefined || obj[path] === null) ? defaultValue : obj[path];
 }
 
 function setProp(obj, path, value) {
diff --git a/test/CLI.js b/test/CLI.js
index 34ff7fe6..f2081630 100644
--- a/test/CLI.js
+++ b/test/CLI.js
@@ -360,7 +360,7 @@ module.exports = (testRunner, jsonFixtures, csvFixtures) => {
   // Default value
 
   testRunner.add('should output the default value as set in \'defaultValue\'', (t) => {
-    const opts = ' --fields carModel,price --default-value ""';
+    const opts = ' --fields carModel,price --default-value "-"';
 
     child_process.exec(cli + '-i ' + getFixturePath('/json/defaultValueEmpty.json') + opts, (err, stdout, stderr) => {
       t.notOk(stderr); 
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@ module.exports = (testRunner, jsonFixtures, csvFixtures) => {
 
   testRunner.add('should override \'options.defaultValue\' with \'field.defaultValue\'', (t) => {
     const opts = ' --fields-config ' + getFixturePath('/fields/overriddenDefaultValue.json')
-      + ' --default-value ""';
+      + ' --default-value "-"';
 
     child_process.exec(cli + '-i ' + getFixturePath('/json/overriddenDefaultValue.json') + opts, (err, stdout, stderr) => {
       t.notOk(stderr);
@@ -384,7 +384,7 @@ module.exports = (testRunner, jsonFixtures, csvFixtures) => {
 
   testRunner.add('should use \'options.defaultValue\' when no \'field.defaultValue\'', (t) => {
     const opts = ' --fields-config ' + getFixturePath('/fields/overriddenDefaultValue2.js')
-      + ' --default-value ""';
+      + ' --default-value "-"';
 
     child_process.exec(cli + '-i ' + getFixturePath('/json/overriddenDefaultValue.json') + opts, (err, stdout, stderr) => {
       t.notOk(stderr);
diff --git a/test/JSON2CSVAsyncParser.js b/test/JSON2CSVAsyncParser.js
index ef8f802d..2f2d7516 100644
--- a/test/JSON2CSVAsyncParser.js
+++ b/test/JSON2CSVAsyncParser.js
@@ -513,7 +513,7 @@ module.exports = (testRunner, jsonFixtures, csvFixtures, inMemoryJsonFixtures) =
   testRunner.add('should output the default value as set in \'defaultValue\'', (t) => {
     const opts = {
       fields: ['carModel', 'price'],
-      defaultValue: ''
+      defaultValue: '-'
     };
 
     const parser = new AsyncParser(opts);
@@ -530,7 +530,7 @@ module.exports = (testRunner, jsonFixtures, csvFixtures, inMemoryJsonFixtures) =
         { value: 'price', default: 1 },
         { value: 'color' }
       ],
-      defaultValue: ''
+      defaultValue: '-'
     };
 
     const parser = new AsyncParser(opts);
@@ -556,7 +556,7 @@ module.exports = (testRunner, jsonFixtures, csvFixtures, inMemoryJsonFixtures) =
           value: row => row.color
         }
       ],
-      defaultValue: ''
+      defaultValue: '-'
     };
 
     const parser = new AsyncParser(opts);
diff --git a/test/JSON2CSVParser.js b/test/JSON2CSVParser.js
index 9e62f0be..c7840a18 100644
--- a/test/JSON2CSVParser.js
+++ b/test/JSON2CSVParser.js
@@ -413,7 +413,7 @@ module.exports = (testRunner, jsonFixtures, csvFixtures) => {
   testRunner.add('should output the default value as set in \'defaultValue\'', (t) => {
     const opts = {
       fields: ['carModel', 'price'],
-      defaultValue: ''
+      defaultValue: '-'
     };
 
     const parser = new Json2csvParser(opts);
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ module.exports = (testRunner, jsonFixtures, csvFixtures) => {
         { value: 'price', default: 1 },
         { value: 'color' }
       ],
-      defaultValue: ''
+      defaultValue: '-'
     };
 
     const parser = new Json2csvParser(opts);
@@ -456,7 +456,7 @@ module.exports = (testRunner, jsonFixtures, csvFixtures) => {
           value: row => row.color
         }
       ],
-      defaultValue: ''
+      defaultValue: '-'
     };
 
     const parser = new Json2csvParser(opts);
diff --git a/test/JSON2CSVTransform.js b/test/JSON2CSVTransform.js
index 3a5c23d8..1c4f38d9 100644
--- a/test/JSON2CSVTransform.js
+++ b/test/JSON2CSVTransform.js
@@ -671,7 +671,7 @@ module.exports = (testRunner, jsonFixtures, csvFixtures, inMemoryJsonFixtures) =
   testRunner.add('should output the default value as set in \'defaultValue\'', (t) => {
     const opts = {
       fields: ['carModel', 'price'],
-      defaultValue: ''
+      defaultValue: '-'
     };
 
     const transform = new Json2csvTransform(opts);
@@ -697,7 +697,7 @@ module.exports = (testRunner, jsonFixtures, csvFixtures, inMemoryJsonFixtures) =
         { value: 'price', default: 1 },
         { value: 'color' }
       ],
-      defaultValue: ''
+      defaultValue: '-'
     };
 
     const transform = new Json2csvTransform(opts);
@@ -732,7 +732,7 @@ module.exports = (testRunner, jsonFixtures, csvFixtures, inMemoryJsonFixtures) =
           value: row => row.color
         }
       ],
-      defaultValue: ''
+      defaultValue: '-'
     };
 
     const transform = new Json2csvTransform(opts);
diff --git a/test/fixtures/csv/defaultValueEmpty.csv b/test/fixtures/csv/defaultValueEmpty.csv
index 32c080bb..e5da5762 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/csv/defaultValueEmpty.csv
+++ b/test/fixtures/csv/defaultValueEmpty.csv
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 "carModel","price"
 "Audi",0
 "BMW",15000
-"Mercedes",
+"Mercedes","-"
 "Porsche",30000
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/fixtures/csv/overriddenDefaultValue.csv b/test/fixtures/csv/overriddenDefaultValue.csv
index b0a71fb8..dbd64e89 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/csv/overriddenDefaultValue.csv
+++ b/test/fixtures/csv/overriddenDefaultValue.csv
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 "carModel","price","color"
 "Audi",0,"blue"
 "BMW",1,"red"
-"Mercedes",20000,""
+"Mercedes",20000,"-"
 "Porsche",30000,"green"
\ No newline at end of file