diff --git a/include/fluidsynth/settings.h b/include/fluidsynth/settings.h
index e2782da8..7819d37d 100644
--- a/include/fluidsynth/settings.h
+++ b/include/fluidsynth/settings.h
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ FLUIDSYNTH_API
 int fluid_settings_dupstr(fluid_settings_t* settings, const char *name, char** str);
 
 FLUIDSYNTH_API
-char* fluid_settings_getstr_default(fluid_settings_t* settings, const char *name);
+int fluid_settings_getstr_default(fluid_settings_t* settings, const char *name, char** def);
 
 FLUIDSYNTH_API
 int fluid_settings_str_equal(fluid_settings_t* settings, const char *name, const char *value);
diff --git a/src/bindings/fluid_cmd.c b/src/bindings/fluid_cmd.c
index 49bc1f4e..c61284cc 100644
--- a/src/bindings/fluid_cmd.c
+++ b/src/bindings/fluid_cmd.c
@@ -1602,8 +1602,8 @@ fluid_handle_info(void* d, int ac, char** av, fluid_ostream_t out)
     fluid_ostream_printf(out, "%s:\n", av[0]);
     fluid_ostream_printf(out, "Type:          string\n");
     fluid_ostream_printf(out, "Value:         %s\n", s ? s : "NULL");
-    fluid_ostream_printf(out, "Default value: %s\n",
-			fluid_settings_getstr_default(settings, av[0]));
+    fluid_settings_getstr_default(settings, av[0], &s);
+    fluid_ostream_printf(out, "Default value: %s\n", s);
 
     if (s) FLUID_FREE (s);
 
diff --git a/src/fluidsynth.c b/src/fluidsynth.c
index 64060380..603ebf98 100644
--- a/src/fluidsynth.c
+++ b/src/fluidsynth.c
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ settings_foreach_func (void *data, const char *name, int type)
   case FLUID_STR_TYPE:
     printf ("%-24s STR", name);
 
-    defstr = fluid_settings_getstr_default (settings, name);
+    fluid_settings_getstr_default (settings, name, &defstr);
     count = fluid_settings_option_count (settings, name);
 
     if (defstr || count > 0)
diff --git a/src/utils/fluid_settings.c b/src/utils/fluid_settings.c
index ed8ec5ea..5d315533 100644
--- a/src/utils/fluid_settings.c
+++ b/src/utils/fluid_settings.c
@@ -1048,17 +1048,18 @@ fluid_settings_str_equal (fluid_settings_t* settings, const char *name, const ch
  *
  * @param settings a settings object
  * @param name a setting's name
- * @return the default string value of the setting if it exists, NULL otherwise
+ * @param def the default string value of the setting if it exists
+ * @return FLUID_OK on success, FLUID_FAILED otherwise
  */
-char*
-fluid_settings_getstr_default(fluid_settings_t* settings, const char *name)
+int
+fluid_settings_getstr_default(fluid_settings_t* settings, const char *name, char** def)
 {
   fluid_setting_node_t *node;
   char *retval = NULL;
 
-  fluid_return_val_if_fail (settings != NULL, NULL);
-  fluid_return_val_if_fail (name != NULL, NULL);
-  fluid_return_val_if_fail (name[0] != '\0', NULL);
+  fluid_return_val_if_fail (settings != NULL, FLUID_FAILED);
+  fluid_return_val_if_fail (name != NULL, FLUID_FAILED);
+  fluid_return_val_if_fail (name[0] != '\0', FLUID_FAILED);
 
   fluid_rec_mutex_lock (settings->mutex);
 
@@ -1078,9 +1079,10 @@ fluid_settings_getstr_default(fluid_settings_t* settings, const char *name)
     }
   }
 
+  *def = retval;
   fluid_rec_mutex_unlock (settings->mutex);
 
-  return retval;
+  return retval != NULL ? FLUID_OK : FLUID_FAILED;
 }
 
 /**