diff --git a/src/plugins/advanced_settings/public/management_app/lib/is_default_value.test.ts b/src/plugins/advanced_settings/public/management_app/lib/is_default_value.test.ts
index 4cde8bf517499..c8a80bd3d6aab 100644
--- a/src/plugins/advanced_settings/public/management_app/lib/is_default_value.test.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/advanced_settings/public/management_app/lib/is_default_value.test.ts
@@ -50,9 +50,9 @@ describe('Settings', function () {
         });
 
         describe('without a value', function () {
-          it('should return true', function () {
+          it('should return false for empty string but true for undefined', function () {
             expect(isDefaultValue({ ...setting, value: undefined })).to.be(true);
-            expect(isDefaultValue({ ...setting, value: '' })).to.be(true);
+            expect(isDefaultValue({ ...setting, value: '' })).to.be(false);
           });
         });
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/advanced_settings/public/management_app/lib/is_default_value.ts b/src/plugins/advanced_settings/public/management_app/lib/is_default_value.ts
index 53c2ef3187f09..080aee369dc0f 100644
--- a/src/plugins/advanced_settings/public/management_app/lib/is_default_value.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/advanced_settings/public/management_app/lib/is_default_value.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ export function isDefaultValue(setting: FieldSetting) {
   return (
     setting.isCustom ||
     setting.value === undefined ||
-    setting.value === '' ||
     String(setting.value) === String(setting.defVal)
   );
 }