diff --git a/CubicChunksAPI/src/main/java/io/github/opencubicchunks/cubicchunks/api/world/storage/StorageFormatProviderBase.java b/CubicChunksAPI/src/main/java/io/github/opencubicchunks/cubicchunks/api/world/storage/StorageFormatProviderBase.java
index 1dc13a105..a43d4273d 100644
--- a/CubicChunksAPI/src/main/java/io/github/opencubicchunks/cubicchunks/api/world/storage/StorageFormatProviderBase.java
+++ b/CubicChunksAPI/src/main/java/io/github/opencubicchunks/cubicchunks/api/world/storage/StorageFormatProviderBase.java
@@ -45,12 +45,13 @@ public static void init() {
                 .create();
     }
 
-    public static ResourceLocation defaultStorageFormatProviderName(ResourceLocation fallback) {
+    public static ResourceLocation defaultStorageFormatProviderName(String fallback) {
         ResourceLocation[] providersThatCanBeDefault = REGISTRY.getValuesCollection().stream()
                 .filter(StorageFormatProviderBase::canBeDefault)
                 .map(StorageFormatProviderBase::getRegistryName)
                 .toArray(ResourceLocation[]::new);
-        return providersThatCanBeDefault.length == 1 ? providersThatCanBeDefault[0] : fallback;
+        return providersThatCanBeDefault.length == 1 ? providersThatCanBeDefault[0] :
+                fallback.isEmpty() ? DEFAULT : new ResourceLocation(fallback);
     }
 
     public ResourceLocation registryName;
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/github/opencubicchunks/cubicchunks/core/world/WorldSavedCubicChunksData.java b/src/main/java/io/github/opencubicchunks/cubicchunks/core/world/WorldSavedCubicChunksData.java
index 2e7c32873..fc8306afa 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/github/opencubicchunks/cubicchunks/core/world/WorldSavedCubicChunksData.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/github/opencubicchunks/cubicchunks/core/world/WorldSavedCubicChunksData.java
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ public WorldSavedCubicChunksData(String name, boolean isCC, int minHeight, int m
             this.maxHeight = maxHeight;
             isCubicChunks = true;
             compatibilityGeneratorType = new ResourceLocation(CubicChunksConfig.compatibilityGeneratorType);
-            storageFormat = StorageFormatProviderBase.defaultStorageFormatProviderName(new ResourceLocation(CubicChunksConfig.storageFormat));
+            storageFormat = StorageFormatProviderBase.defaultStorageFormatProviderName(CubicChunksConfig.storageFormat);
         }
     }
 
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ public void readFromNBT(NBTTagCompound nbt) {
         if(nbt.hasKey("storageFormat"))
             storageFormat = new ResourceLocation(nbt.getString("storageFormat"));
         else
-            storageFormat = StorageFormatProviderBase.defaultStorageFormatProviderName(new ResourceLocation(CubicChunksConfig.storageFormat));
+            storageFormat = StorageFormatProviderBase.defaultStorageFormatProviderName(CubicChunksConfig.storageFormat);
     }
 
     @Override