diff --git a/crypto/conf/conf.c b/crypto/conf/conf.c
index 9e7dfe5..c1e4e96 100644
--- a/crypto/conf/conf.c
+++ b/crypto/conf/conf.c
@@ -77,6 +77,8 @@
   LHASH_OF(CONF_VALUE) *data;
 };
 
+static const char kDefaultSectionName[] = "default";
+
 // The maximum length we can grow a value to after variable expansion. 64k
 // should be more than enough for all reasonable uses.
 #define MAX_CONF_VALUE_LENGTH 65536
@@ -395,6 +397,10 @@
                              const char *name) {
   CONF_VALUE template, *value;
 
+  if (section == NULL) {
+    section = kDefaultSectionName;
+  }
+
   OPENSSL_memset(&template, 0, sizeof(template));
   template.section = (char *) section;
   template.name = (char *) name;
@@ -543,7 +549,7 @@
     goto err;
   }
 
-  section = OPENSSL_strdup("default");
+  section = OPENSSL_strdup(kDefaultSectionName);
   if (section == NULL) {
     OPENSSL_PUT_ERROR(CONF, ERR_R_MALLOC_FAILURE);
     goto err;
diff --git a/crypto/conf/conf_test.cc b/crypto/conf/conf_test.cc
index 25f4b4e..65938e1 100644
--- a/crypto/conf/conf_test.cc
+++ b/crypto/conf/conf_test.cc
@@ -38,8 +38,7 @@
   ASSERT_TRUE(NCONF_load_bio(conf.get(), bio.get(), nullptr));
   EXPECT_TRUE(NCONF_get_section(conf.get(), "section_name"));
   EXPECT_FALSE(NCONF_get_section(conf.get(), "other_section"));
-  // Doesn't work but should.
-  // EXPECT_STREQ(NCONF_get_string(conf.get(), nullptr, "key"), "value");
+  EXPECT_STREQ(NCONF_get_string(conf.get(), nullptr, "key"), "value");
   EXPECT_STREQ(NCONF_get_string(conf.get(), "section_name", "key"), "value2");
   EXPECT_STREQ(NCONF_get_string(conf.get(), "other_section", "key"), nullptr);
 }