diff --git a/lib/service_wms.c b/lib/service_wms.c
index ffeb1982..3cd5c383 100644
--- a/lib/service_wms.c
+++ b/lib/service_wms.c
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ void _create_capabilities_wms(mapcache_context *ctx, mapcache_request_get_capabi
     if(tileset->dimensions) {
       for(i=0; i<tileset->dimensions->nelts; i++) {
         apr_array_header_t *values;
-        apr_array_header_t *default_value;
+        apr_array_header_t *default_value = NULL;
         int value_idx;
         char *dimval = NULL;
         mapcache_dimension *dimension = APR_ARRAY_IDX(tileset->dimensions,i,mapcache_dimension*);
@@ -338,7 +338,8 @@ void _create_capabilities_wms(mapcache_context *ctx, mapcache_request_get_capabi
         if(dimval) {
           ezxml_set_txt(dimxml,dimval);
         }
-        default_value = dimension->get_default_value(ctx,dimension,tileset,NULL,NULL);
+        if(dimension->get_default_value)
+          default_value = dimension->get_default_value(ctx,dimension,tileset,NULL,NULL);
         if (default_value){
           dimension->default_value = APR_ARRAY_IDX(default_value,0,char *);
           ezxml_set_attr(dimxml,"default",dimension->default_value);