diff --git a/packages/app-cli/tests/services/plugins/defaultPluginsUtils.ts b/packages/app-cli/tests/services/plugins/defaultPluginsUtils.ts
index ce3c6e7858..7d35ae789c 100644
--- a/packages/app-cli/tests/services/plugins/defaultPluginsUtils.ts
+++ b/packages/app-cli/tests/services/plugins/defaultPluginsUtils.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { installDefaultPlugins, getDefaultPluginsInstallState, setSettingsForDefaultPlugins, checkPreInstalledDefaultPlugins } from '@joplin/lib/services/plugins/defaultPlugins/defaultPluginsUtils';
 import PluginRunner from '../../../app/services/plugins/PluginRunner';
 import { pathExists } from 'fs-extra';
-import { setupDatabaseAndSynchronizer, supportDir, switchClient } from '@joplin/lib/testing/test-utils';
+import { checkThrow, setupDatabaseAndSynchronizer, supportDir, switchClient } from '@joplin/lib/testing/test-utils';
 import PluginService, { defaultPluginSetting, DefaultPluginsInfo, PluginSettings } from '@joplin/lib/services/plugins/PluginService';
 import Setting from '@joplin/lib/models/Setting';
 
@@ -213,4 +213,57 @@ describe('defaultPluginsUtils', function() {
 		await service.destroy();
 	});
 
+	it('should not throw error on missing setting key', async () => {
+
+		const service = newPluginService();
+
+		const pluginScript = `
+		/* joplin-manifest:
+		{
+			"id": "io.github.jackgruber.backup",
+			"manifest_version": 1,
+			"app_min_version": "1.4",
+			"name": "JS Bundle test",
+			"version": "1.0.0"
+		}
+		*/
+		joplin.plugins.register({
+			onStart: async function() {
+				await joplin.settings.registerSettings({
+					path: {
+						value: "initial-path",
+						type: 2,
+						section: "backupSection",
+						public: true,
+						label: "Backup path",
+					  },
+				})
+			},
+		});`;
+
+		const plugin = await service.loadPluginFromJsBundle('', pluginScript);
+		await service.runPlugin(plugin);
+
+		const defaultPluginsInfo: DefaultPluginsInfo = {
+			'io.github.jackgruber.backup': {
+				version: '1.0.2',
+				settings: {
+					'path': `${Setting.value('profileDir')}`,
+					'missing-key1': 'someValue',
+				},
+			},
+			'plugin.calebjohn.rich-markdown': {
+				version: '0.8.3',
+				settings: {
+					'missing-key2': 'someValue',
+				},
+			},
+		};
+
+		Setting.setValue('installedDefaultPlugins', ['']);
+		expect(checkThrow(() => setSettingsForDefaultPlugins(defaultPluginsInfo))).toBe(false);
+		expect(Setting.value('plugin-io.github.jackgruber.backup.path')).toBe(`${Setting.value('profileDir')}`);
+		await service.destroy();
+	});
+
 });
diff --git a/packages/app-desktop/app.ts b/packages/app-desktop/app.ts
index d692f61575..b72cb39eee 100644
--- a/packages/app-desktop/app.ts
+++ b/packages/app-desktop/app.ts
@@ -278,8 +278,8 @@ class Application extends BaseApplication {
 		checkPreInstalledDefaultPlugins(defaultPluginsId, pluginSettings);
 
 		try {
-			const pluginsDir = path.join(bridge().buildDir(), 'defaultPlugins');
-			pluginSettings = await installDefaultPlugins(service, pluginsDir, defaultPluginsId, pluginSettings);
+			const defaultPluginsDir = path.join(bridge().buildDir(), 'defaultPlugins');
+			pluginSettings = await installDefaultPlugins(service, defaultPluginsDir, defaultPluginsId, pluginSettings);
 			if (await shim.fsDriver().exists(Setting.value('pluginDir'))) {
 				await service.loadAndRunPlugins(Setting.value('pluginDir'), pluginSettings);
 			}
diff --git a/packages/lib/services/plugins/defaultPlugins/defaultPluginsUtils.ts b/packages/lib/services/plugins/defaultPlugins/defaultPluginsUtils.ts
index 50ebc0db97..70124df9f8 100644
--- a/packages/lib/services/plugins/defaultPlugins/defaultPluginsUtils.ts
+++ b/packages/lib/services/plugins/defaultPlugins/defaultPluginsUtils.ts
@@ -3,9 +3,12 @@ import path = require('path');
 import Setting from '../../../models/Setting';
 import shim from '../../../shim';
 import PluginService, { defaultPluginSetting, DefaultPluginsInfo, PluginSettings } from '../PluginService';
+import Logger from '@joplin/lib/Logger';
 import * as React from 'react';
 const shared = require('@joplin/lib/components/shared/config-shared.js');
 
+const logger = Logger.create('defaultPluginsUtils');
+
 export function checkPreInstalledDefaultPlugins(defaultPluginsId: string[],pluginSettings: PluginSettings) {
 	const installedDefaultPlugins: Array<string> = Setting.value('installedDefaultPlugins');
 	for (const pluginId of defaultPluginsId) {
@@ -15,8 +18,17 @@ export function checkPreInstalledDefaultPlugins(defaultPluginsId: string[],plugi
 	}
 }
 
-export async function installDefaultPlugins(service: PluginService, pluginsDir: string, defaultPluginsId: string[], pluginSettings: PluginSettings): Promise<PluginSettings> {
-	const defaultPluginsPaths = await shim.fsDriver().readDirStats(pluginsDir);
+export async function installDefaultPlugins(service: PluginService, defaultPluginsDir: string, defaultPluginsId: string[], pluginSettings: PluginSettings): Promise<PluginSettings> {
+	if (!await shim.fsDriver().exists(defaultPluginsDir)) {
+		logger.info(`Could not find default plugins' directory: ${defaultPluginsDir} - skipping installation.`);
+		return pluginSettings;
+	}
+	const defaultPluginsPaths = await shim.fsDriver().readDirStats(defaultPluginsDir);
+	if (defaultPluginsPaths.length <= 0) {
+		logger.info(`Default plugins' directory is empty: ${defaultPluginsDir} - skipping installation.`);
+		return pluginSettings;
+	}
+
 	const installedPlugins = Setting.value('installedDefaultPlugins');
 
 	for (let pluginId of defaultPluginsPaths) {
@@ -24,7 +36,7 @@ export async function installDefaultPlugins(service: PluginService, pluginsDir:
 
 		// if pluginId is present in 'installedDefaultPlugins' array or it doesn't have default plugin ID, then we won't install it again as default plugin
 		if (installedPlugins.includes(pluginId) || !defaultPluginsId.includes(pluginId)) continue;
-		const defaultPluginPath: string = path.join(pluginsDir, pluginId, 'plugin.jpl');
+		const defaultPluginPath: string = path.join(defaultPluginsDir, pluginId, 'plugin.jpl');
 		await service.installPlugin(defaultPluginPath, false);
 
 		pluginSettings = produce(pluginSettings, (draft: PluginSettings) => {
@@ -41,7 +53,7 @@ export function setSettingsForDefaultPlugins(defaultPluginsInfo: DefaultPluginsI
 	for (const pluginId of Object.keys(defaultPluginsInfo)) {
 		if (!defaultPluginsInfo[pluginId].settings) continue;
 		for (const settingName of Object.keys(defaultPluginsInfo[pluginId].settings)) {
-			if (!installedDefaultPlugins.includes(pluginId)) {
+			if (!installedDefaultPlugins.includes(pluginId) && Setting.keyExists(`plugin-${pluginId}.${settingName}`)) {
 				Setting.setValue(`plugin-${pluginId}.${settingName}`, defaultPluginsInfo[pluginId].settings[settingName]);
 			}
 		}