diff --git a/AUTHORS b/AUTHORS
index 6957682f..1ac40d87 100644
--- a/AUTHORS
+++ b/AUTHORS
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ Alexander Kure
 Alexander Pagel (Lolligerhans)
 Alfredo Menezes (lonfom169)
 Ali AlZhrani (Cooffe)
+Andreas Jan van der Meulen (Andyson007)
 Andreas Matthies (Matthies)
 Andrei Vetrov (proukornew)
 Andrew Grant (AndyGrant)
diff --git a/src/engine.cpp b/src/engine.cpp
index 2bc0db6a..41b19ac6 100644
--- a/src/engine.cpp
+++ b/src/engine.cpp
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ Engine::Engine(std::string path) :
     options["UCI_LimitStrength"] << Option(false);
     options["UCI_Elo"] << Option(1320, 1320, 3190);
     options["UCI_ShowWDL"] << Option(false);
-    options["SyzygyPath"] << Option("<empty>", [](const Option& o) {
+    options["SyzygyPath"] << Option("", [](const Option& o) {
         Tablebases::init(o);
         return std::nullopt;
     });
diff --git a/src/syzygy/tbprobe.cpp b/src/syzygy/tbprobe.cpp
index e2344fda..9b24e700 100644
--- a/src/syzygy/tbprobe.cpp
+++ b/src/syzygy/tbprobe.cpp
@@ -1344,7 +1344,7 @@ void Tablebases::init(const std::string& paths) {
     MaxCardinality = 0;
     TBFile::Paths  = paths;
 
-    if (paths.empty() || paths == "<empty>")
+    if (paths.empty())
         return;
 
     // MapB1H1H7[] encodes a square below a1-h8 diagonal to 0..27
diff --git a/src/ucioption.cpp b/src/ucioption.cpp
index 1cd028c9..455803cf 100644
--- a/src/ucioption.cpp
+++ b/src/ucioption.cpp
@@ -166,7 +166,9 @@ Option& Option::operator=(const std::string& v) {
             return *this;
     }
 
-    if (type != "button")
+    if (type == "string")
+        currentValue = v == "<empty>" ? "" : v;
+    else if (type != "button")
         currentValue = v;
 
     if (on_change)
@@ -188,10 +190,16 @@ std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, const OptionsMap& om) {
                 const Option& o = it.second;
                 os << "\noption name " << it.first << " type " << o.type;
 
-                if (o.type == "string" || o.type == "check" || o.type == "combo")
+                if (o.type == "check" || o.type == "combo")
                     os << " default " << o.defaultValue;
 
-                if (o.type == "spin")
+                else if (o.type == "string")
+                {
+                    std::string defaultValue = o.defaultValue.empty() ? "<empty>" : o.defaultValue;
+                    os << " default " << defaultValue;
+                }
+
+                else if (o.type == "spin")
                     os << " default " << int(stof(o.defaultValue)) << " min " << o.min << " max "
                        << o.max;