diff --git a/patches/command_pyroscope.cc b/patches/command_pyroscope.cc
index 17e8c758..446d1f27 100644
--- a/patches/command_pyroscope.cc
+++ b/patches/command_pyroscope.cc
@@ -513,7 +513,8 @@ torrent::Object retrieve_d_custom_if_z(core::Download* download, const torrent::
         throw torrent::bencode_error("d.custom.if_z: Missing default argument.");
 
     try {
-        return download->bencode()->get_key("rtorrent").get_key("custom").get_key_string(key);
+        const std::string& val = download->bencode()->get_key("rtorrent").get_key("custom").get_key_string(key);
+        return val.empty() ? itr->as_string() : val;
     } catch (torrent::bencode_error& e) {
         return itr->as_string();
     }
diff --git a/tests/commands/misc.txt b/tests/commands/misc.txt
index a19d198c..a1413b6c 100644
--- a/tests/commands/misc.txt
+++ b/tests/commands/misc.txt
@@ -34,6 +34,12 @@ ERROR … convert.time_delta: … must be a value
 # END
 
 # d.custom.if_z
+$ rtxmlrpc --repr d.custom.set $(rtxmlrpc download_list | head -n1) test_value ''
+0
+$ rtxmlrpc --repr d.custom $(rtxmlrpc download_list | head -n1) test_value
+''
+$ rtxmlrpc --repr d.custom.if_z $(rtxmlrpc download_list | head -n1) test_value is_empty
+'is_empty'
 $ rtxmlrpc --repr d.custom.set $(rtxmlrpc download_list | head -n1) test_value d_custom_if_z
 0
 $ rtxmlrpc --repr d.custom.if_z $(rtxmlrpc download_list | head -n1) test_value default