diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/Models/ContentSettings.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/Models/ContentSettings.cs
index 32c4cc120d..8b1eb47b5b 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/Models/ContentSettings.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/Models/ContentSettings.cs
@@ -30,11 +30,15 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Configuration.Models
         {
             get
             {
-                return Enum.TryParse<MacroErrorBehaviour>(MacroErrors, true, out var value)
-                    ? value
-                    : throw new InvalidOperationException(
-                        $"Parsing of {nameof(MacroErrors)} field value of {MacroErrors} was not recognised as a valid value of the enum {nameof(MacroErrorBehaviour)}. " +
-                        $"This state shouldn't have been reached as if the configuration contains an invalid valie it should be caught by {nameof(ContentSettingsValidator)}.");
+                if (Enum.TryParse<MacroErrorBehaviour>(MacroErrors, true, out var value))
+                {
+                    return value;
+                }
+
+                // We need to return somethhing valid here as this property is evalulated during start-up, and if there's an error
+                // in the configured value it won't be parsed to the enum.
+                // At run-time though this default won't be used, as an invalid value will be picked up by ContentSettingsValidator.
+                return MacroErrorBehaviour.Inline;
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/Models/HostingSettings.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/Models/HostingSettings.cs
index 1cd1d96e8e..a6dec1f104 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/Models/HostingSettings.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/Models/HostingSettings.cs
@@ -17,11 +17,15 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Configuration.Models
         {
             get
             {
-                return Enum.TryParse<LocalTempStorage>(LocalTempStorageLocation, true, out var value)
-                    ? value
-                    : throw new InvalidOperationException(
-                        $"Parsing of {nameof(LocalTempStorageLocation)} field value of {LocalTempStorageLocation} was not recognised as a valid value of the enum {nameof(LocalTempStorage)}. " +
-                        $"This state shouldn't have been reached as if the configuration contains an invalid valie it should be caught by {nameof(HostingSettingsValidator)}.");
+                if (Enum.TryParse<LocalTempStorage>(LocalTempStorageLocation, true, out var value))
+                {
+                    return value;
+                }
+
+                // We need to return somethhing valid here as this property is evalulated during start-up, and if there's an error
+                // in the configured value it won't be parsed to the enum.
+                // At run-time though this default won't be used, as an invalid value will be picked up by HostingSettingsValidator.
+                return LocalTempStorage.Default;
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/Models/ModelsBuilderSettings.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/Models/ModelsBuilderSettings.cs
index 1f0e6612df..faabcb8290 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/Models/ModelsBuilderSettings.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/Models/ModelsBuilderSettings.cs
@@ -30,11 +30,15 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Configuration.Models
         {
             get
             {
-                return Enum.TryParse<ModelsMode>(ModelsMode, true, out var value)
-                    ? value
-                    : throw new InvalidOperationException(
-                        $"Parsing of {nameof(ModelsMode)} field value of {ModelsMode} was not recognised as a valid value of the enum {nameof(ModelsMode)}. " +
-                        $"This state shouldn't have been reached as if the configuration contains an invalid valie it should be caught by {nameof(ModelsBuilderSettingsValidator)}.");
+                if (Enum.TryParse<ModelsMode>(ModelsMode, true, out var value))
+                {
+                    return value;
+                }
+
+                // We need to return somethhing valid here as this property is evalulated during start-up, and if there's an error
+                // in the configured value it won't be parsed to the enum.
+                // At run-time though this default won't be used, as an invalid value will be picked up by ModelsBuilderSettingsValidator.
+                return Configuration.ModelsMode.Nothing;
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/Models/SmtpSettings.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/Models/SmtpSettings.cs
index 6ac417517f..ecc3b71a78 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/Models/SmtpSettings.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/Models/SmtpSettings.cs
@@ -24,12 +24,15 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Configuration.Models
         {
             get
             {
-                return Enum.TryParse<SmtpDeliveryMethod>(DeliveryMethod, true, out var value)
-                    ? value
-                    : throw new InvalidOperationException(
-                        $"Parsing of {nameof(DeliveryMethod)} field value of {DeliveryMethod} was not recognised as a valid value of the enum {nameof(SmtpDeliveryMethod)}. " +
-                        $"This state shouldn't have been reached as if the configuration contains an invalid valie it should be caught by {nameof(GlobalSettingsValidator)}.");
+                if (Enum.TryParse<SmtpDeliveryMethod>(DeliveryMethod, true, out var value))
+                {
+                    return value;
+                }
 
+                // We need to return somethhing valid here as this property is evalulated during start-up, and if there's an error
+                // in the configured value it won't be parsed to the enum.
+                // At run-time though this default won't be used, as an invalid value will be picked up by GlobalSettingsValidator.
+                return SmtpDeliveryMethod.Network;
             }
         }