diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI/umbraco/dialogs/editMacro.aspx b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI/umbraco/dialogs/editMacro.aspx
index ae741e39a1..87c146c9c1 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI/umbraco/dialogs/editMacro.aspx
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI/umbraco/dialogs/editMacro.aspx
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
                 Umbraco.Dialogs.EditMacro.getInstance().init({
                     useAspNetMasterPages: <%=umbraco.UmbracoSettings.UseAspNetMasterPages.ToString().ToLower() %>,
                     codeEditorElementId: "<%=Request.GetItemAsString("objectId")%>",
-                    renderingEngine: "<%=Request.GetItemAsString("renderingEngine")%>",
+                    renderingEngine: "<%=Request.GetItemAsString("renderingEngine", "Mvc")%>",
                     macroAlias: '<%= _macroAlias %>'
                 });
             });
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI/umbraco_client/Dialogs/EditMacro.js b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI/umbraco_client/Dialogs/EditMacro.js
index 2e1daccabc..a3cbab36f3 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI/umbraco_client/Dialogs/EditMacro.js
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI/umbraco_client/Dialogs/EditMacro.js
@@ -130,8 +130,9 @@
             /// <summary>Initializes the class and any UI bindings</summary>
 
             // Merge options with default
-            this._opts = $.extend({
+            this._opts = $.extend({                
                 // Default options go here
+                renderingEngine: "Mvc"
             }, opts);
 
             var self = this;
@@ -152,8 +153,8 @@
         updateMacro: function () {
 
             var macroSyntax = null;
-            //if it is Mvc or empty, then use Mvc
-            if (this._opts.renderingEngine == "Mvc" || this._opts.renderingEngine == "") {
+            
+            if (this._opts.renderingEngine == "Mvc") {
                 macroSyntax = this._getMacroSyntaxMvc();
             }
             else {
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/HttpRequestExtensions.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/HttpRequestExtensions.cs
index 4dcdcb9c08..238ac06523 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/HttpRequestExtensions.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/HttpRequestExtensions.cs
@@ -16,8 +16,9 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web
 		/// </summary>
 		/// <param name="request"></param>
 		/// <param name="key"></param>
+		/// <param name="valueIfNotFound">The value to return if the key is not found in the collection</param>
 		/// <returns></returns>
-		public static string GetItemAsString(this HttpRequest request, string key)
+		public static string GetItemAsString(this HttpRequest request, string key, string valueIfNotFound = "")
 		{
 			return new HttpRequestWrapper(request).GetItemAsString(key);
 		}
@@ -27,11 +28,12 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web
 		/// </summary>
 		/// <param name="request"></param>
 		/// <param name="key"></param>
+		/// <param name="valueIfNotFound">The value to return if the key is not found in the collection</param>
 		/// <returns></returns>
-		public static string GetItemAsString(this HttpRequestBase request, string key)
+		public static string GetItemAsString(this HttpRequestBase request, string key, string valueIfNotFound = "")
 		{
 			var val = HttpContext.Current.Request[key];
-			return !val.IsNullOrWhiteSpace() ? val : string.Empty;
+			return !val.IsNullOrWhiteSpace() ? val : valueIfNotFound;
 		}
 
 		/// <summary>