diff --git a/python/core/qgsproject.sip b/python/core/qgsproject.sip
index 820d73b1e47..b617abf0c93 100644
--- a/python/core/qgsproject.sip
+++ b/python/core/qgsproject.sip
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ class QgsProject : QObject
         @note The key string <em>must</em> include '/'s.  E.g., "/foo" not "foo".
     */
     //@{
-    QStringList readListEntry( const QString & scope, const QString & key, bool * ok = 0, QStringList def = QStringList() ) const;
+    QStringList readListEntry( const QString & scope, const QString & key, QStringList def = QStringList(), bool * ok = 0 ) const;
 
     QString readEntry( const QString & scope, const QString & key, const QString & def = QString::null, bool * ok = 0 ) const;
     int readNumEntry( const QString & scope, const QString & key, int def = 0, bool * ok = 0 ) const;
diff --git a/src/app/qgsprojectproperties.cpp b/src/app/qgsprojectproperties.cpp
index 198398a505e..597f34b33ea 100644
--- a/src/app/qgsprojectproperties.cpp
+++ b/src/app/qgsprojectproperties.cpp
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ QgsProjectProperties::QgsProjectProperties( QgsMapCanvas* mapCanvas, QWidget *pa
   mWMSExtMaxX->setValidator( new QDoubleValidator( mWMSExtMaxX ) );
   mWMSExtMaxY->setValidator( new QDoubleValidator( mWMSExtMaxY ) );
 
-  values = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "WMSExtent", "/", &ok );
+  values = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "WMSExtent", "/", QStringList(), &ok );
   grpWMSExt->setChecked( ok && values.size() == 4 );
   if ( grpWMSExt->isChecked() )
   {
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ QgsProjectProperties::QgsProjectProperties( QgsMapCanvas* mapCanvas, QWidget *pa
     mWMSExtMaxY->setText( values[3] );
   }
 
-  values = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "WMSCrsList", "/", &ok );
+  values = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "WMSCrsList", "/", QStringList(), &ok );
   grpWMSList->setChecked( ok && values.size() > 0 );
   if ( grpWMSList->isChecked() )
   {
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ QgsProjectProperties::QgsProjectProperties( QgsMapCanvas* mapCanvas, QWidget *pa
   }
   else
   {
-    values = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "WMSEpsgList", "/", &ok );
+    values = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "WMSEpsgList", "/", QStringList(), &ok );
     grpWMSList->setChecked( ok && values.size() > 0 );
     if ( grpWMSList->isChecked() )
     {
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ QgsProjectProperties::QgsProjectProperties( QgsMapCanvas* mapCanvas, QWidget *pa
   grpWMSList->setChecked( mWMSList->count() > 0 );
 
   //composer restriction for WMS
-  values = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "WMSComposerList", "/", &ok );
+  values = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "WMSComposerList", "/", QStringList(), &ok );
   mWMSComposerGroupBox->setChecked( ok );
   if ( ok )
   {
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ QgsProjectProperties::QgsProjectProperties( QgsMapCanvas* mapCanvas, QWidget *pa
   }
 
   //layer restriction for WMS
-  values = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "WMSRestrictedLayers", "/", &ok );
+  values = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "WMSRestrictedLayers", "/", QStringList(), &ok );
   mLayerRestrictionsGroupBox->setChecked( ok );
   if ( ok )
   {
diff --git a/src/app/qgssnappingdialog.cpp b/src/app/qgssnappingdialog.cpp
index 9fc85f1813b..cf05bf2487a 100644
--- a/src/app/qgssnappingdialog.cpp
+++ b/src/app/qgssnappingdialog.cpp
@@ -238,12 +238,13 @@ void QgsSnappingDialog::addLayer( QgsMapLayer * theMapLayer )
   }
 
   bool layerIdListOk, enabledListOk, toleranceListOk, toleranceUnitListOk, snapToListOk, avoidIntersectionListOk;
-  QStringList layerIdList = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "Digitizing", "/LayerSnappingList", &layerIdListOk );
-  QStringList enabledList = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "Digitizing", "/LayerSnappingEnabledList", &enabledListOk );
-  QStringList toleranceList = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "Digitizing", "/LayerSnappingToleranceList", & toleranceListOk );
-  QStringList toleranceUnitList = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "Digitizing", "/LayerSnappingToleranceUnitList", & toleranceUnitListOk );
-  QStringList snapToList = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "Digitizing", "/LayerSnapToList", &snapToListOk );
-  QStringList avoidIntersectionsList = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "Digitizing", "/AvoidIntersectionsList", &avoidIntersectionListOk );
+  QStringList defList;
+  QStringList layerIdList = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "Digitizing", "/LayerSnappingList", defList, &layerIdListOk );
+  QStringList enabledList = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "Digitizing", "/LayerSnappingEnabledList", defList, &enabledListOk );
+  QStringList toleranceList = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "Digitizing", "/LayerSnappingToleranceList", defList, & toleranceListOk );
+  QStringList toleranceUnitList = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "Digitizing", "/LayerSnappingToleranceUnitList", defList, &toleranceUnitListOk );
+  QStringList snapToList = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "Digitizing", "/LayerSnapToList", defList, &snapToListOk );
+  QStringList avoidIntersectionsList = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "Digitizing", "/AvoidIntersectionsList", defList, &avoidIntersectionListOk );
 
   //snap to layer yes/no
   QTreeWidgetItem *item = new QTreeWidgetItem( mLayerTreeWidget );
diff --git a/src/core/qgsgeometry.cpp b/src/core/qgsgeometry.cpp
index f027d97178c..c38368c0a46 100644
--- a/src/core/qgsgeometry.cpp
+++ b/src/core/qgsgeometry.cpp
@@ -7714,7 +7714,7 @@ int QgsGeometry::avoidIntersections( QMap<QgsVectorLayer*, QSet< QgsFeatureId >
 
   //read avoid intersections list from project properties
   bool listReadOk;
-  QStringList avoidIntersectionsList = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "Digitizing", "/AvoidIntersectionsList", &listReadOk );
+  QStringList avoidIntersectionsList = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "Digitizing", "/AvoidIntersectionsList", QStringList(), &listReadOk );
   if ( !listReadOk )
   {
     return true; //no intersections stored in project does not mean error
diff --git a/src/core/qgsproject.cpp b/src/core/qgsproject.cpp
index 439545c580a..36e0a0f21aa 100644
--- a/src/core/qgsproject.cpp
+++ b/src/core/qgsproject.cpp
@@ -1134,8 +1134,8 @@ QgsProject::writeEntry( QString const &scope, const QString & key,
 QStringList
 QgsProject::readListEntry( QString const & scope,
                            const QString & key,
-                           bool * ok,
-                           QStringList def ) const
+                           QStringList def,
+                           bool * ok) const
 {
   QgsProperty * property = findKey_( scope, key, imp_->properties_ );
 
diff --git a/src/core/qgsproject.h b/src/core/qgsproject.h
index 3ef7a90a8eb..a8288296b8c 100644
--- a/src/core/qgsproject.h
+++ b/src/core/qgsproject.h
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsProject : public QObject
         @note The key string <em>must</em> include '/'s.  E.g., "/foo" not "foo".
     */
     //@{
-    QStringList readListEntry( const QString & scope, const QString & key, bool * ok = 0, QStringList def = QStringList() ) const;
+    QStringList readListEntry( const QString & scope, const QString & key, QStringList def = QStringList(), bool *ok = 0  ) const;
 
     QString readEntry( const QString & scope, const QString & key, const QString & def = QString::null, bool * ok = 0 ) const;
     int readNumEntry( const QString & scope, const QString & key, int def = 0, bool * ok = 0 ) const;
diff --git a/src/gui/qgsmapcanvassnapper.cpp b/src/gui/qgsmapcanvassnapper.cpp
index d6434c6e0ae..1d3daf20c24 100644
--- a/src/gui/qgsmapcanvassnapper.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/qgsmapcanvassnapper.cpp
@@ -165,15 +165,16 @@ int QgsMapCanvasSnapper::snapToBackgroundLayers( const QPoint& p, QList<QgsSnapp
     //read snapping settings from project
     bool ok; //todo: take the default snapping tolerance for all vector layers if snapping not defined in project
     bool snappingDefinedInProject = true;
-    QStringList layerIdList = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "Digitizing", "/LayerSnappingList", &ok );
+    QStringList defList;
+    QStringList layerIdList = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "Digitizing", "/LayerSnappingList", defList, &ok );
     if ( !ok )
     {
       snappingDefinedInProject = false;
     }
-    QStringList enabledList = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "Digitizing", "/LayerSnappingEnabledList", &ok );
-    QStringList toleranceList = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "Digitizing", "/LayerSnappingToleranceList", &ok );
-    QStringList toleranceUnitList = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "Digitizing", "/LayerSnappingToleranceUnitList", &ok );
-    QStringList snapToList = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "Digitizing", "/LayerSnapToList", &ok );
+    QStringList enabledList = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "Digitizing", "/LayerSnappingEnabledList", defList, &ok );
+    QStringList toleranceList = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "Digitizing", "/LayerSnappingToleranceList", defList, &ok );
+    QStringList toleranceUnitList = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "Digitizing", "/LayerSnappingToleranceUnitList", defList, &ok );
+    QStringList snapToList = QgsProject::instance()->readListEntry( "Digitizing", "/LayerSnapToList", defList, &ok );
 
     if ( !( layerIdList.size() == enabledList.size() && layerIdList.size() == toleranceList.size() && layerIdList.size() == toleranceUnitList.size() && layerIdList.size() == snapToList.size() ) )
     {