diff --git a/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebean/config/PropertiesWrapper.java b/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebean/config/PropertiesWrapper.java
index 66bcf9ac0..4bda1c763 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebean/config/PropertiesWrapper.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebean/config/PropertiesWrapper.java
@@ -141,8 +141,8 @@ public class PropertiesWrapper {
    * Return a Enum property value.
    */
   public <T extends Enum<T>> T getEnum(Class<T> enumType, String key, T defaultValue) {
-    String level = get(key, defaultValue.name());
-    return Enum.valueOf(enumType, level.toUpperCase());
+    String level = get(key, null);
+    return (level == null) ? defaultValue : Enum.valueOf(enumType, level.toUpperCase());
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/avaje/ebean/config/PropertiesWrapperTest.java b/src/test/java/com/avaje/ebean/config/PropertiesWrapperTest.java
index 24422d657..43f8606c9 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/avaje/ebean/config/PropertiesWrapperTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/avaje/ebean/config/PropertiesWrapperTest.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package com.avaje.ebean.config;
 
+import com.avaje.ebean.config.dbplatform.DbPlatformName;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
 import java.util.Properties;
@@ -17,6 +18,18 @@ public class PropertiesWrapperTest {
     assertEquals("myserver", pw.getServerName());
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testGetEnum() {
+
+    Properties properties = new Properties();
+    properties.put("platform","postgres");
+
+    PropertiesWrapper pw = new PropertiesWrapper("pref", "myserver", properties);
+    assertEquals(DbPlatformName.POSTGRES, pw.getEnum(DbPlatformName.class, "platform", DbPlatformName.H2));
+    assertEquals(DbPlatformName.H2, pw.getEnum(DbPlatformName.class, "junk", DbPlatformName.H2));
+    assertNull(pw.getEnum(DbPlatformName.class, "junk", null));
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void testTrimPropertyValues() {