diff --git a/i18next-parser.config.ts b/i18next-parser.config.ts
index 0db38bd3..37ce57ee 100644
--- a/i18next-parser.config.ts
+++ b/i18next-parser.config.ts
@@ -10,9 +10,7 @@ export default {
 	contextSeparator: '_',
 	createOldCatalogs: false,
 	defaultNamespace: 'translation',
-	defaultValue: function (locale, namespace, key, value) {
-		return key;
-	},
+	defaultValue: '',
 	indentation: 2,
 	keepRemoved: false,
 	keySeparator: false,
diff --git a/src/lib/i18n/index.ts b/src/lib/i18n/index.ts
index 1a45f7ac..43aec164 100644
--- a/src/lib/i18n/index.ts
+++ b/src/lib/i18n/index.ts
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ i18next
 			default: ['en']
 		},
 		ns: 'translation',
+		returnEmptyString: false,
 		interpolation: {
 			escapeValue: false // not needed for svelte as it escapes by default
 		}