diff --git a/src/libotutil/ot-keyfile-utils.c b/src/libotutil/ot-keyfile-utils.c
index 2af48a6e90..9d5903cefb 100644
--- a/src/libotutil/ot-keyfile-utils.c
+++ b/src/libotutil/ot-keyfile-utils.c
@@ -101,6 +101,42 @@ ot_keyfile_get_value_with_default (GKeyFile      *keyfile,
   return ret;
 }
 
+gboolean
+ot_keyfile_get_value_with_default_group_optional (GKeyFile      *keyfile,
+                                                  const char    *section,
+                                                  const char    *value,
+                                                  const char    *default_value,
+                                                  char         **out_value,
+                                                  GError       **error)
+{
+  gboolean ret = FALSE;
+  GError *local_error = NULL;
+  g_autofree char *ret_value = NULL;
+
+  g_return_val_if_fail (keyfile != NULL, ret);
+  g_return_val_if_fail (section != NULL, ret);
+  g_return_val_if_fail (value != NULL, ret);
+
+  if (!ot_keyfile_get_value_with_default (keyfile, section, value, default_value, &ret_value, &local_error))
+    {
+      if (g_error_matches (local_error, G_KEY_FILE_ERROR, G_KEY_FILE_ERROR_GROUP_NOT_FOUND))
+        {
+          g_clear_error (&local_error);
+          ret_value = g_strdup (default_value);
+        }
+      else
+        {
+          g_propagate_error (error, local_error);
+          goto out;
+        }
+    }
+
+  ret = TRUE;
+  ot_transfer_out_value(out_value, &ret_value);
+ out:
+  return ret;
+}
+
 /* Read the value of key as a string.  If the value string contains
  * zero or one of the separators and none of the others, read the
  * string as a NULL-terminated array out_value.  If the value string
diff --git a/src/libotutil/ot-keyfile-utils.h b/src/libotutil/ot-keyfile-utils.h
index 1a03cc261b..b16571df46 100644
--- a/src/libotutil/ot-keyfile-utils.h
+++ b/src/libotutil/ot-keyfile-utils.h
@@ -44,6 +44,14 @@ ot_keyfile_get_value_with_default (GKeyFile      *keyfile,
                                    char         **out_value,
                                    GError       **error);
 
+gboolean
+ot_keyfile_get_value_with_default_group_optional (GKeyFile      *keyfile,
+                                                  const char    *section,
+                                                  const char    *value,
+                                                  const char    *default_value,
+                                                  char         **out_value,
+                                                  GError       **error);
+
 gboolean
 ot_keyfile_get_string_list_with_separator_choice (GKeyFile      *keyfile,
                                                   const char    *section,
diff --git a/tests/test-keyfile-utils.c b/tests/test-keyfile-utils.c
index 8acd0a1cd3..258e7dd8ff 100644
--- a/tests/test-keyfile-utils.c
+++ b/tests/test-keyfile-utils.c
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@ test_get_value_with_default (void)
   /* Avoid that g_return_val_if_fail causes the test to fail.  */
   always_fatal_mask = g_log_set_always_fatal (0);
 
-
   g_assert_false (ot_keyfile_get_value_with_default (g_keyfile,
                                                      NULL,
                                                      "value_foo",
@@ -124,11 +123,75 @@ test_get_value_with_default (void)
   g_clear_pointer (&out, g_free);
 
   g_assert_false (ot_keyfile_get_value_with_default (g_keyfile,
-                                                       "a_fake_section",
-                                                       "a_value_true",
-                                                       "no value",
-                                                       &out,
-                                                       &error));
+                                                     "a_fake_section",
+                                                     "a_value_true",
+                                                     "no value",
+                                                     &out,
+                                                     &error));
+  g_clear_error (&error);
+  g_clear_pointer (&out, g_free);
+}
+
+static void
+test_get_value_with_default_group_optional (void)
+{
+  g_autoptr(GError) error = NULL;
+  g_autofree char *out = NULL;
+  GLogLevelFlags always_fatal_mask;
+  const char *section = "section";
+
+/* Avoid that g_return_val_if_fail causes the test to fail.  */
+  always_fatal_mask = g_log_set_always_fatal (0);
+
+  g_assert_false (ot_keyfile_get_value_with_default_group_optional (g_keyfile,
+                                                                    NULL,
+                                                                    "value_foo",
+                                                                    "none",
+                                                                    &out,
+                                                                    &error));
+  g_clear_pointer (&out, g_free);
+  g_assert_false (ot_keyfile_get_value_with_default_group_optional (g_keyfile,
+                                                                    section,
+                                                                    NULL,
+                                                                    "none",
+                                                                    &out,
+                                                                    &error));
+  g_clear_pointer (&out, g_free);
+  g_assert_false (ot_keyfile_get_value_with_default_group_optional (g_keyfile,
+                                                                    section,
+                                                                    NULL,
+                                                                    "something",
+                                                                    &out,
+                                                                    &error));
+  g_clear_pointer (&out, g_free);
+
+  /* Restore the old mask.  */
+  g_log_set_always_fatal (always_fatal_mask);
+
+  g_assert (ot_keyfile_get_value_with_default_group_optional (g_keyfile,
+                                                              section,
+                                                              "value_foo",
+                                                              "none",
+                                                              &out,
+                                                              &error));
+  g_assert_cmpstr (out, ==, "foo");
+  g_clear_pointer (&out, g_free);
+
+  g_assert (ot_keyfile_get_value_with_default_group_optional (g_keyfile,
+                                                              section,
+                                                              "a_not_existing_value",
+                                                              "correct",
+                                                              &out,
+                                                              &error));
+  g_assert_cmpstr (out, ==, "correct");
+  g_clear_pointer (&out, g_free);
+
+  g_assert (ot_keyfile_get_value_with_default_group_optional (g_keyfile,
+                                                              "an_optional_section",
+                                                              "a_value_true",
+                                                              "no value",
+                                                              &out,
+                                                              &error));
   g_clear_error (&error);
   g_clear_pointer (&out, g_free);
 }
@@ -191,6 +254,7 @@ int main (int argc, char **argv)
 
   g_test_add_func ("/keyfile-utils/get-boolean-with-default", test_get_boolean_with_default);
   g_test_add_func ("/keyfile-utils/get-value-with-default", test_get_value_with_default);
+  g_test_add_func ("/keyfile-utils/get-value-with-default-group-optional", test_get_value_with_default_group_optional);
   g_test_add_func ("/keyfile-utils/copy-group", test_copy_group);
 
   ret = g_test_run();