diff --git a/src/scripts/linking/find-defined-target.lua b/src/scripts/linking/find-defined-target.lua
index bc714da8..809a7ebe 100644
--- a/src/scripts/linking/find-defined-target.lua
+++ b/src/scripts/linking/find-defined-target.lua
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ SimpleEventHook {
       end
     end
 
+    si_flags.has_defined_target = false
     if target_picked and target then
       log:info (si,
         string.format ("... defined target picked: %s (%s), can_passthrough:%s",
@@ -110,6 +111,7 @@ SimpleEventHook {
           tostring (can_passthrough)))
       si_flags.has_node_defined_target = node_defined
       si_flags.can_passthrough = can_passthrough
+      si_flags.has_defined_target = true
       event:set_data ("target", target)
     elseif target_value and dont_fallback then
       -- send error to client and destroy node if linger is not set
diff --git a/src/scripts/linking/get-filter-from-target.lua b/src/scripts/linking/get-filter-from-target.lua
index a6673b2a..e17de37a 100644
--- a/src/scripts/linking/get-filter-from-target.lua
+++ b/src/scripts/linking/get-filter-from-target.lua
@@ -35,11 +35,17 @@ SimpleEventHook {
       return
     end
 
-    -- Get the filter from the given target, if any
+    -- Get the filter from the given target if it exists, otherwise get the
+    -- default filter, but only if target was not defined
     local target_direction = cutils.getTargetDirection (si.properties)
     local filter_target = futils.get_filter_from_target (target_direction, target)
     if filter_target ~= nil then
       target = filter_target
+    elseif filter_target == nil and not si_flags.has_defined_target then
+      filter_target = futils.get_filter_from_target (target_direction, nil)
+      if filter_target ~= nil then
+        target = filter_target
+      end
     end
 
     local can_passthrough, passthrough_compatible