diff --git a/Common/Data/Format/IniFile.cpp b/Common/Data/Format/IniFile.cpp
index df0952c8ff..6fab869ff5 100644
--- a/Common/Data/Format/IniFile.cpp
+++ b/Common/Data/Format/IniFile.cpp
@@ -308,13 +308,10 @@ void Section::Set(std::string_view key, const std::vector<std::string> &newValue
 	Set(key, temp.c_str());
 }
 
-bool Section::Get(std::string_view key, std::vector<std::string> *values, const std::vector<std::string_view> *defaultValues) const {
+bool Section::Get(std::string_view key, std::vector<std::string> *values) const {
 	std::string temp;
 	bool retval = Get(key, &temp);
 	if (!retval) {
-		if (defaultValues) {
-			CopyStrings(values, *defaultValues);
-		}
 		return false;
 	}
 	SplitString(temp, ',', *values, true);
diff --git a/Common/Data/Format/IniFile.h b/Common/Data/Format/IniFile.h
index ba341148bf..9cdae179cd 100644
--- a/Common/Data/Format/IniFile.h
+++ b/Common/Data/Format/IniFile.h
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ public:
 	bool Get(std::string_view key, bool* value) const;
 	bool Get(std::string_view key, float* value) const;
 	bool Get(std::string_view key, double* value) const;
-	bool Get(std::string_view key, std::vector<std::string> *values, const std::vector<std::string_view> *defaultValue = nullptr) const;
+	bool Get(std::string_view key, std::vector<std::string> *values) const;
 
 	// Return a list of all keys in this section
 	bool GetKeys(std::vector<std::string> &keys) const;
diff --git a/Common/StringUtils.h b/Common/StringUtils.h
index 961c5a13d7..a7d518da23 100644
--- a/Common/StringUtils.h
+++ b/Common/StringUtils.h
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ inline bool equals(std::string_view str, std::string_view key) {
 inline bool equalsNoCase(std::string_view str, std::string_view key) {
 	if (str.size() != key.size())
 		return false;
+	if (str.empty())
+		return true;  // due to the check above, the other one is also empty.
 	return strncasecmp(str.data(), key.data(), key.size()) == 0;
 }
 
@@ -134,6 +136,14 @@ inline size_t truncate_cpy(char(&out)[Count], std::string_view src) {
 	return truncate_cpy(out, Count, src);
 }
 
+inline std::string join(std::string_view a, std::string_view b) {
+	std::string result;
+	result.reserve(a.size() + b.size());
+	result.append(a);
+	result.append(b);
+	return result;
+}
+
 inline const char *safe_string(const char *s) {
 	return s ? s : "(null)";
 }
diff --git a/Core/ConfigSettings.cpp b/Core/ConfigSettings.cpp
index fc31de8cd7..3311e7c5cb 100644
--- a/Core/ConfigSettings.cpp
+++ b/Core/ConfigSettings.cpp
@@ -70,7 +70,13 @@ bool ConfigSetting::ReadFromIniSection(char *owner, const Section *section) cons
 	{
 		std::string *target = (std::string *)(owner + offset_);
 		if (!section->Get(iniKey_, target)) {
-			*target = cb_.s ? cb_.s().c_str() : default_.s;
+			if (cb_.s) {
+				*target = cb_.s();
+			} else if (default_.s) {
+				*target = default_.s;
+			} else {
+				target->clear();
+			}
 			return false;
 		}
 		return true;
@@ -79,11 +85,14 @@ bool ConfigSetting::ReadFromIniSection(char *owner, const Section *section) cons
 	{
 		// No support for callbacks for these yet. that's not an issue.
 		std::vector<std::string> *ptr = (std::vector<std::string> *)(owner + offset_);
-		bool success = section->Get(iniKey_, ptr, default_.v);
-		if (success) {
-			MakeUnique(*ptr);
+		if (!section->Get(iniKey_, ptr)) {
+			if (default_.v) {
+				CopyStrings(ptr, *default_.v);
+			}
+			return false;
 		}
-		return success;
+		MakeUnique(*ptr);
+		return true;
 	}
 	case Type::TYPE_TOUCH_POS:
 	{
@@ -341,7 +350,7 @@ void ConfigSetting::ReportSetting(const char *owner, UrlEncoder &data, const std
 	if (!Report())
 		return;
 
-	const std::string key = prefix + std::string(iniKey_);
+	const std::string key = join(prefix, std::string(iniKey_));
 
 	switch (type_) {
 	case Type::TYPE_BOOL:   return data.Add(key, (const bool *)(owner + offset_));
diff --git a/GPU/Common/PostShader.cpp b/GPU/Common/PostShader.cpp
index 407c80e93d..df34b92b56 100644
--- a/GPU/Common/PostShader.cpp
+++ b/GPU/Common/PostShader.cpp
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ void LoadPostShaderInfo(Draw::DrawContext *draw, const std::vector<Path> &direct
 				section.Get("Type", &shaderType);
 
 				std::vector<std::string> vendorBlacklist;
-				section.Get("VendorBlacklist", &vendorBlacklist, nullptr);
+				section.Get("VendorBlacklist", &vendorBlacklist);
 				bool skipped = false;
 				for (auto &item : vendorBlacklist) {
 					Draw::GPUVendor blacklistedVendor = Draw::GPUVendor::VENDOR_UNKNOWN;