diff --git a/doc/PLUGINS.md b/doc/PLUGINS.md
index 21792f3e2..33c959feb 100644
--- a/doc/PLUGINS.md
+++ b/doc/PLUGINS.md
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ methods are required:
  - `getmanifest` asks the plugin for command line options and JSON-RPC
    commands that should be passed through
  - `init` is called after the command line options have been
-   parsed and passes them through with the real values. This is also
+   parsed and passes them through with the real values (if specified). This is also
    the signal that `lightningd`'s JSON-RPC over Unix Socket is now up
    and ready to receive incoming requests from the plugin.
 
diff --git a/lightningd/plugin.c b/lightningd/plugin.c
index 27e63f10a..a1d32b60d 100644
--- a/lightningd/plugin.c
+++ b/lightningd/plugin.c
@@ -1000,9 +1000,8 @@ static void plugin_config(struct plugin *plugin)
 	list_for_each(&plugin->plugin_opts, opt, list) {
 		/* Trim the `--` that we added before */
 		name = opt->name + 2;
-		if (!opt->value)
-			opt->value = "";
-		json_add_string(req->stream, name, opt->value);
+		if (opt->value)
+			json_add_string(req->stream, name, opt->value);
 	}
 	json_object_end(req->stream); /* end of .params.options */