diff --git a/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Autoroute/Migrations.cs b/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Autoroute/Migrations.cs
index 09ff40d68..67d697b0e 100644
--- a/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Autoroute/Migrations.cs
+++ b/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Autoroute/Migrations.cs
@@ -53,11 +53,12 @@ namespace Orchard.Autoroute {
                 .AddColumn<bool>("UseCulturePattern", c => c.WithDefault(false))
             );
 
+            //we set the default pattern index from the deprecated setting
             foreach (ContentTypeDefinition contentTypeDefinition in ContentDefinitionManager.ListTypeDefinitions()) {
                 foreach (ContentTypePartDefinition contentTypePartDefinition in contentTypeDefinition.Parts.Where(x => x.PartDefinition.Name == "AutoroutePart")) {
                     var settings = contentTypePartDefinition.Settings.GetModel<AutorouteSettings>();
                     string patternIndex = contentTypePartDefinition.Settings["AutorouteSettings.DefaultPatternIndex"];
-                    settings.DefaultPatterns = new List<DefaultPattern> { new DefaultPattern { PatternIndex = patternIndex, Culture = "" } };
+                    settings.DefaultPatterns = new List<DefaultPattern> { new DefaultPattern { PatternIndex = patternIndex } };
 
                     ContentDefinitionManager.AlterTypeDefinition(contentTypeDefinition.Name, builder => builder.WithPart("AutoroutePart", settings.Build));
                 }
diff --git a/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Autoroute/Services/AutorouteService.cs b/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Autoroute/Services/AutorouteService.cs
index 1451d5a91..b2aee69bd 100644
--- a/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Autoroute/Services/AutorouteService.cs
+++ b/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Autoroute/Services/AutorouteService.cs
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ namespace Orchard.Autoroute.Services {
 
             // return a default pattern if set
             var patternCultureSearch = settings.Patterns.Any(x => x.Culture == culture) ? culture : null;
-            var defaultPatternCultureSearch = settings.DefaultPatterns.Any(x => x.Culture == culture) ? culture : "";
+            var defaultPatternCultureSearch = settings.DefaultPatterns.Any(x => x.Culture == culture) ? culture : null;
             if (settings.Patterns.Any()) {
                 if (settings.Patterns.Where(x => x.Culture == patternCultureSearch).ElementAt(Convert.ToInt32(settings.DefaultPatterns.Where(x => x.Culture == defaultPatternCultureSearch).FirstOrDefault().PatternIndex)) != null) {
                     return settings.Patterns.Where(x => x.Culture == patternCultureSearch).ElementAt(Convert.ToInt32(settings.DefaultPatterns.Where(x => x.Culture == defaultPatternCultureSearch).FirstOrDefault().PatternIndex));
diff --git a/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Autoroute/Settings/AutorouteSettings.cs b/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Autoroute/Settings/AutorouteSettings.cs
index 51cc23ead..c0f7314e6 100644
--- a/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Autoroute/Settings/AutorouteSettings.cs
+++ b/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Autoroute/Settings/AutorouteSettings.cs
@@ -65,9 +65,11 @@ namespace Orchard.Autoroute.Settings {
                 //We split the values from the radio button returned values
                 int i = 0;
                 foreach (DefaultPattern defaultPattern in _defaultPatterns) {
-                    if (defaultPattern.Culture.Split('|').Count() > 1) {
-                        _defaultPatterns[i].PatternIndex = defaultPattern.Culture.Split('|').Last();
-                        _defaultPatterns[i].Culture = defaultPattern.Culture.Split('|').First();
+                    if (defaultPattern.Culture != null) {
+                        if (defaultPattern.Culture.Split('|').Count() > 1) {
+                            _defaultPatterns[i].PatternIndex = defaultPattern.Culture.Split('|').Last();
+                            _defaultPatterns[i].Culture = defaultPattern.Culture.Split('|').First();
+                        }
                     }
                     i++;
                 }
@@ -80,9 +82,11 @@ namespace Orchard.Autoroute.Settings {
                 //We split the values from the radio button returned values
                 int i = 0;
                 foreach (DefaultPattern defaultPattern in _defaultPatterns) {
-                    if (defaultPattern.Culture.Split('|').Count() > 1) {
-                        _defaultPatterns[i].PatternIndex = defaultPattern.Culture.Split('|').Last();
-                        _defaultPatterns[i].Culture = defaultPattern.Culture.Split('|').First();
+                    if (defaultPattern.Culture != null) {
+                        if (defaultPattern.Culture.Split('|').Count() > 1) {
+                            _defaultPatterns[i].PatternIndex = defaultPattern.Culture.Split('|').Last();
+                            _defaultPatterns[i].Culture = defaultPattern.Culture.Split('|').First();
+                        }
                     }
                     i++;
                 }