diff --git a/src/app-utils/options.scm b/src/app-utils/options.scm
index e9120be33b..86b1734b95 100644
--- a/src/app-utils/options.scm
+++ b/src/app-utils/options.scm
@@ -1319,7 +1319,7 @@
   (define (def-value)
     (if (list? default-value)
         default-value
-        '(locale number #t "")))
+        (list 'unset 'number #t "")))
 
   (let* ((value (def-value))
          (value->string (lambda ()