diff --git a/modules/dialplan/dialplan.c b/modules/dialplan/dialplan.c
index 5cd5347b930..2704b86ff91 100644
--- a/modules/dialplan/dialplan.c
+++ b/modules/dialplan/dialplan.c
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@
 
 
 #define DEFAULT_PARAM      "$ruri.user"
-#define DEFAULT_PARTITION  "default"
 #define PARAM_URL	   "db_url"
 #define PARAM_TABLE	   "table_name"
 #define DP_CHAR_COLON      ':'
@@ -315,6 +314,8 @@ static int dp_set_partition(modparam_t type, void* val)
 	p.s   = (char *)val;
 	p.len = strlen(val);
 
+	default_dp_table.len = strlen(default_dp_table.s);
+
 	if (dp_create_head(&p)) {
 		LM_ERR("Error creating head!\n");
 		return -1;
@@ -346,6 +347,7 @@ static int mod_init(void)
 	LM_INFO("initializing module...\n");
 	init_db_url(default_dp_db_url, 1 /* can be null */);
 
+	default_dp_table.len    = strlen(default_dp_table.s);
 	dpid_column.len     	= strlen(dpid_column.s);
 	pr_column.len       	= strlen(pr_column.s);
 	match_op_column.len 	= strlen(match_op_column.s);
@@ -357,11 +359,9 @@ static int mod_init(void)
 	timerec_column.len      = strlen(timerec_column.s);
 	disabled_column.len 	= strlen(disabled_column.s);
 
-	if (!dp_df_head && str_match(&dp_df_part, _str(DEFAULT_PARTITION))) {
-		if (default_dp_db_url.s)
-			dp_head_insert(DP_TYPE_URL, &default_dp_db_url, &dp_df_part);
-
-		default_dp_table.len = strlen(default_dp_table.s);
+	if (!dp_df_head && str_match(&dp_df_part, _str(DEFAULT_PARTITION)) &&
+	        default_dp_db_url.s) {
+		dp_head_insert(DP_TYPE_URL, &default_dp_db_url, &dp_df_part);
 		dp_head_insert(DP_TYPE_TABLE, &default_dp_table, &dp_df_part);
 	}
 
diff --git a/modules/dialplan/dialplan.h b/modules/dialplan/dialplan.h
index ac551e8cdc2..4c8347ea73d 100644
--- a/modules/dialplan/dialplan.h
+++ b/modules/dialplan/dialplan.h
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@
 #define REGEX_OP	1
 #define EQUAL_OP	0
 
+#define DEFAULT_PARTITION  "default"
+
 #define DP_CASE_INSENSITIVE		1
 #define DP_INDEX_HASH_SIZE		16
 
diff --git a/modules/dialplan/dp_db.c b/modules/dialplan/dp_db.c
index 76931d8da1e..53550a75f49 100644
--- a/modules/dialplan/dp_db.c
+++ b/modules/dialplan/dp_db.c
@@ -169,21 +169,45 @@ void dp_disconnect_db(dp_connection_list_p dp_conn)
 int init_data(void)
 {
 	dp_head_p start, tmp;
-	int found_df_part = 0;
 
-	start = dp_hlist;
-	if (!start) {
+	if (!dp_hlist) {
 		LM_ERR("no partition defined, not even the default one!\n");
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	/* was the default partition re-pointed? */
+	if (!str_match(&dp_df_part, _str(DEFAULT_PARTITION))) {
+		int found = 0;
+
+		for (start = dp_hlist; start; start = start->next) {
+			if (str_match(&dp_df_part, &start->partition)) {
+				found = 1;
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+
+		if (!found) {
+			LM_ERR("partition not found: '%.*s'\n",
+			       dp_df_part.len, dp_df_part.s);
+			return -1;
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (!dp_df_head) {
+		if (pkg_str_dup(&dp_df_part, &dp_hlist->partition) < 0) {
+			LM_ERR("oom\n");
+			return -1;
+		}
+
+		LM_INFO("no 'default' partition set, assuming '%.*s'\n",
+		        dp_df_part.len, dp_df_part.s);
+	}
+
+	start = dp_hlist;
 	while (start) {
 		LM_DBG("Adding partition with name [%.*s]\n",
 				start->partition.len, start->partition.s);
 
-		if (str_match(&start->partition, &dp_df_part))
-			found_df_part = 1;
-
 		if (!dp_add_connection(start)) {
 			LM_ERR("failed to initialize partition '%.*s'\n",
 					start->partition.len, start->partition.s);
@@ -195,13 +219,8 @@ int init_data(void)
 		pkg_free(tmp);
 	}
 
-	if (!found_df_part) {
-		LM_ERR("partition '%.*s' is not defined\n",
-		       dp_df_part.len, dp_df_part.s);
-		return -1;
-	}
-
 	dp_hlist = NULL;
+	dp_df_head = NULL;
 	return 0;
 }