diff --git a/io/LasWriter.cpp b/io/LasWriter.cpp
index 43ea4501f3..6d4bdea9e8 100644
--- a/io/LasWriter.cpp
+++ b/io/LasWriter.cpp
@@ -96,7 +96,8 @@ void LasWriter::addArgs(ProgramArgs& args)
         decltype(m_dataformatId)(3));
     args.add("format", "Point format", m_dataformatId,
         decltype(m_dataformatId)(3));
-    args.add("global_encoding", "Global encoding byte", m_globalEncoding);
+    args.add("global_encoding", "Global encoding byte", m_globalEncoding,
+        decltype(m_globalEncoding)(0));
     args.add("project_id", "Project ID", m_projectId);
     args.add("system_id", "System ID", m_systemId,
         decltype(m_systemId)(m_lasHeader.getSystemIdentifier()));
diff --git a/test/unit/io/LasWriterTest.cpp b/test/unit/io/LasWriterTest.cpp
index 1f5a4c1b8a..5164f1a5b2 100644
--- a/test/unit/io/LasWriterTest.cpp
+++ b/test/unit/io/LasWriterTest.cpp
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ TEST(LasWriterTest, forward)
     EXPECT_EQ(n1.findChild("filesource_id").value<uint8_t>(), 0);
     // Global encoding doesn't match because 4_1.las has a bad value, so we
     // get the default.
-    EXPECT_EQ(n1.findChild("global_encoding").value<uint8_t>(), 0);
+    EXPECT_EQ(n1.findChild("global_encoding").value<uint16_t>(), 0);
     EXPECT_EQ(n1.findChild("project_id").value<Uuid>(), Uuid());
     EXPECT_EQ(n1.findChild("system_id").value(), "");
     EXPECT_EQ(n1.findChild("software_id").value(), "TerraScan");