diff --git a/pkg/generators/forwarding/fluentd/output_fluentd_buffer.go b/pkg/generators/forwarding/fluentd/output_fluentd_buffer.go
index e189a8fd05..16278425ea 100644
--- a/pkg/generators/forwarding/fluentd/output_fluentd_buffer.go
+++ b/pkg/generators/forwarding/fluentd/output_fluentd_buffer.go
@@ -43,7 +43,11 @@ func (olc *outputLabelConf) TotalLimitSize() string {
 
 func (olc *outputLabelConf) OverflowAction() string {
 	if hasBufferConfig(olc.forwarder) {
-		return string(olc.forwarder.Fluentd.Buffer.OverflowAction)
+		oa := string(olc.forwarder.Fluentd.Buffer.OverflowAction)
+
+		if oa != "" {
+			return oa
+		}
 	}
 
 	switch olc.Target.Type {
@@ -56,7 +60,11 @@ func (olc *outputLabelConf) OverflowAction() string {
 
 func (olc *outputLabelConf) FlushThreadCount() string {
 	if hasBufferConfig(olc.forwarder) {
-		return fmt.Sprintf("%d", olc.forwarder.Fluentd.Buffer.FlushThreadCount)
+		ftc := olc.forwarder.Fluentd.Buffer.FlushThreadCount
+
+		if ftc > 0 {
+			return fmt.Sprintf("%d", ftc)
+		}
 	}
 
 	return defaultFlushThreadCount
@@ -64,7 +72,11 @@ func (olc *outputLabelConf) FlushThreadCount() string {
 
 func (olc *outputLabelConf) FlushMode() string {
 	if hasBufferConfig(olc.forwarder) {
-		return string(olc.forwarder.Fluentd.Buffer.FlushMode)
+		fm := string(olc.forwarder.Fluentd.Buffer.FlushMode)
+
+		if fm != "" {
+			return fm
+		}
 	}
 
 	return defaultFlushMode
@@ -72,7 +84,11 @@ func (olc *outputLabelConf) FlushMode() string {
 
 func (olc *outputLabelConf) FlushInterval() string {
 	if hasBufferConfig(olc.forwarder) {
-		return string(olc.forwarder.Fluentd.Buffer.FlushInterval)
+		fi := string(olc.forwarder.Fluentd.Buffer.FlushInterval)
+
+		if fi != "" {
+			return fi
+		}
 	}
 
 	switch olc.Target.Type {
@@ -85,7 +101,11 @@ func (olc *outputLabelConf) FlushInterval() string {
 
 func (olc *outputLabelConf) RetryWait() string {
 	if hasBufferConfig(olc.forwarder) {
-		return string(olc.forwarder.Fluentd.Buffer.RetryWait)
+		rw := string(olc.forwarder.Fluentd.Buffer.RetryWait)
+
+		if rw != "" {
+			return rw
+		}
 	}
 
 	return defaultRetryWait
@@ -93,7 +113,11 @@ func (olc *outputLabelConf) RetryWait() string {
 
 func (olc *outputLabelConf) RetryType() string {
 	if hasBufferConfig(olc.forwarder) {
-		return string(olc.forwarder.Fluentd.Buffer.RetryType)
+		rt := string(olc.forwarder.Fluentd.Buffer.RetryType)
+
+		if rt != "" {
+			return rt
+		}
 	}
 
 	return defaultRetryType
@@ -101,7 +125,11 @@ func (olc *outputLabelConf) RetryType() string {
 
 func (olc *outputLabelConf) RetryMaxInterval() string {
 	if hasBufferConfig(olc.forwarder) {
-		return string(olc.forwarder.Fluentd.Buffer.RetryMaxInterval)
+		rmi := string(olc.forwarder.Fluentd.Buffer.RetryMaxInterval)
+
+		if rmi != "" {
+			return rmi
+		}
 	}
 
 	return defaultRetryMaxInterval
diff --git a/pkg/generators/forwarding/fluentd/output_fluentd_buffer_test.go b/pkg/generators/forwarding/fluentd/output_fluentd_buffer_test.go
index b6c5293598..3b4069980d 100644
--- a/pkg/generators/forwarding/fluentd/output_fluentd_buffer_test.go
+++ b/pkg/generators/forwarding/fluentd/output_fluentd_buffer_test.go
@@ -35,6 +35,127 @@ var _ = Describe("Generating fluentd config", func() {
 		}
 	})
 
+	Context("for empty forwarder buffer spec", func() {
+		JustBeforeEach(func() {
+			var err error
+			generator, err = NewConfigGenerator(false, false, true)
+			Expect(err).To(BeNil())
+			Expect(generator).ToNot(BeNil())
+
+			customForwarderSpec = &loggingv1.ForwarderSpec{
+				Fluentd: &loggingv1.FluentdForwarderSpec{
+					Buffer: &loggingv1.FluentdBufferSpec{},
+				},
+			}
+
+			outputs = []loggingv1.OutputSpec{
+				{
+					Type: loggingv1.OutputTypeElasticsearch,
+					Name: "other-elasticsearch",
+					URL:  "http://es.svc.messaging.cluster.local:9654",
+				},
+			}
+		})
+
+		It("should provide a default buffer configuration", func() {
+			esConf := `
+        <label @OTHER_ELASTICSEARCH>
+          <match retry_other_elasticsearch>
+            @type copy
+            <store>
+              @type elasticsearch
+              @id retry_other_elasticsearch
+              host es.svc.messaging.cluster.local
+              port 9654
+              verify_es_version_at_startup false
+              scheme http
+              target_index_key viaq_index_name
+              id_key viaq_msg_id
+              remove_keys viaq_index_name
+              user fluentd
+              password changeme
+
+              type_name _doc
+              write_operation create
+              reload_connections 'true'
+              # https://github.com/uken/fluent-plugin-elasticsearch#reload-after
+              reload_after '200'
+              # https://github.com/uken/fluent-plugin-elasticsearch#sniffer-class-name
+              sniffer_class_name 'Fluent::Plugin::ElasticsearchSimpleSniffer' 
+              reload_on_failure false
+              # 2 ^ 31
+              request_timeout 2147483648
+              <buffer>
+                @type file
+                path '/var/lib/fluentd/retry_other_elasticsearch'
+                flush_mode interval
+                flush_interval 1s
+                flush_thread_count 2
+                flush_at_shutdown true
+                retry_type exponential_backoff
+                retry_wait 1s
+                retry_max_interval 300s
+                retry_forever true
+                queued_chunks_limit_size "#{ENV['BUFFER_QUEUE_LIMIT'] || '32' }"
+                total_limit_size "#{ENV['TOTAL_LIMIT_SIZE'] ||  8589934592 }" #8G
+                chunk_limit_size "#{ENV['BUFFER_SIZE_LIMIT'] || '8m'}"
+                overflow_action block
+              </buffer>
+            </store>
+          </match>
+          <match **>
+            @type copy
+            <store>
+              @type elasticsearch
+              @id other_elasticsearch
+              host es.svc.messaging.cluster.local
+              port 9654
+              verify_es_version_at_startup false
+              scheme http
+              target_index_key viaq_index_name
+              id_key viaq_msg_id
+              remove_keys viaq_index_name
+              user fluentd
+              password changeme
+
+              type_name _doc
+              retry_tag retry_other_elasticsearch
+              write_operation create
+              reload_connections 'true'
+              # https://github.com/uken/fluent-plugin-elasticsearch#reload-after
+              reload_after '200'
+              # https://github.com/uken/fluent-plugin-elasticsearch#sniffer-class-name
+              sniffer_class_name 'Fluent::Plugin::ElasticsearchSimpleSniffer'              
+              reload_on_failure false
+              # 2 ^ 31
+              request_timeout 2147483648
+              <buffer>
+                @type file
+                path '/var/lib/fluentd/other_elasticsearch'
+                flush_mode interval
+                flush_interval 1s
+                flush_thread_count 2
+                flush_at_shutdown true
+                retry_type exponential_backoff
+                retry_wait 1s
+                retry_max_interval 300s
+                retry_forever true
+                queued_chunks_limit_size "#{ENV['BUFFER_QUEUE_LIMIT'] || '32' }"
+                total_limit_size "#{ENV['TOTAL_LIMIT_SIZE'] ||  8589934592 }" #8G
+                chunk_limit_size "#{ENV['BUFFER_SIZE_LIMIT'] || '8m'}"
+                overflow_action block
+              </buffer>
+            </store>
+          </match>
+        </label>`
+
+			results, err := generator.generateOutputLabelBlocks(outputs, defaultForwarderSpec)
+			Expect(err).To(BeNil())
+			Expect(len(results)).To(Equal(1))
+			Expect(results[0]).To(EqualTrimLines(esConf))
+		})
+	})
+
 	Context("for output elasticsearch", func() {
 		JustBeforeEach(func() {
 			var err error