diff --git a/es-core/src/ThemeData.cpp b/es-core/src/ThemeData.cpp
index 26d73fb14..c07c27df7 100644
--- a/es-core/src/ThemeData.cpp
+++ b/es-core/src/ThemeData.cpp
@@ -365,6 +365,7 @@ std::map<std::string, std::map<std::string, ThemeData::ElementPropertyType>>
        {"text", STRING},
        {"systemdata", STRING},
        {"metadata", STRING},
+       {"defaultValue", STRING},
        {"metadataElement", BOOLEAN},
        {"gameselector", STRING},
        {"gameselectorEntry", UNSIGNED_INTEGER},
@@ -393,6 +394,7 @@ std::map<std::string, std::map<std::string, ThemeData::ElementPropertyType>>
        {"rotation", FLOAT},
        {"rotationOrigin", NORMALIZED_PAIR},
        {"metadata", STRING},
+       {"defaultValue", STRING},
        {"gameselector", STRING},
        {"gameselectorEntry", UNSIGNED_INTEGER},
        {"fontPath", PATH},
diff --git a/es-core/src/components/DateTimeComponent.cpp b/es-core/src/components/DateTimeComponent.cpp
index 0f6ef38a4..e843ad743 100644
--- a/es-core/src/components/DateTimeComponent.cpp
+++ b/es-core/src/components/DateTimeComponent.cpp
@@ -69,8 +69,12 @@ std::string DateTimeComponent::getDisplayString() const
 {
     if (mDisplayRelative) {
         // Workaround to handle Unix epoch for different time zones.
-        if (mTime.getTime() < 82800)
-            return "never";
+        if (mTime.getTime() < 82800) {
+            if (mDefaultValue == "")
+                return "never";
+            else
+                return mDefaultValue;
+        }
 
         Utils::Time::DateTime now {Utils::Time::now()};
         Utils::Time::Duration dur {now.getTime() - mTime.getTime()};
@@ -93,8 +97,12 @@ std::string DateTimeComponent::getDisplayString() const
         return std::string(buf);
     }
 
-    if (mTime.getTime() == 0)
-        return "unknown";
+    if (mTime.getTime() == 0) {
+        if (mDefaultValue == "")
+            return "unknown";
+        else
+            return mDefaultValue;
+    }
 
     return Utils::Time::timeToString(mTime.getTime(), mFormat);
 }
@@ -176,6 +184,13 @@ void DateTimeComponent::applyTheme(const std::shared_ptr<ThemeData>& theme,
         mThemeMetadata = "";
         const std::string& metadata {elem->get<std::string>("metadata")};
         if (metadata == "releasedate" || metadata == "lastplayed") {
+            if (elem->has("defaultValue")) {
+                const std::string& defaultValue {elem->get<std::string>("defaultValue")};
+                if (defaultValue == ":space:")
+                    mDefaultValue = " ";
+                else
+                    mDefaultValue = defaultValue;
+            }
             mThemeMetadata = metadata;
         }
         else {
diff --git a/es-core/src/components/DateTimeComponent.h b/es-core/src/components/DateTimeComponent.h
index 5d848b0f5..c6d20a36c 100644
--- a/es-core/src/components/DateTimeComponent.h
+++ b/es-core/src/components/DateTimeComponent.h
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ protected:
 private:
     std::string getDisplayString() const;
 
+    std::string mDefaultValue;
     Utils::Time::DateTime mTime;
     std::string mFormat;
     bool mDisplayRelative;
diff --git a/es-core/src/components/TextComponent.cpp b/es-core/src/components/TextComponent.cpp
index 4bb5b7618..f07d5ba5d 100644
--- a/es-core/src/components/TextComponent.cpp
+++ b/es-core/src/components/TextComponent.cpp
@@ -238,6 +238,18 @@ void TextComponent::render(const glm::mat4& parentTrans)
     }
 }
 
+void TextComponent::setValue(const std::string& value)
+{
+    if (value == "unknown" && mDefaultValue != "" &&
+        (mThemeMetadata == "developer" || mThemeMetadata == "publisher" ||
+         mThemeMetadata == "genre" || mThemeMetadata == "players")) {
+        setText(mDefaultValue);
+    }
+    else {
+        setText(value);
+    }
+}
+
 void TextComponent::onTextChanged()
 {
     mTextCache.reset();
@@ -443,6 +455,16 @@ void TextComponent::applyTheme(const std::shared_ptr<ThemeData>& theme,
         for (auto& type : supportedMetadataTypes) {
             if (type == metadata) {
                 mThemeMetadata = type;
+                if (elem->has("defaultValue")) {
+                    if (mThemeMetadata == "developer" || mThemeMetadata == "publisher" ||
+                        mThemeMetadata == "genre" || mThemeMetadata == "players") {
+                        const std::string& defaultValue {elem->get<std::string>("defaultValue")};
+                        if (defaultValue == ":space:")
+                            mDefaultValue = " ";
+                        else
+                            mDefaultValue = defaultValue;
+                    }
+                }
                 break;
             }
         }
diff --git a/es-core/src/components/TextComponent.h b/es-core/src/components/TextComponent.h
index d117f6a2a..58d4e2015 100644
--- a/es-core/src/components/TextComponent.h
+++ b/es-core/src/components/TextComponent.h
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ public:
     void render(const glm::mat4& parentTrans) override;
 
     std::string getValue() const override { return mText; }
-    void setValue(const std::string& value) override { setText(value); }
+    void setValue(const std::string& value) override;
 
     std::string getHiddenValue() const override { return mHiddenText; }
     void setHiddenValue(const std::string& value) override { setHiddenText(value); }
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ private:
         "broken", "playcount",   "controller", "altemulator"};
 
     Renderer* mRenderer;
+    std::string mDefaultValue;
     unsigned int mColor;
     unsigned int mBgColor;
     float mColorOpacity;