diff --git a/include/haproxy/cfgparse.h b/include/haproxy/cfgparse.h
index 56535b783..161b7d31d 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/cfgparse.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/cfgparse.h
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ extern char *cursection;
 extern int non_global_section_parsed;
 
 extern struct proxy *curproxy;
+extern struct proxy *last_defproxy;
 extern char initial_cwd[PATH_MAX];
 
 int cfg_parse_global(const char *file, int linenum, char **args, int inv);
diff --git a/src/cfgparse-listen.c b/src/cfgparse-listen.c
index ebea79385..bcb085936 100644
--- a/src/cfgparse-listen.c
+++ b/src/cfgparse-listen.c
@@ -299,7 +299,6 @@ int cfg_parse_listen_match_option(const char *file, int linenum, int kwm,
 int cfg_parse_listen(const char *file, int linenum, char **args, int kwm)
 {
 	static struct proxy *curr_defproxy = NULL;
-	static struct proxy *last_defproxy = NULL;
 	const char *err;
 	int rc;
 	int err_code = 0;
@@ -388,35 +387,49 @@ int cfg_parse_listen(const char *file, int linenum, char **args, int kwm)
 			err_code |= ERR_ALERT | ERR_FATAL;
 		}
 
-		if (*args[1] && rc & PR_CAP_DEF) {
-			/* for default proxies, if another one has the same
-			 * name and was explicitly referenced, this is an error
-			 * that we must reject. E.g.
-			 *     defaults def
-			 *     backend bck from def
-			 *     defaults def
+		if (rc & PR_CAP_DEF) {
+			/* If last defaults is unnamed, it will be made
+			 * invisible by the current newer section. It must be
+			 * freed unless it is still referenced by proxies.
 			 */
-			curproxy = proxy_find_by_name(args[1], PR_CAP_DEF, 0);
-			if (curproxy && curproxy->flags & PR_FL_EXPLICIT_REF) {
-				ha_alert("Parsing [%s:%d]: %s '%s' has the same name as another defaults section declared at"
-					 " %s:%d which was explicitly referenced hence cannot be replaced. Please remove or"
-					 " rename one of the offending defaults section.\n",
-					 file, linenum, proxy_cap_str(rc), args[1],
-					 curproxy->conf.file, curproxy->conf.line);
-				err_code |= ERR_ALERT | ERR_ABORT;
-				goto out;
+			if (last_defproxy && last_defproxy->id[0] == '\0' &&
+			    !last_defproxy->conf.refcount) {
+				defaults_px_destroy(last_defproxy);
 			}
+			last_defproxy = NULL;
 
-			/* if the other proxy exists, we don't need to keep it
-			 * since neither will support being explicitly referenced
-			 * so let's drop it from the index but keep a reference to
-			 * its location for error messages.
-			 */
-			if (curproxy) {
-				file_prev = curproxy->conf.file;
-				line_prev = curproxy->conf.line;
-				defaults_px_detach(curproxy);
-				curproxy = NULL;
+			/* If current defaults is named, check collision with previous instances. */
+			if (*args[1]) {
+				curproxy = proxy_find_by_name(args[1], PR_CAP_DEF, 0);
+
+				/* for default proxies, if another one has the same
+				 * name and was explicitly referenced, this is an error
+				 * that we must reject. E.g.
+				 *     defaults def
+				 *     backend bck from def
+				 *     defaults def
+				 */
+				if (curproxy && curproxy->flags & PR_FL_EXPLICIT_REF) {
+					ha_alert("Parsing [%s:%d]: %s '%s' has the same name as another defaults section declared at"
+						 " %s:%d which was explicitly referenced hence cannot be replaced. Please remove or"
+						 " rename one of the offending defaults section.\n",
+						 file, linenum, proxy_cap_str(rc), args[1],
+						 curproxy->conf.file, curproxy->conf.line);
+					err_code |= ERR_ALERT | ERR_ABORT;
+					goto out;
+				}
+
+				/* if the other proxy exists, we don't need to keep it
+				 * since neither will support being explicitly referenced
+				 * so let's drop it from the index but keep a reference to
+				 * its location for error messages.
+				 */
+				if (curproxy) {
+					file_prev = curproxy->conf.file;
+					line_prev = curproxy->conf.line;
+					defaults_px_detach(curproxy);
+					curproxy = NULL;
+				}
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/cfgparse.c b/src/cfgparse.c
index edc9c518f..1940330a7 100644
--- a/src/cfgparse.c
+++ b/src/cfgparse.c
@@ -110,6 +110,8 @@ extern struct proxy *mworker_proxy;
 
 /* curproxy is only valid during parsing and will be NULL afterwards. */
 struct proxy *curproxy = NULL;
+/* last defaults section parsed, NULL after parsing */
+struct proxy *last_defproxy = NULL;
 
 char *cursection = NULL;
 int cfg_maxpconn = 0;                   /* # of simultaneous connections per proxy (-N) */
diff --git a/src/haproxy.c b/src/haproxy.c
index 95b2019d9..929a86537 100644
--- a/src/haproxy.c
+++ b/src/haproxy.c
@@ -2098,6 +2098,13 @@ static void step_init_2(int argc, char** argv)
 	struct pre_check_fct *prcf;
 	const char *cc, *cflags, *opts;
 
+	/* Free last defaults if it is unnamed and unreferenced. */
+	if (last_defproxy && last_defproxy->id[0] == '\0' &&
+	    !last_defproxy->conf.refcount) {
+		defaults_px_destroy(last_defproxy);
+	}
+	last_defproxy = NULL; /* This variable is not used after parsing. */
+
 	/* destroy unreferenced defaults proxies  */
 	defaults_px_destroy_all_unref();
 
diff --git a/src/proxy.c b/src/proxy.c
index b3aa60145..d828ded9c 100644
--- a/src/proxy.c
+++ b/src/proxy.c
@@ -1718,7 +1718,8 @@ int setup_new_proxy(struct proxy *px, const char *name, unsigned int cap, char *
 	px->cap = cap;
 	px->last_change = ns_to_sec(now_ns);
 
-	if (name && !(cap & PR_CAP_INT))
+	/* Internal proxies or with empty name are not stored in the named tree. */
+	if (name && name[0] != '\0' && !(cap & PR_CAP_INT))
 		proxy_store_name(px);
 
 	if (!(cap & PR_CAP_DEF))