diff --git a/doc/configuration.txt b/doc/configuration.txt
index 391e074a7..5034b45ee 100644
--- a/doc/configuration.txt
+++ b/doc/configuration.txt
@@ -9720,13 +9720,17 @@ server <name> <address>[:[port]] [param*]
   See also: "default-server", "http-send-name-header" and section 5 about
              server options
 
-server-state-file-name [<file>]
+server-state-file-name [ { use-backend-name | <file> } ]
   Set the server state file to read, load and apply to servers available in
-  this backend. It only applies when the directive "load-server-state-from-file"
-  is set to "local". When <file> is not provided or if this directive is not
-  set, then backend name is used. If <file> starts with a slash '/', then it is
-  considered as an absolute path. Otherwise, <file> is concatenated to the
-  global directive "server-state-file-base".
+  this backend.
+  May be used in sections:    defaults | frontend | listen | backend
+                                  no   |    no   |   yes  |   yes
+
+  It only applies when the directive "load-server-state-from-file" is set to
+  "local". When <file> is not provided, if "use-backend-name" is used or if
+  this directive is not set, then backend name is used. If <file> starts with a
+  slash '/', then it is considered as an absolute path. Otherwise, <file> is
+  concatenated to the global directive "server-state-base".
 
   Example: the minimal configuration below would make HAProxy look for the
            state server file '/etc/haproxy/states/bk':
@@ -9737,7 +9741,7 @@ server-state-file-name [<file>]
     backend bk
       load-server-state-from-file
 
-  See also: "server-state-file-base", "load-server-state-from-file", and
+  See also: "server-state-base", "load-server-state-from-file", and
   "show servers state"
 
 server-template <prefix> <num | range> <fqdn>[:<port>] [params*]
diff --git a/src/cfgparse-listen.c b/src/cfgparse-listen.c
index 689a28eb3..3c66e619b 100644
--- a/src/cfgparse-listen.c
+++ b/src/cfgparse-listen.c
@@ -1204,13 +1204,13 @@ int cfg_parse_listen(const char *file, int linenum, char **args, int kwm)
 	else if (strcmp(args[0], "server-state-file-name") == 0) {
 		if (warnifnotcap(curproxy, PR_CAP_BE, file, linenum, args[0], NULL))
 			err_code |= ERR_WARN;
-		if (*(args[1]) == 0) {
-			ha_alert("parsing [%s:%d] : '%s' expects 'use-backend-name' or a string. Got no argument\n",
-				 file, linenum, args[0]);
-			err_code |= ERR_ALERT | ERR_FATAL;
+		if (alertif_too_many_args(1, file, linenum, args, &err_code))
 			goto out;
-		}
-		else if (strcmp(args[1], "use-backend-name") == 0)
+
+		free(curproxy->server_state_file_name);
+		curproxy->server_state_file_name = NULL;
+
+		if (*(args[1]) == 0 || strcmp(args[1], "use-backend-name") == 0)
 			curproxy->server_state_file_name = strdup(curproxy->id);
 		else
 			curproxy->server_state_file_name = strdup(args[1]);