diff --git a/include/haproxy/proxy-t.h b/include/haproxy/proxy-t.h
index 247028460..3fdd09d62 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/proxy-t.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/proxy-t.h
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ enum PR_SRV_STATE_FILE {
 #define PR_CAP_FE      0x0001
 #define PR_CAP_BE      0x0002
 #define PR_CAP_LISTEN  (PR_CAP_FE|PR_CAP_BE)
+#define PR_CAP_DEF     0x0004           /* defaults section */
 
 /* bits for proxy->options */
 #define PR_O_REDISP     0x00000001      /* allow reconnection to dispatch in case of errors */
diff --git a/src/cfgparse-listen.c b/src/cfgparse-listen.c
index ffe793156..176025933 100644
--- a/src/cfgparse-listen.c
+++ b/src/cfgparse-listen.c
@@ -192,10 +192,12 @@ int cfg_parse_listen(const char *file, int linenum, char **args, int kwm)
 		rc = PR_CAP_FE;
 	else if (strcmp(args[0], "backend") == 0)
 		rc = PR_CAP_BE;
+	else if (strcmp(args[0], "defaults") == 0)
+		rc = PR_CAP_DEF;
 	else
 		rc = PR_CAP_NONE;
 
-	if (rc != PR_CAP_NONE) {  /* new proxy */
+	if (rc & PR_CAP_LISTEN) {  /* new proxy */
 		if (!*args[1]) {
 			ha_alert("parsing [%s:%d] : '%s' expects an <id> argument\n",
 				 file, linenum, args[0]);
@@ -257,7 +259,7 @@ int cfg_parse_listen(const char *file, int linenum, char **args, int kwm)
 		curproxy = &defproxy;
 		curproxy->conf.args.file = curproxy->conf.file = strdup(file);
 		curproxy->conf.args.line = curproxy->conf.line = linenum;
-		defproxy.cap = PR_CAP_LISTEN; /* all caps for now */
+		defproxy.cap = PR_CAP_DEF | PR_CAP_LISTEN; /* all caps for now */
 		goto out;
 	}
 	else if (curproxy == NULL) {
diff --git a/src/proxy.c b/src/proxy.c
index 370e759e8..a0aaa5ca6 100644
--- a/src/proxy.c
+++ b/src/proxy.c
@@ -116,11 +116,15 @@ const struct cfg_opt cfg_opts2[] =
 /*
  * This function returns a string containing a name describing capabilities to
  * report comprehensible error messages. Specifically, it will return the words
- * "frontend", "backend" when appropriate, or "proxy" for all other
- * cases including the proxies declared in "listen" mode.
+ * "frontend", "backend" when appropriate, "defaults" if it corresponds to a
+ * defaults section, or "proxy" for all other cases including the proxies
+ * declared in "listen" mode.
  */
 const char *proxy_cap_str(int cap)
 {
+	if (cap & PR_CAP_DEF)
+		return "defaults";
+
 	if ((cap & PR_CAP_LISTEN) != PR_CAP_LISTEN) {
 		if (cap & PR_CAP_FE)
 			return "frontend";