diff --git a/pkg/kdump/config-client.js b/pkg/kdump/config-client.js
index 0cff9fe5508c..238cda9db9c8 100644
--- a/pkg/kdump/config-client.js
+++ b/pkg/kdump/config-client.js
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ const knownKeys = [
     "raw", "nfs", "ssh", "sshkey", "path", "core_collector", "kdump_post", "kdump_pre", "extra_bins", "extra_modules",
     "default", "force_rebuild", "override_resettable", "dracut_args", "fence_kdump_args", "fence_kdump_nodes"
 ];
+// man kdump.conf suggests this as default configuration
+const defaultCoreCollector = "makedumpfile -l --message-level 7 -d 31";
 
 /* Parse an ini-style config file
  * and monitor it for changes
@@ -264,6 +266,11 @@ export class ConfigFile {
                                 .split(" ")
                                 .filter(e => e != "-F")
                                 .join(" ");
+            } else {
+                settings._internal.core_collector = { value: defaultCoreCollector };
+                if (target.type === "ssh") {
+                    settings._internal.core_collector.value += " -F";
+                }
             }
         }
         // compression
@@ -273,7 +280,7 @@ export class ConfigFile {
                 if ("core_collector" in settings._internal)
                     settings._internal.core_collector.value = settings._internal.core_collector.value + " -c";
                 else
-                    settings._internal.core_collector = { value: "makedumpfile -c" };
+                    settings._internal.core_collector = { value: defaultCoreCollector };
             } else {
                 // disable compression
                 if ("core_collector" in this.settings._internal) {
diff --git a/pkg/kdump/test-config-client.js b/pkg/kdump/test-config-client.js
index 6eb84592d26b..7ff9a1878656 100644
--- a/pkg/kdump/test-config-client.js
+++ b/pkg/kdump/test-config-client.js
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ const changedConfig = [
     "",
     "#key value #comment",
     "hooray value",
+    "core_collector makedumpfile -l --message-level 7 -d 31",
     ""
 ].join("\n");
 
diff --git a/test/verify/check-kdump b/test/verify/check-kdump
index eeed8e9f9379..70c0d08c2cee 100755
--- a/test/verify/check-kdump
+++ b/test/verify/check-kdump
@@ -195,6 +195,22 @@ class TestKdump(KdumpHelpers):
         self.login_and_go("/kdump")
         b.wait_visible("#app")
 
+        # Check defaults
+        current = m.execute("grep '^core_collector' /etc/kdump.conf").strip()
+        m.execute("sed -i /^core_collector/d /etc/kdump.conf")
+        # Drop the custom path so we can make sure our changes are synced to JavaScript
+        m.execute("sed -i 's#^path /var/crash#path /var/tmp#' /etc/kdump.conf")
+        last_modified = m.execute("stat /etc/kdump.conf")
+        b.wait_text("#kdump-change-target", "locally in /var/tmp")
+        b.click("#kdump-change-target")
+        b.wait_visible("#kdump-settings-dialog")
+        b.set_input_text("#kdump-settings-local-directory", "/var/crash")
+        b.click("button:contains('Save')")
+        b.wait_not_present("#kdump-settings-dialog")
+        new = m.execute("grep '^core_collector' /etc/kdump.conf").strip()
+        self.assertEqual(current, new)
+        self.assertNotEqual(last_modified, m.execute("stat /etc/kdump.conf"))
+
         # Check remote ssh location
         b.click("#kdump-change-target")
         b.wait_visible("#kdump-settings-dialog")