diff --git a/modules/blogapi.module b/modules/blogapi.module
index b75989578c73b546c5b0767e0c7eeb320adab59d..d836c27fd401e4d06818ae083afa46394aa2fc66 100644
--- a/modules/blogapi.module
+++ b/modules/blogapi.module
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ function blogapi_new_post($req_params) {
   $edit = array();
   $edit['type'] = _blogapi_blogid($params[0]);
   // get the node type defaults
-  $node_type_default = variable_get('node_options_'. $edit['type']);
+  $node_type_default = variable_get('node_options_'. $edit['type'], array());
   $edit['uid'] = $user->uid;
   $edit['name'] = $user->name;
   $edit['promote'] = $node_type_default['promote'];
diff --git a/modules/blogapi/blogapi.module b/modules/blogapi/blogapi.module
index b75989578c73b546c5b0767e0c7eeb320adab59d..d836c27fd401e4d06818ae083afa46394aa2fc66 100644
--- a/modules/blogapi/blogapi.module
+++ b/modules/blogapi/blogapi.module
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ function blogapi_new_post($req_params) {
   $edit = array();
   $edit['type'] = _blogapi_blogid($params[0]);
   // get the node type defaults
-  $node_type_default = variable_get('node_options_'. $edit['type']);
+  $node_type_default = variable_get('node_options_'. $edit['type'], array());
   $edit['uid'] = $user->uid;
   $edit['name'] = $user->name;
   $edit['promote'] = $node_type_default['promote'];