diff --git a/contrib/epee/include/net/http_server_handlers_map2.h b/contrib/epee/include/net/http_server_handlers_map2.h
index ffb3f3b7ea5..8d68f041b0c 100644
--- a/contrib/epee/include/net/http_server_handlers_map2.h
+++ b/contrib/epee/include/net/http_server_handlers_map2.h
@@ -171,6 +171,13 @@
       epee::serialization::store_t_to_json(static_cast<epee::json_rpc::error_response&>(rsp), response_info.m_body); \
       return true; \
     } \
+    epee::serialization::storage_entry params_; \
+    params_ = epee::serialization::storage_entry(epee::serialization::section()); \
+    if(!ps.get_value("params", params_, nullptr)) \
+    { \
+      epee::serialization::section params_section; \
+      ps.set_value("params", std::move(params_section), nullptr); \
+    } \
     if(false) return true; //just a stub to have "else if"
 
 
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/epee_serialization.cpp b/tests/unit_tests/epee_serialization.cpp
index f466306155f..5e5b6e40fac 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/epee_serialization.cpp
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/epee_serialization.cpp
@@ -29,8 +29,11 @@
 
 #include <cstdint>
 #include <gtest/gtest.h>
+#include <vector>
 
+#include "serialization/keyvalue_serialization.h"
 #include "storages/portable_storage.h"
+#include "storages/portable_storage_template_helper.h"
 #include "span.h"
 
 TEST(epee_binary, two_keys)
@@ -54,3 +57,68 @@ TEST(epee_binary, duplicate_key)
   epee::serialization::portable_storage storage{};
   EXPECT_FALSE(storage.load_from_binary(data));
 }
+
+namespace
+{
+
+template<typename t_param>
+struct ParentObjWithOptChild
+{
+  t_param     params;
+
+  ParentObjWithOptChild(): params{} {}
+
+  BEGIN_KV_SERIALIZE_MAP()
+    KV_SERIALIZE(params)
+  END_KV_SERIALIZE_MAP()
+};
+
+struct ObjWithOptChild
+{
+  bool test_value;
+
+  BEGIN_KV_SERIALIZE_MAP()
+    KV_SERIALIZE_OPT(test_value, true);
+  END_KV_SERIALIZE_MAP()
+};
+}
+
+TEST(epee_binary, serialize_deserialize)
+{
+  ParentObjWithOptChild<ObjWithOptChild> o;
+  std::string o_json;
+  o.params.test_value = true;
+
+  EXPECT_TRUE(epee::serialization::store_t_to_json(o, o_json));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(o.params.test_value);
+
+  EXPECT_TRUE(epee::serialization::load_t_from_json(o, o_json));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(o.params.test_value);
+
+  ParentObjWithOptChild<ObjWithOptChild> o2;
+  std::string o2_json;
+  o.params.test_value = false;
+
+  EXPECT_TRUE(epee::serialization::store_t_to_json(o2, o2_json));
+  EXPECT_FALSE(o2.params.test_value);
+
+  EXPECT_TRUE(epee::serialization::load_t_from_json(o2, o2_json));
+  EXPECT_FALSE(o2.params.test_value);
+
+  // compiler sets default value of test_value to false
+  ParentObjWithOptChild<ObjWithOptChild> o3;
+  std::string o3_json;
+
+  EXPECT_TRUE(epee::serialization::store_t_to_json(o3, o3_json));
+  EXPECT_FALSE(o3.params.test_value);
+
+  EXPECT_TRUE(epee::serialization::load_t_from_json(o3, o3_json));
+  EXPECT_FALSE(o3.params.test_value);
+
+  // test optional field default initialization.
+  ParentObjWithOptChild<ObjWithOptChild> o4;
+  std::string o4_json = "{\"params\": {}}";
+
+  EXPECT_TRUE(epee::serialization::load_t_from_json(o4, o4_json));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(o4.params.test_value);
+}