diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/services/preferences/browser/preferencesService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/services/preferences/browser/preferencesService.ts
index 11284ef94c2a60c551e451eb3dd6d7825b625ef5..aaf4fb8720b37dd81664138089ebc74634642da0 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/services/preferences/browser/preferencesService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/services/preferences/browser/preferencesService.ts
@@ -614,7 +614,7 @@ export class PreferencesService extends Disposable implements IPreferencesServic
 		const type = schema ? schema.type : 'object' /* Override Identifier */;
 		let setting = settingsModel.getPreference(settingKey);
 		if (!setting) {
-			const defaultValue = type === 'array' ? this.configurationService.inspect(settingKey).defaultValue : getDefaultValue(type);
+			const defaultValue = (type === 'object' || type === 'array') ? this.configurationService.inspect(settingKey).defaultValue : getDefaultValue(type);
 			if (defaultValue !== undefined) {
 				const key = settingsModel instanceof WorkspaceConfigurationEditorModel ? ['settings', settingKey] : [settingKey];
 				await this.jsonEditingService.write(settingsModel.uri!, [{ path: key, value: defaultValue }], false);