diff --git a/src/ethernet_interface.cpp b/src/ethernet_interface.cpp
index 864e252..52f68d1 100644
--- a/src/ethernet_interface.cpp
+++ b/src/ethernet_interface.cpp
@@ -1234,7 +1234,7 @@
         return gw;
     }
 
-    if (!isValidIP(AF_INET, gateway))
+    if (!isValidIP(AF_INET, gateway) && !gateway.empty())
     {
         log<level::ERR>("Not a valid v4 Gateway",
                         entry("GATEWAY=%s", gateway.c_str()));
@@ -1257,7 +1257,7 @@
         return gw;
     }
 
-    if (!isValidIP(AF_INET6, gateway))
+    if (!isValidIP(AF_INET6, gateway) && !gateway.empty())
     {
         log<level::ERR>("Not a valid v6 Gateway",
                         entry("GATEWAY=%s", gateway.c_str()));
diff --git a/src/routing_table.cpp b/src/routing_table.cpp
index 70131e8..0206743 100644
--- a/src/routing_table.cpp
+++ b/src/routing_table.cpp
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@
 
 void Table::refresh()
 {
+    defaultGateway.clear();
+    defaultGateway6.clear();
     try
     {
         rtmsg msg{};
diff --git a/test/test_ethernet_interface.cpp b/test/test_ethernet_interface.cpp
index a7e7302..913b6e1 100644
--- a/test/test_ethernet_interface.cpp
+++ b/test/test_ethernet_interface.cpp
@@ -217,6 +217,8 @@
     std::string gateway = "10.3.3.3";
     interface.defaultGateway(gateway);
     EXPECT_EQ(interface.defaultGateway(), gateway);
+    interface.defaultGateway("");
+    EXPECT_EQ(interface.defaultGateway(), "");
 }
 
 TEST_F(TestEthernetInterface, addGateway6)
@@ -224,6 +226,8 @@
     std::string gateway6 = "ffff:ffff:ffff:fe80::1";
     interface.defaultGateway6(gateway6);
     EXPECT_EQ(interface.defaultGateway6(), gateway6);
+    interface.defaultGateway6("");
+    EXPECT_EQ(interface.defaultGateway6(), "");
 }
 
 } // namespace network