diff --git a/tools/sdbusplus/property.py b/tools/sdbusplus/property.py
index bcb50d9..0297e79 100644
--- a/tools/sdbusplus/property.py
+++ b/tools/sdbusplus/property.py
@@ -11,11 +11,18 @@
 
         super(Property, self).__init__(**kwargs)
 
+    def is_enum(self):
+        if not self.cppTypeName:
+            return False
+        if self.cppTypeName.startswith("enum<"):
+            return True
+        return False
+
     """ Return a conversion of the cppTypeName valid as a function parameter.
         Currently only 'enum' requires conversion.
     """
     def cppTypeParam(self, interface, server=True):
-        if self.cppTypeName.startswith("enum<"):
+        if self.is_enum():
             # strip off 'enum<' and '>'
             r = self.cppTypeName.split('>')[0].split('<')[1]
 
@@ -33,7 +40,7 @@
         message.  Currently only 'enum' requires conversion.
     """
     def cppTypeMessage(self, interface):
-        if self.cppTypeName.startswith("enum<"):
+        if self.is_enum():
             return "std::string"
         return self.cppTypeName
 
diff --git a/tools/sdbusplus/templates/interface.mako.server.hpp b/tools/sdbusplus/templates/interface.mako.server.hpp
index 5a67a43..1fab15b 100644
--- a/tools/sdbusplus/templates/interface.mako.server.hpp
+++ b/tools/sdbusplus/templates/interface.mako.server.hpp
@@ -88,7 +88,11 @@
 
     % for p in interface.properties:
         % if p.defaultValue:
-        ${p.cppTypeParam(interface.name)} _${p.camelCase} = ${p.defaultValue};
+        ${p.cppTypeParam(interface.name)} _${p.camelCase} = \
+            % if p.is_enum():
+${p.cppTypeParam(interface.name)}::\
+            % endif
+${p.defaultValue};
         % else:
         ${p.cppTypeParam(interface.name)} _${p.camelCase}{};
         % endif