diff --git a/FWCore/ParameterSet/python/Types.py b/FWCore/ParameterSet/python/Types.py
index aa3ae017d93b2..07dce4c862a7b 100644
--- a/FWCore/ParameterSet/python/Types.py
+++ b/FWCore/ParameterSet/python/Types.py
@@ -870,7 +870,7 @@ def insertInto(self, parameterSet, myname):
         parameterSet.addESInputTag(self.isTracked(), myname, self.cppTag(parameterSet))
 
 class FileInPath(_SimpleParameterTypeBase):
-    def __init__(self,value):
+    def __init__(self,value=""):
         super(FileInPath,self).__init__(value)
     @staticmethod
     def _isValid(value):
@@ -2189,6 +2189,9 @@ def testEDAlias(self):
         def testFileInPath(self):
             f = FileInPath("FWCore/ParameterSet/python/Types.py")
             self.assertEqual(f.configValue(), "'FWCore/ParameterSet/python/Types.py'")
+            f = FileInPath()
+            self.assertEqual(f.configValue(), "''")
+
         def testSecSource(self):
             s1 = SecSource("EmbeddedRootSource", fileNames = vstring("foo.root"))
             self.assertEqual(s1.type_(), "EmbeddedRootSource")
diff --git a/FWCore/ParameterSet/src/ParameterDescription.cc b/FWCore/ParameterSet/src/ParameterDescription.cc
index 515a4c3f80df0..6dd18c869baf7 100644
--- a/FWCore/ParameterSet/src/ParameterDescription.cc
+++ b/FWCore/ParameterSet/src/ParameterDescription.cc
@@ -531,9 +531,7 @@ namespace edm {
 
     template <>
     void writeSingleValue<FileInPath>(std::ostream& os, FileInPath const& value, ValueFormat) {
-      if (not value.relativePath().empty()) {
-        os << "'" << value.relativePath() << "'";
-      }
+      os << "'" << value.relativePath() << "'";
     }
 
     template <typename T>
diff --git a/FWCore/ParameterSet/test/test_catch_ParameterSetDescription.cc b/FWCore/ParameterSet/test/test_catch_ParameterSetDescription.cc
index 7603a7bf4df00..2f5ac8638b2b2 100644
--- a/FWCore/ParameterSet/test/test_catch_ParameterSetDescription.cc
+++ b/FWCore/ParameterSet/test/test_catch_ParameterSetDescription.cc
@@ -1366,7 +1366,7 @@ vp = cms.VPSet(
     e = cms.EventID(1, 2, 3),
     er = cms.EventRange('1:2:3-4:5:6'),
     et = cms.ESInputTag('', 'foo'),
-    f = cms.FileInPath(),
+    f = cms.FileInPath(''),
     i = cms.int32(1),
     l = cms.int64(1),
     s = cms.string('a'),