--- a/mercurial/ui.py
+++ b/mercurial/ui.py
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ class ui(object):
path = self.config("paths", loc)
if not path and default is not None:
path = self.config("paths", default)
- return path
+ return path or loc
def write(self, *args):
if self.header: