diff --git a/manifests/init.pp b/manifests/init.pp
index ed3bde99..19f7600f 100644
--- a/manifests/init.pp
+++ b/manifests/init.pp
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@
 #       String. Default: empty (port 17123 in dd-agent)
 #   $additional_checksd
 #       Additional directory to look for datadog checks in
-#       String. Default: empty
+#       String. Default: undef
 #   $bind_host
 #       The loopback address the forwarder and Dogstatsd will bind.
 #       String. Default: empty
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@
   $use_curl_http_client = false,
   $recent_point_threshold = '',
   $listen_port = '',
-  $additional_checksd = '',
+  $additional_checksd = undef,
   $bind_host = '',
   $use_pup = false,
   $pup_port = '',
@@ -642,12 +642,22 @@
     } else {
         $statsd_forward_config = {}
     }
+
+    if $additional_checksd {
+        $additional_checksd_config = {
+          'additional_checksd' => $additional_checksd,
+        }
+    } else {
+        $additional_checksd_config = {}
+    }
+
     $extra_config = deep_merge(
             $base_extra_config,
             $agent6_extra_options,
             $apm_analyzed_span_config,
             $statsd_forward_config,
-            $host_config)
+            $host_config,
+            $additional_checksd_config)
 
     file { $conf6_dir:
       ensure  => directory,
@@ -678,7 +688,6 @@
       'log_file' => $agent6_log_file,
       'log_level' => $log_level,
       'tags' => unique(flatten(union($_local_tags, $_facts_tags))),
-      'additional_checksd' => $additional_checksd,
     }
 
     $agent_config = deep_merge($_agent_config, $extra_config)
diff --git a/templates/datadog_footer.conf.erb b/templates/datadog_footer.conf.erb
index bae66f39..5272457a 100644
--- a/templates/datadog_footer.conf.erb
+++ b/templates/datadog_footer.conf.erb
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ graphite_listen_port: <%= @_graphite_listen_port %>
 <% end -%>
 
 # Additional directory to look for Datadog checks
-<% if @additional_checksd.empty? -%>
+<% if @additional_checksd.nil? -%>
 # additional_checksd: /etc/dd-agent/checks.d/
 <% else -%>
 additional_checksd: <%= @additional_checksd %>