diff --git a/man/pactl.1.xml.in b/man/pactl.1.xml.in
index d4eb03458..ca365dc23 100644
--- a/man/pactl.1.xml.in
+++ b/man/pactl.1.xml.in
@@ -174,7 +174,9 @@ License along with PulseAudio; if not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
     <option>
       <p><opt>set-default-sink</opt> <arg>SINK</arg></p>
-      <optdesc><p>Make the specified sink (identified by its symbolic name or numerical index) the default sink.</p></optdesc>
+      <optdesc><p>Make the specified sink (identified by its symbolic name or numerical index) the default sink.
+         Use the special name \@NONE@ to unset the user defined default sink. This will make pulseaudio return to the default
+         sink selection based on sink priority.</p></optdesc>
     </option>
 
     <option>
@@ -189,7 +191,9 @@ License along with PulseAudio; if not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
     <option>
       <p><opt>set-default-source</opt> <arg>SOURCE</arg></p>
-      <optdesc><p>Make the specified source (identified by its symbolic name or numerical index) the default source.</p></optdesc>
+      <optdesc><p>Make the specified source (identified by its symbolic name or numerical index) the default source.
+         Use the special name \@NONE@ to unset the user defined default source. This will make pulseaudio return to the default
+         source selection based on source priority.</p></optdesc>
     </option>
 
     <option>
diff --git a/man/pulse-cli-syntax.5.xml.in b/man/pulse-cli-syntax.5.xml.in
index 5bc94b9c9..ecd495a79 100644
--- a/man/pulse-cli-syntax.5.xml.in
+++ b/man/pulse-cli-syntax.5.xml.in
@@ -143,8 +143,10 @@ License along with PulseAudio; if not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
       <p><opt>set-default-sink|set-default-source</opt> <arg>index|name</arg></p>
       <optdesc><p>Make a sink (resp. source) the default. You may specify the
       sink (resp. source) by its index in the sink (resp. source) list or by its
-      name.</p><p>Note that defaults may be overridden by various policy modules
-      or by specific stream configurations.</p></optdesc>
+      name. Use the special name \@NONE@ to unset the user defined default sink or
+      source. In this case, pulseaudio will return to the default sink or source
+      selection based on priority.</p><p>Note that defaults may be overridden by
+      various policy modules or by specific stream configurations.</p></optdesc>
     </option>
 
     <option>
diff --git a/src/pulsecore/cli-command.c b/src/pulsecore/cli-command.c
index ae75064f0..1a49677be 100644
--- a/src/pulsecore/cli-command.c
+++ b/src/pulsecore/cli-command.c
@@ -1038,7 +1038,9 @@ static int pa_cli_command_sink_default(pa_core *c, pa_tokenizer *t, pa_strbuf *b
         return -1;
     }
 
-    if ((s = pa_namereg_get(c, n, PA_NAMEREG_SINK)))
+    if (pa_streq(n, "@NONE@"))
+        pa_core_set_configured_default_sink(c, NULL);
+    else if ((s = pa_namereg_get(c, n, PA_NAMEREG_SINK)))
         pa_core_set_configured_default_sink(c, s->name);
     else
         pa_strbuf_printf(buf, "Sink %s does not exist.\n", n);
@@ -1060,7 +1062,9 @@ static int pa_cli_command_source_default(pa_core *c, pa_tokenizer *t, pa_strbuf
         return -1;
     }
 
-    if ((s = pa_namereg_get(c, n, PA_NAMEREG_SOURCE)))
+    if (pa_streq(n, "@NONE@"))
+        pa_core_set_configured_default_source(c, NULL);
+    else if ((s = pa_namereg_get(c, n, PA_NAMEREG_SOURCE)))
         pa_core_set_configured_default_source(c, s->name);
     else
         pa_strbuf_printf(buf, "Source %s does not exist.\n", n);
diff --git a/src/pulsecore/protocol-native.c b/src/pulsecore/protocol-native.c
index 98b8795d9..231d640aa 100644
--- a/src/pulsecore/protocol-native.c
+++ b/src/pulsecore/protocol-native.c
@@ -4379,23 +4379,33 @@ static void command_set_default_sink_or_source(pa_pdispatch *pd, uint32_t comman
     }
 
     CHECK_VALIDITY(c->pstream, c->authorized, tag, PA_ERR_ACCESS);
-    CHECK_VALIDITY(c->pstream, !s || pa_namereg_is_valid_name(s), tag, PA_ERR_INVALID);
+    CHECK_VALIDITY(c->pstream, !s || pa_namereg_is_valid_name(s) || pa_safe_streq(s,"@NONE@"), tag, PA_ERR_INVALID);
 
     if (command == PA_COMMAND_SET_DEFAULT_SOURCE) {
-        pa_source *source;
+        char *source_name = NULL;
 
-        source = pa_namereg_get(c->protocol->core, s, PA_NAMEREG_SOURCE);
-        CHECK_VALIDITY(c->pstream, source, tag, PA_ERR_NOENTITY);
+        if (!pa_safe_streq(s,"@NONE@")) {
+            pa_source *source;
 
-        pa_core_set_configured_default_source(c->protocol->core, source->name);
+            source = pa_namereg_get(c->protocol->core, s, PA_NAMEREG_SOURCE);
+            CHECK_VALIDITY(c->pstream, source, tag, PA_ERR_NOENTITY);
+            source_name = source->name;
+        }
+
+        pa_core_set_configured_default_source(c->protocol->core, source_name);
     } else {
-        pa_sink *sink;
+        char *sink_name = NULL;
         pa_assert(command == PA_COMMAND_SET_DEFAULT_SINK);
 
-        sink = pa_namereg_get(c->protocol->core, s, PA_NAMEREG_SINK);
-        CHECK_VALIDITY(c->pstream, sink, tag, PA_ERR_NOENTITY);
+        if (!pa_safe_streq(s,"@NONE@")) {
+            pa_sink *sink;
 
-        pa_core_set_configured_default_sink(c->protocol->core, sink->name);
+            sink = pa_namereg_get(c->protocol->core, s, PA_NAMEREG_SINK);
+            CHECK_VALIDITY(c->pstream, sink, tag, PA_ERR_NOENTITY);
+            sink_name = sink->name;
+        }
+
+        pa_core_set_configured_default_sink(c->protocol->core, sink_name);
     }
 
     pa_pstream_send_simple_ack(c->pstream, tag);