diff --git a/cdist/core/cdist_type.py b/cdist/core/cdist_type.py
index b68448bca..fa5470fcf 100644
--- a/cdist/core/cdist_type.py
+++ b/cdist/core/cdist_type.py
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ def parameter_defaults(self):
                 for name in cdist.core.listdir(defaults_dir):
                     try:
                         with open(os.path.join(defaults_dir, name)) as fd:
-                            defaults[name] = fd.read().strip()
+                            defaults[name] = fd.read().rstrip("\n")
                     except EnvironmentError:
                         pass  # Swallow errors raised by open() or read()
             except EnvironmentError:
diff --git a/docs/changelog b/docs/changelog
index 4008e3c2c..3af27c56d 100644
--- a/docs/changelog
+++ b/docs/changelog
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ next:
 	* Type __debconf_set_selections: Fix bug where --file was unsupported (Evilham)
 	* Types __letsencrypt_cert, __grafana_dashboard: Improve bullseye support (Evilham)
 	* Type __package_apt: Mark already installed packages as manual (Dennis Camera)
+	* Core: Strip only trailing new lines from parameter defaults, instead of leading and trailing whitespace (Dennis Camera)
 
 6.9.8: 2021-08-24
 	* Type __rsync: Rewrite (Ander Punnar)