diff --git a/tasks/configuration.yml b/tasks/configuration.yml
index b1fb1f01..4d31954e 100644
--- a/tasks/configuration.yml
+++ b/tasks/configuration.yml
@@ -11,3 +11,15 @@
   notify: restart haproxy
   tags:
     - haproxy-configuration-update-file
+
+- name: configuration | format file (remove empty)
+  lineinfile:
+    path: /etc/haproxy/haproxy.cfg
+    regex: '^\n'
+    state: absent
+
+- name: configuration | format file (empty before headings)
+  replace:
+    dest: /etc/haproxy/haproxy.cfg
+    regexp: "^#--#"
+    replace: ""
diff --git a/templates/etc/haproxy/backend.cfg.j2 b/templates/etc/haproxy/backend.cfg.j2
index b1b60f0d..f9243737 100644
--- a/templates/etc/haproxy/backend.cfg.j2
+++ b/templates/etc/haproxy/backend.cfg.j2
@@ -8,9 +8,11 @@ backend {{ backend.name }}
   bind-process {{ backend.bind_process | join(' ') }}
 {% endif %}
 
+{% if backend.mode is not defined and backend.stats is defined %}
+{% else %}
   mode {{ backend.mode }}
-
-  balance {{ backend.balance }}
+  balance {{ backend.balance | default('roundrobin') }}
+{% endif %}
 
 {% if backend.source is defined %}
   source {{ backend.source }}
diff --git a/templates/etc/haproxy/haproxy.cfg.j2 b/templates/etc/haproxy/haproxy.cfg.j2
index f291e05d..bd3d7a0d 100644
--- a/templates/etc/haproxy/haproxy.cfg.j2
+++ b/templates/etc/haproxy/haproxy.cfg.j2
@@ -1,17 +1,30 @@
 # {{ ansible_managed }}
-
+#--#
+# Global
 global
 {% include 'global.cfg.j2' %}
 
+#--#
+# Defaults
 defaults
 {% include 'defaults.cfg.j2' %}
 
+#--#
+# Userlist
 {% include 'userlist.cfg.j2' %}
 
+#--#
+# Resolvers
 {% include 'resolvers.cfg.j2' %}
 
+#--#
+# Listen
 {% include 'listen.cfg.j2' %}
 
+#--#
+# Frontend
 {% include 'frontend.cfg.j2' %}
 
+#--#
+# Backend
 {% include 'backend.cfg.j2' %}