diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index 6e071fb..c281ae2 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -50,16 +50,7 @@ netbox_metrics_enabled: false
 netbox_metrics_dir: netbox_metrics
 netbox_metrics_path: "/run/{{ netbox_metrics_dir }}"
 
-netbox_config:
-  # SECRET_KEY:
-  ALLOWED_HOSTS:
-    - localhost
-    - 127.0.0.1
-  # NAPALM_USERNAME:
-  # NAPALM_PASSWORD:
-  MEDIA_ROOT: "{{ netbox_shared_path }}/media"
-  REPORTS_ROOT: "{{ netbox_shared_path }}/reports"
-  SCRIPTS_ROOT: "{{ netbox_shared_path }}/scripts"
+netbox_config: {}
 
 netbox_scripts: []
 netbox_reports: []
diff --git a/tasks/load_variables.yml b/tasks/load_variables.yml
index 7093067..7dc79bc 100644
--- a/tasks/load_variables.yml
+++ b/tasks/load_variables.yml
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 
 - name: Define _netbox_config
   set_fact:
-    _netbox_config: "{{ netbox_config }}"
+    _netbox_config: "{{ _netbox_default_config | combine(netbox_config, recursive=True)  }}"
 
 - name: Generate list of optional Python dependencies
   set_fact:
diff --git a/tasks/validate_variables.yml b/tasks/validate_variables.yml
index 74ca52a..96ccdda 100644
--- a/tasks/validate_variables.yml
+++ b/tasks/validate_variables.yml
@@ -42,14 +42,6 @@
     msg: "Please define NAPALM_USERNAME and NAPALM_PASSWORD in netbox_config to use NAPALM."
   when: "netbox_napalm_enabled | bool"
 
-- name: NetBox user content directories must be specified
-  assert:
-    that:
-      - "'MEDIA_ROOT' in netbox_config"
-      - "'REPORTS_ROOT' in netbox_config"
-      - "'SCRIPTS_ROOT' in netbox_config"
-    msg: "Please ensure MEDIA_ROOT/REPORTS_ROOT/SCRIPTS_ROOT are defined in netbox_config."
-
 - name: Script/Report module names should follow PEP8
   assert:
     that:
diff --git a/vars/main.yml b/vars/main.yml
index c5f41b1..71cf7b2 100644
--- a/vars/main.yml
+++ b/vars/main.yml
@@ -4,6 +4,14 @@ netbox_config_path: "{{ netbox_current_path }}/netbox/netbox"
 netbox_virtualenv_path: "{{ netbox_current_path }}/venv-py3"
 netbox_uwsgi_cmd: "{{ netbox_virtualenv_path }}/bin/uwsgi"
 
+_netbox_default_config:
+  ALLOWED_HOSTS:
+    - localhost
+    - 127.0.0.1
+  MEDIA_ROOT: "{{ netbox_shared_path }}/media"
+  REPORTS_ROOT: "{{ netbox_shared_path }}/reports"
+  SCRIPTS_ROOT: "{{ netbox_shared_path }}/scripts"
+
 _netbox_storages_map:
   s3boto3: boto3
   apache_libcloud: "apache-libcloud"