diff --git a/doc/variables.xml b/doc/variables.xml
index a15b8c44..d82f329d 100644
--- a/doc/variables.xml
+++ b/doc/variables.xml
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
             <command>
                 <option>addr</option>
             </command>
-            <option>interface</option>
+            <option>(interface)</option>
         </term>
         <listitem>IP address for an interface, or "No Address" if
         no address is assigned.
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
             <command>
                 <option>addrs</option>
             </command>
-            <option>interface</option>
+            <option>(interface)</option>
         </term>
         <listitem>IP addresses for an interface (if one - works
         like addr). Linux only.
@@ -745,7 +745,7 @@
             <command>
                 <option>downspeed</option>
             </command>
-            <option>net</option>
+            <option>(net)</option>
         </term>
         <listitem>Download speed in KiB
         <para /></listitem>
@@ -755,7 +755,7 @@
             <command>
                 <option>downspeedf</option>
             </command>
-            <option>net</option>
+            <option>(net)</option>
         </term>
         <listitem>Download speed in KiB with one decimal
         <para /></listitem>
@@ -2929,7 +2929,7 @@
             <command>
                 <option>totaldown</option>
             </command>
-            <option>net</option>
+            <option>(net)</option>
         </term>
         <listitem>Total download, overflows at 4 GB on Linux with
         32-bit arch and there doesn't seem to be a way to know how
@@ -2942,7 +2942,7 @@
             <command>
                 <option>totalup</option>
             </command>
-            <option>net</option>
+            <option>(net)</option>
         </term>
         <listitem>Total upload, this one too, may overflow
         <para /></listitem>
@@ -3041,7 +3041,7 @@
             <command>
                 <option>upspeed</option>
             </command>
-            <option>net</option>
+            <option>(net)</option>
         </term>
         <listitem>Upload speed in KiB
         <para /></listitem>
@@ -3051,7 +3051,7 @@
             <command>
                 <option>upspeedf</option>
             </command>
-            <option>net</option>
+            <option>(net)</option>
         </term>
         <listitem>Upload speed in KiB with one decimal
         <para /></listitem>
@@ -3176,7 +3176,7 @@
             <command>
                 <option>wireless_ap</option>
             </command>
-            <option>net</option>
+            <option>(net)</option>
         </term>
         <listitem>Wireless access point MAC address (Linux only)
         <para /></listitem>
@@ -3186,7 +3186,7 @@
             <command>
                 <option>wireless_bitrate</option>
             </command>
-            <option>net</option>
+            <option>(net)</option>
         </term>
         <listitem>Wireless bitrate (ie 11 Mb/s) (Linux only)
         <para /></listitem>
@@ -3196,7 +3196,7 @@
             <command>
                 <option>wireless_essid</option>
             </command>
-            <option>net</option>
+            <option>(net)</option>
         </term>
         <listitem>Wireless access point ESSID (Linux only)
         <para /></listitem>
@@ -3206,7 +3206,7 @@
             <command>
                 <option>wireless_link_bar</option>
             </command>
-            <option>(height), (width) net</option>
+            <option>(height),(width) (net)</option>
         </term>
         <listitem>Wireless link quality bar (Linux only)
         <para /></listitem>
@@ -3216,7 +3216,7 @@
             <command>
                 <option>wireless_link_qual</option>
             </command>
-            <option>net</option>
+            <option>(net)</option>
         </term>
         <listitem>Wireless link quality (Linux only)
         <para /></listitem>
@@ -3226,7 +3226,7 @@
             <command>
                 <option>wireless_link_qual_max</option>
             </command>
-            <option>net</option>
+            <option>(net)</option>
         </term>
         <listitem>Wireless link quality maximum value (Linux only)
         <para /></listitem>
@@ -3236,7 +3236,7 @@
             <command>
                 <option>wireless_link_qual_perc</option>
             </command>
-            <option>net</option>
+            <option>(net)</option>
         </term>
         <listitem>Wireless link quality in percents (Linux only)
         <para /></listitem>
@@ -3246,7 +3246,7 @@
             <command>
                 <option>wireless_mode</option>
             </command>
-            <option>net</option>
+            <option>(net)</option>
         </term>
         <listitem>Wireless mode (Managed/Ad-Hoc/Master) (Linux
         only)
diff --git a/src/conky.c b/src/conky.c
index 6ba467d2..1792277e 100644
--- a/src/conky.c
+++ b/src/conky.c
@@ -1267,43 +1267,64 @@ static struct text_object *construct_text_object(const char *s,
 		if (arg) {
 			obj->data.net = get_net_stat(arg);
 		} else {
-			CRIT_ERR("wireless_essid: needs an argument");
+			// default to DEFAULTNETDEV
+			char *buf = strndup(DEFAULTNETDEV, text_buffer_size);
+			obj->data.net = get_net_stat(buf);
+			free(buf);
 		}
 	END OBJ(wireless_mode, INFO_NET)
 		if (arg) {
 			obj->data.net = get_net_stat(arg);
 		} else {
-			CRIT_ERR("wireless_mode: needs an argument");
+			// default to DEFAULTNETDEV
+			char *buf = strndup(DEFAULTNETDEV, text_buffer_size);
+			obj->data.net = get_net_stat(buf);
+			free(buf);
 		}
 	END OBJ(wireless_bitrate, INFO_NET)
 		if (arg) {
 			obj->data.net = get_net_stat(arg);
 		} else {
-			CRIT_ERR("wireless_bitrate: needs an argument");
+			// default to DEFAULTNETDEV
+			char *buf = strndup(DEFAULTNETDEV, text_buffer_size);
+			obj->data.net = get_net_stat(buf);
+			free(buf);
 		}
 	END OBJ(wireless_ap, INFO_NET)
 		if (arg) {
 			obj->data.net = get_net_stat(arg);
 		} else {
-			CRIT_ERR("wireless_ap: needs an argument");
+			// default to DEFAULTNETDEV
+			char *buf = strndup(DEFAULTNETDEV, text_buffer_size);
+			obj->data.net = get_net_stat(buf);
+			free(buf);
 		}
 	END OBJ(wireless_link_qual, INFO_NET)
 		if (arg) {
 			obj->data.net = get_net_stat(arg);
 		} else {
-			CRIT_ERR("wireless_link_qual: needs an argument");
+			// default to DEFAULTNETDEV
+			char *buf = strndup(DEFAULTNETDEV, text_buffer_size);
+			obj->data.net = get_net_stat(buf);
+			free(buf);
 		}
 	END OBJ(wireless_link_qual_max, INFO_NET)
 		if (arg) {
 			obj->data.net = get_net_stat(arg);
 		} else {
-			CRIT_ERR("wireless_link_qual_max: needs an argument");
+			// default to DEFAULTNETDEV
+			char *buf = strndup(DEFAULTNETDEV, text_buffer_size);
+			obj->data.net = get_net_stat(buf);
+			free(buf);
 		}
 	END OBJ(wireless_link_qual_perc, INFO_NET)
 		if (arg) {
 			obj->data.net = get_net_stat(arg);
 		} else {
-			CRIT_ERR("wireless_link_qual_perc: needs an argument");
+			// default to DEFAULTNETDEV
+			char *buf = strndup(DEFAULTNETDEV, text_buffer_size);
+			obj->data.net = get_net_stat(buf);
+			free(buf);
 		}
 	END OBJ(wireless_link_bar, INFO_NET)
 		SIZE_DEFAULTS(bar);
@@ -1311,7 +1332,10 @@ static struct text_object *construct_text_object(const char *s,
 			arg = scan_bar(arg, &obj->a, &obj->b);
 			obj->data.net = get_net_stat(arg);
 		} else {
-			CRIT_ERR("wireless_link_bar: needs an argument");
+			// default to DEFAULTNETDEV
+			char *buf = strndup(DEFAULTNETDEV, text_buffer_size);
+			obj->data.net = get_net_stat(buf);
+			free(buf);
 		}
 #endif /* HAVE_IWLIB */
 
@@ -1586,13 +1610,19 @@ static struct text_object *construct_text_object(const char *s,
 		if (arg) {
 			obj->data.net = get_net_stat(arg);
 		} else {
-			CRIT_ERR("downspeed needs argument");
+			// default to DEFAULTNETDEV
+			char *buf = strndup(DEFAULTNETDEV, text_buffer_size);
+			obj->data.net = get_net_stat(buf);
+			free(buf);
 		}
 	END OBJ(downspeedf, INFO_NET)
 		if (arg) {
 			obj->data.net = get_net_stat(arg);
 		} else {
-			CRIT_ERR("downspeedf needs argument");
+			// default to DEFAULTNETDEV
+			char *buf = strndup(DEFAULTNETDEV, text_buffer_size);
+			obj->data.net = get_net_stat(buf);
+			free(buf);
 		}
 #ifdef X11
 	END OBJ(downspeedgraph, INFO_NET)
@@ -1927,14 +1957,20 @@ static struct text_object *construct_text_object(const char *s,
 		if (arg) {
 			obj->data.net = get_net_stat(arg);
 		} else {
-			CRIT_ERR("addr needs argument");
+			// default to DEFAULTNETDEV
+			char *buf = strndup(DEFAULTNETDEV, text_buffer_size);
+			obj->data.net = get_net_stat(buf);
+			free(buf);
 		}
 #if defined(__linux__)
 	END OBJ(addrs, INFO_NET)
 		if (arg) {
 			obj->data.net = get_net_stat(arg);
 		} else {
-			CRIT_ERR("addrs needs argument");
+			// default to DEFAULTNETDEV
+			char *buf = strndup(DEFAULTNETDEV, text_buffer_size);
+			obj->data.net = get_net_stat(buf);
+			free(buf);
 		}
 #endif /* __linux__ */
 	END OBJ(tail, 0)
@@ -2387,14 +2423,20 @@ static struct text_object *construct_text_object(const char *s,
 		if (arg) {
 			obj->data.net = get_net_stat(arg);
 		} else {
-			CRIT_ERR("totaldown needs argument");
+			// default to DEFAULTNETDEV
+			char *buf = strndup(DEFAULTNETDEV, text_buffer_size);
+			obj->data.net = get_net_stat(buf);
+			free(buf);
 		}
 	END OBJ(totalup, INFO_NET)
 		obj->data.net = get_net_stat(arg);
 		if (arg) {
 			obj->data.net = get_net_stat(arg);
 		} else {
-			CRIT_ERR("totalup needs argument");
+			// default to DEFAULTNETDEV
+			char *buf = strndup(DEFAULTNETDEV, text_buffer_size);
+			obj->data.net = get_net_stat(buf);
+			free(buf);
 		}
 	END OBJ(updates, 0)
 	END OBJ_IF(if_updatenr, 0)
@@ -2409,13 +2451,19 @@ static struct text_object *construct_text_object(const char *s,
 		if (arg) {
 			obj->data.net = get_net_stat(arg);
 		} else {
-			CRIT_ERR("upspeed needs argument");
+			// default to DEFAULTNETDEV
+			char *buf = strndup(DEFAULTNETDEV, text_buffer_size);
+			obj->data.net = get_net_stat(buf);
+			free(buf);
 		}
 	END OBJ(upspeedf, INFO_NET)
 		if (arg) {
 			obj->data.net = get_net_stat(arg);
 		} else {
-			CRIT_ERR("upspeedf needs argument");
+			// default to DEFAULTNETDEV
+			char *buf = strndup(DEFAULTNETDEV, text_buffer_size);
+			obj->data.net = get_net_stat(buf);
+			free(buf);
 		}
 
 #ifdef X11