diff --git a/appsettings.json b/appsettings.json
index 5187bb442..1bfc0ef6e 100644
--- a/appsettings.json
+++ b/appsettings.json
@@ -150,15 +150,7 @@
       "StringManipulatorTool": {
         "Enabled": true,
         "MaxStringLength": 1000000,
-        "Manipulators": [
-          {
-            "$type": "RegexStringManipulator",
-            "Enabled": true,
-            "Pattern": "[^( -~)\n\r\t]+",
-            "Replacement": "",
-            "Description": "Remove invalid characters from the end of the string"
-          }
-        ]
+        "Manipulators": []
       },
       "TfsUserMappingTool": {
         "Enabled": false,
diff --git a/src/MigrationTools/Tools/StringManipulatorTool.cs b/src/MigrationTools/Tools/StringManipulatorTool.cs
index 2cb9d5fb6..95e393688 100644
--- a/src/MigrationTools/Tools/StringManipulatorTool.cs
+++ b/src/MigrationTools/Tools/StringManipulatorTool.cs
@@ -34,9 +34,11 @@ public void ProcessorExecutionWithFieldItem(IProcessor processor, FieldItem fiel
             }
             if (fieldItem.FieldType == "String" && fieldItem.Value != null)
             {
-                if (HasManipulators())
+                if (!HasManipulators())
                 {
-                    foreach (var manipulator in Options.Manipulators)
+                    AddDefaultManipulator();
+                }
+                foreach (var manipulator in Options.Manipulators)
                     {
                         if (manipulator.Enabled)
                         {
@@ -49,7 +51,7 @@ public void ProcessorExecutionWithFieldItem(IProcessor processor, FieldItem fiel
                             Log.LogDebug("{WorkItemProcessorEnricher}::ProcessorExecutionWithFieldItem::Disabled::{Description}", GetType().Name, manipulator.Description);
                         }
                     }
-                }
+                
                 if (HasStringTooLong(fieldItem))
                 {
                     fieldItem.Value = fieldItem.Value.ToString().Substring(0, Math.Min(fieldItem.Value.ToString().Length, Options.MaxStringLength));
@@ -58,6 +60,15 @@ public void ProcessorExecutionWithFieldItem(IProcessor processor, FieldItem fiel
 
         }
 
+        private void AddDefaultManipulator()
+        {
+            if (Options.Manipulators == null)
+            {
+                Options.Manipulators = new List<RegexStringManipulator>();
+            }
+            Options.Manipulators.Add(new RegexStringManipulator() { Enabled = true, Description = "Default: Removes invalid chars!", Pattern = "[^( -~)\n\r\t]+", Replacement = "" });
+        }
+
         private bool HasStringTooLong(FieldItem fieldItem)
         {
             return fieldItem.Value.ToString().Length > 0 && fieldItem.Value.ToString().Length > Options.MaxStringLength;