diff --git a/lib/remotes.sh b/lib/remotes.sh
index 08da91b..e68b2d2 100644
--- a/lib/remotes.sh
+++ b/lib/remotes.sh
@@ -30,16 +30,16 @@ declare -g _SAVED_GDRIVE_ROOT_FOLDER_ID=""
 declare -g CURRENT_REMOTE_NAME=""
 
 _save_remote_globals() {
-    _SAVED_REMOTE_HOST="$REMOTE_HOST"
-    _SAVED_REMOTE_PORT="$REMOTE_PORT"
-    _SAVED_REMOTE_USER="$REMOTE_USER"
+    _SAVED_REMOTE_HOST="${REMOTE_HOST:-}"
+    _SAVED_REMOTE_PORT="${REMOTE_PORT:-22}"
+    _SAVED_REMOTE_USER="${REMOTE_USER:-root}"
     _SAVED_REMOTE_AUTH_METHOD="${REMOTE_AUTH_METHOD:-key}"
     _SAVED_REMOTE_KEY="${REMOTE_KEY:-}"
     _SAVED_REMOTE_PASSWORD="${REMOTE_PASSWORD:-}"
-    _SAVED_REMOTE_BASE="$REMOTE_BASE"
-    _SAVED_BWLIMIT="$BWLIMIT"
-    _SAVED_RETENTION_COUNT="$RETENTION_COUNT"
-    _SAVED_RSYNC_EXTRA_OPTS="$RSYNC_EXTRA_OPTS"
+    _SAVED_REMOTE_BASE="${REMOTE_BASE:-/backups}"
+    _SAVED_BWLIMIT="${BWLIMIT:-0}"
+    _SAVED_RETENTION_COUNT="${RETENTION_COUNT:-30}"
+    _SAVED_RSYNC_EXTRA_OPTS="${RSYNC_EXTRA_OPTS:-}"
     _SAVED_REMOTE_TYPE="${REMOTE_TYPE:-ssh}"
     _SAVED_S3_ACCESS_KEY_ID="${S3_ACCESS_KEY_ID:-}"
     _SAVED_S3_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY="${S3_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY:-}"