diff --git a/docs/templates/plugin.rst.j2 b/docs/templates/plugin.rst.j2
index b829dd42a5..a2f6046445 100644
--- a/docs/templates/plugin.rst.j2
+++ b/docs/templates/plugin.rst.j2
@@ -144,6 +144,7 @@ Parameters
                                 {% elif choice is sameas false %}
                                     {% set choice = 'no' %}
                                 {% endif %}
+                                {# Format default values differently (whenever a choice is one of the default values) #}
                                 {% if (value.default is not list and value.default == choice) or (value.default is list and choice in value.default) %}
                                     <li><div style="color: blue"><b>@{ choice | escape }@</b>&nbsp;&larr;</div></li>
                                 {% else %}
@@ -152,8 +153,12 @@ Parameters
                             {% endfor %}
                         </ul>
                     {% endif %}
-                    {# Show default value, when multiple choice or no choices #}
-                    {% if value.default is defined and value.default not in value.choices %}
+                    {# Show default value on a separate line when there is a non-None default (None
+                       is usually a sentinel that shows the user didn't specify it) and there
+                       either are no choices (like a freeform string) or the default does not exist
+                       in choices
+                     #}
+                    {% if value.default is defined and value.default is not none and (not value.choices or value.default not in value.choices) %}
                         <b>Default:</b><br/><div style="color: blue">@{ value.default | tojson | escape }@</div>
                     {% endif %}
                 </td>
diff --git a/hacking/build_library/build_ansible/command_plugins/plugin_formatter.py b/hacking/build_library/build_ansible/command_plugins/plugin_formatter.py
index 784225e1b8..815daf3483 100644
--- a/hacking/build_library/build_ansible/command_plugins/plugin_formatter.py
+++ b/hacking/build_library/build_ansible/command_plugins/plugin_formatter.py
@@ -380,6 +380,19 @@ def process_options(module, options, full_key=None):
             if 'version_added' in v and too_old(v['version_added']):
                 del v['version_added']
 
+            # Set default values so that consumers can count on these being present Should really
+            # do this for all of the values that are optional but the template may rely on certain
+            # values being unset rather than falsey.  antsibull sets default values and the
+            # templates were modified to check for falsey rather than existence so 2.10.x will do
+            # this the right way.
+            defaults = {
+                'choices': (),
+            }
+
+            for key, default in defaults.items():
+                if key not in v:
+                    v[key] = default
+
             if 'suboptions' in v and v['suboptions']:
                 if isinstance(v['suboptions'], dict):
                     process_options(module, v['suboptions'], full_key=full_key_k)