diff --git a/wled00/cfg.cpp b/wled00/cfg.cpp
index 0f8575394..2e9f478f3 100644
--- a/wled00/cfg.cpp
+++ b/wled00/cfg.cpp
@@ -555,11 +555,21 @@ void deserializeConfigFromFS() {
   DEBUG_PRINTLN(F("Reading settings from /cfg.json..."));
 
   success = readObjectFromFile("/cfg.json", nullptr, &doc);
-  if (!success) { //if file does not exist, try reading from EEPROM
+  if (!success) { // if file does not exist, optionally try reading from EEPROM and then save defaults to FS
+    releaseJSONBufferLock();
     #ifdef WLED_ADD_EEPROM_SUPPORT
     deEEPSettings();
     #endif
-    releaseJSONBufferLock();
+
+    // save default values to /cfg.json
+    // call readFromConfig() with an empty object so that usermods can initialize to defaults prior to saving
+    JsonObject empty = JsonObject();
+    usermods.readFromConfig(empty);
+    serializeConfig();
+    // init Ethernet (in case default type is set at compile time)
+    #ifdef WLED_USE_ETHERNET
+    WLED::instance().initEthernet();
+    #endif
     return;
   }
 
@@ -568,7 +578,7 @@ void deserializeConfigFromFS() {
   bool needsSave = deserializeConfig(doc.as<JsonObject>(), true);
   releaseJSONBufferLock();
 
-  if (needsSave) serializeConfig(); // usermods required new prameters
+  if (needsSave) serializeConfig(); // usermods required new parameters
 }
 
 void serializeConfig() {
diff --git a/wled00/wled_eeprom.cpp b/wled00/wled_eeprom.cpp
index 5e56a8b0e..0b9e76423 100644
--- a/wled00/wled_eeprom.cpp
+++ b/wled00/wled_eeprom.cpp
@@ -467,11 +467,5 @@ void deEEPSettings() {
   EEPROM.begin(EEPSIZE);
   loadSettingsFromEEPROM();
   EEPROM.end();
-
-  //call readFromConfig() with an empty object so that usermods can initialize to defaults prior to saving
-  JsonObject empty = JsonObject();
-  usermods.readFromConfig(empty);
-
-  serializeConfig();
 }
 #endif