diff --git a/plansys2_executor/test/unit/executor_test.cpp b/plansys2_executor/test/unit/executor_test.cpp
index bc87df69d..663759312 100644
--- a/plansys2_executor/test/unit/executor_test.cpp
+++ b/plansys2_executor/test/unit/executor_test.cpp
@@ -1565,7 +1565,8 @@ TEST(problem_expert, action_timeout)
       pkgpath + "/test_behavior_trees/test_action_timeout_bt.xml"});
   executor_node->set_parameter({"action_timeouts.actions", std::vector<std::string>({"move"})});
   // have to declare because the actions vector above was not available at node creation
-  executor_node->declare_parameter("action_timeouts.move.duration_overrun_percentage");
+  executor_node->declare_parameter<double>(
+    "action_timeouts.move.duration_overrun_percentage", 1.0);
   executor_node->set_parameter({"action_timeouts.move.duration_overrun_percentage", 1.0});
 
   rclcpp::executors::MultiThreadedExecutor exe(rclcpp::ExecutorOptions(), 8);
diff --git a/plansys2_planner/include/plansys2_planner/PlannerNode.hpp b/plansys2_planner/include/plansys2_planner/PlannerNode.hpp
index 3f33ada24..a87326ec3 100644
--- a/plansys2_planner/include/plansys2_planner/PlannerNode.hpp
+++ b/plansys2_planner/include/plansys2_planner/PlannerNode.hpp
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ std::string get_plugin_type_param(
   NodeT node,
   const std::string & plugin_name)
 {
-  declare_parameter_if_not_declared(node, plugin_name + ".plugin");
+  declare_parameter_if_not_declared(node, plugin_name + ".plugin", rclcpp::ParameterValue(""));
   std::string plugin_type;
   if (!node->get_parameter(plugin_name + ".plugin", plugin_type)) {
     RCLCPP_FATAL(node->get_logger(), "'plugin' param not defined for %s", plugin_name.c_str());