diff --git a/include/mapcache.h b/include/mapcache.h
index 5d3bdedd..a9d68aa9 100644
--- a/include/mapcache.h
+++ b/include/mapcache.h
@@ -965,6 +965,11 @@ struct mapcache_cfg {
    */
   mapcache_service * services[MAPCACHE_SERVICES_COUNT];
 
+  /**
+   * default service which will be used if no service type was specified in the url
+   */
+  mapcache_service *default_service;
+
   /**
    * hashtable containing configured mapcache_source%s
    */
diff --git a/lib/configuration.c b/lib/configuration.c
index 30301b27..68f3da50 100644
--- a/lib/configuration.c
+++ b/lib/configuration.c
@@ -260,6 +260,8 @@ mapcache_cfg* mapcache_configuration_create(apr_pool_t *pool)
   cfg->loglevel = MAPCACHE_WARN;
   cfg->autoreload = 0;
 
+  cfg->default_service = NULL;
+
   return cfg;
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/configuration_xml.c b/lib/configuration_xml.c
index 2b728ac0..facf9a31 100644
--- a/lib/configuration_xml.c
+++ b/lib/configuration_xml.c
@@ -981,60 +981,50 @@ void mapcache_configuration_parse_xml(mapcache_context *ctx, const char *filenam
     for(service_node = node; service_node; service_node = service_node->next) {
       char *enabled = (char*)ezxml_attr(service_node,"enabled");
       char *type = (char*)ezxml_attr(service_node,"type");
-      if(!strcasecmp(enabled,"true")) {
-        if (!strcasecmp(type,"wms")) {
-          mapcache_service *new_service = mapcache_service_wms_create(ctx);
-          if(new_service->configuration_parse_xml) {
-            new_service->configuration_parse_xml(ctx,service_node,new_service,config);
-          }
-          config->services[MAPCACHE_SERVICE_WMS] = new_service;
-        } else if (!strcasecmp(type,"tms")) {
-          mapcache_service *new_service = mapcache_service_tms_create(ctx);
-          if(new_service->configuration_parse_xml) {
-            new_service->configuration_parse_xml(ctx,service_node,new_service,config);
-          }
-          config->services[MAPCACHE_SERVICE_TMS] = new_service;
-        } else if (!strcasecmp(type,"wmts")) {
-          mapcache_service *new_service = mapcache_service_wmts_create(ctx);
-          if(new_service->configuration_parse_xml) {
-            new_service->configuration_parse_xml(ctx,service_node,new_service,config);
-          }
-          config->services[MAPCACHE_SERVICE_WMTS] = new_service;
-        } else if (!strcasecmp(type,"kml")) {
-          mapcache_service *new_service = mapcache_service_kml_create(ctx);
-          if(new_service->configuration_parse_xml) {
-            new_service->configuration_parse_xml(ctx,service_node,new_service,config);
-          }
-          config->services[MAPCACHE_SERVICE_KML] = new_service;
-        } else if (!strcasecmp(type,"gmaps")) {
-          mapcache_service *new_service = mapcache_service_gmaps_create(ctx);
-          if(new_service->configuration_parse_xml) {
-            new_service->configuration_parse_xml(ctx,service_node,new_service,config);
-          }
-          config->services[MAPCACHE_SERVICE_GMAPS] = new_service;
-        } else if (!strcasecmp(type,"mapguide")) {
-          mapcache_service *new_service = mapcache_service_mapguide_create(ctx);
-          if(new_service->configuration_parse_xml) {
-            new_service->configuration_parse_xml(ctx,service_node,new_service,config);
-          }
-          config->services[MAPCACHE_SERVICE_MAPGUIDE] = new_service;
-        } else if (!strcasecmp(type,"ve")) {
-          mapcache_service *new_service = mapcache_service_ve_create(ctx);
-          if(new_service->configuration_parse_xml) {
-            new_service->configuration_parse_xml(ctx,service_node,new_service,config);
-          }
-          config->services[MAPCACHE_SERVICE_VE] = new_service;
-        } else if (!strcasecmp(type,"demo")) {
-          mapcache_service *new_service = mapcache_service_demo_create(ctx);
-          if(new_service->configuration_parse_xml) {
-            new_service->configuration_parse_xml(ctx,service_node,new_service,config);
-          }
-          config->services[MAPCACHE_SERVICE_DEMO] = new_service;
-        } else {
-          ctx->set_error(ctx,400,"unknown <service> type %s",type);
-        }
-        if(GC_HAS_ERROR(ctx)) goto cleanup;
+      char *default_service = (char*)ezxml_attr(service_node,"default");
+      int service_type;
+      mapcache_service *new_service;
+
+      if(strcasecmp(enabled,"true"))
+        continue;
+
+      if (!strcasecmp(type,"wms")) {
+        new_service = mapcache_service_wms_create(ctx);
+        service_type = MAPCACHE_SERVICE_WMS;
+      } else if (!strcasecmp(type,"tms")) {
+        new_service = mapcache_service_tms_create(ctx);
+        service_type = MAPCACHE_SERVICE_TMS;
+      } else if (!strcasecmp(type,"wmts")) {
+        new_service = mapcache_service_wmts_create(ctx);
+        service_type = MAPCACHE_SERVICE_WMTS;
+      } else if (!strcasecmp(type,"kml")) {
+        new_service = mapcache_service_kml_create(ctx);
+        service_type = MAPCACHE_SERVICE_KML;
+      } else if (!strcasecmp(type,"gmaps")) {
+        new_service = mapcache_service_gmaps_create(ctx);
+        service_type = MAPCACHE_SERVICE_GMAPS;
+      } else if (!strcasecmp(type,"mapguide")) {
+        new_service = mapcache_service_mapguide_create(ctx);
+        service_type = MAPCACHE_SERVICE_MAPGUIDE;
+      } else if (!strcasecmp(type,"ve")) {
+        new_service = mapcache_service_ve_create(ctx);
+        service_type = MAPCACHE_SERVICE_VE;
+      } else if (!strcasecmp(type,"demo")) {
+        new_service = mapcache_service_demo_create(ctx);
+        service_type = MAPCACHE_SERVICE_DEMO;
+      } else {
+        ctx->set_error(ctx,400,"unknown <service> type %s",type);
       }
+
+      if(GC_HAS_ERROR(ctx)) goto cleanup;
+
+      if(new_service->configuration_parse_xml)
+        new_service->configuration_parse_xml(ctx,service_node,new_service,config);
+
+      if(default_service && !strcasecmp(default_service,"true"))
+        config->default_service = new_service;
+
+      config->services[service_type] = new_service;
     }
   } else if ((node = ezxml_child(doc,"services")) != NULL) {
     ctx->log(ctx,MAPCACHE_WARN,"<services> tag is deprecated, use <service type=\"wms\" enabled=\"true|false\">");
diff --git a/lib/services.c b/lib/services.c
index 53e524b8..2dd3b61f 100644
--- a/lib/services.c
+++ b/lib/services.c
@@ -38,9 +38,16 @@
 void mapcache_service_dispatch_request(mapcache_context *ctx, mapcache_request **request, char *pathinfo, apr_table_t *params, mapcache_cfg *config)
 {
   int i;
+  mapcache_service *service = NULL;
 
-  /* skip empty pathinfo */
-  if(!pathinfo) {
+  /* skip leading /'s */
+  while(pathinfo && (*pathinfo) == '/')
+    ++pathinfo;
+
+  /* set default url prefix or skip empty pathinfo */
+  if((!pathinfo || strlen(pathinfo) == 0) && config->default_service) {
+      pathinfo = apr_pstrdup(ctx->pool,config->default_service->url_prefix);
+  } else if(!pathinfo) {
     ctx->set_error(ctx,404,"missing a service");
     return;
   }
@@ -52,7 +59,6 @@ void mapcache_service_dispatch_request(mapcache_context *ctx, mapcache_request *
   for(i=0; i<MAPCACHE_SERVICES_COUNT; i++) {
     /* loop through the services that have been configured */
     int prefixlen;
-    mapcache_service *service = NULL;
     service = config->services[i];
     if(!service) continue; /* skip an unconfigured service */
     prefixlen = strlen(service->url_prefix);
@@ -67,6 +73,20 @@ void mapcache_service_dispatch_request(mapcache_context *ctx, mapcache_request *
     /* stop looping on services */
     return;
   }
+
+  if (config->default_service) {
+    /* no matching url prefix of any service:
+       assume request should go to the default service */
+    service = config->default_service;
+    ctx->service = service;
+    ctx->service->parse_request(ctx,service,request,pathinfo,params,config);
+
+    if(*request)
+      (*request)->service = service;
+
+    return;
+  }
+
   ctx->set_error(ctx,404,"unknown service %s",pathinfo);
 }