diff --git a/module/VuFind/src/VuFind/View/Helper/Root/SafeMoneyFormat.php b/module/VuFind/src/VuFind/View/Helper/Root/SafeMoneyFormat.php
index 1435b07a7fbb419299c690797863154ed75fcda2..79b47112e2a2bf2bebef91b4906d85bde2a479c2 100644
--- a/module/VuFind/src/VuFind/View/Helper/Root/SafeMoneyFormat.php
+++ b/module/VuFind/src/VuFind/View/Helper/Root/SafeMoneyFormat.php
@@ -69,9 +69,9 @@ class SafeMoneyFormat extends AbstractHelper
         if (null === $defaultCurrency) {
             $localeInfo = localeconv();
             $defaultCurrency = isset($localeInfo['int_curr_symbol'])
-                ? $localeInfo['int_curr_symbol'] : 'USD';
+                ? trim($localeInfo['int_curr_symbol']) : '';
         }
-        $this->defaultCurrency = trim($defaultCurrency);
+        $this->defaultCurrency = empty($defaultCurrency) ? 'USD' : $defaultCurrency;
     }
 
     /**