diff --git a/src/opnsense/mvc/app/models/OPNsense/Dnsmasq/Dnsmasq.php b/src/opnsense/mvc/app/models/OPNsense/Dnsmasq/Dnsmasq.php
index ee91d9f13..805040658 100644
--- a/src/opnsense/mvc/app/models/OPNsense/Dnsmasq/Dnsmasq.php
+++ b/src/opnsense/mvc/app/models/OPNsense/Dnsmasq/Dnsmasq.php
@@ -37,11 +37,21 @@ use OPNsense\Base\Messages\Message;
  */
 class Dnsmasq extends BaseModel
 {
+
+    /**
+     * {@inheritdoc}
+     */
+    protected function init()
+    {
+        $this->dns_port = !empty((string)$this->port) ? (string)$this->port : '53'; /* port defaults */
+    }
+
     /**
      * {@inheritdoc}
      */
     public function performValidation($validateFullModel = false)
     {
+        $this->dns_port = !empty((string)$this->port) ? (string)$this->port : '53'; /* port defaults */
         $messages = parent::performValidation($validateFullModel);
         foreach ($this->hosts->iterateItems() as $host) {
             if (!$validateFullModel && !$host->isFieldChanged()) {
diff --git a/src/opnsense/mvc/app/models/OPNsense/Dnsmasq/Dnsmasq.xml b/src/opnsense/mvc/app/models/OPNsense/Dnsmasq/Dnsmasq.xml
index e32e08df8..f2088efa3 100644
--- a/src/opnsense/mvc/app/models/OPNsense/Dnsmasq/Dnsmasq.xml
+++ b/src/opnsense/mvc/app/models/OPNsense/Dnsmasq/Dnsmasq.xml
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
             <MinimumValue>0</MinimumValue>
             <MaximumValue>65535</MaximumValue>
         </port>
+        <dns_port type="IntegerField" volatile="true"/>
         <dns_forward_max type="IntegerField">
             <MinimumValue>0</MinimumValue>
         </dns_forward_max>