diff --git a/elodie/geolocation.py b/elodie/geolocation.py
index 47d863f..1f63718 100644
--- a/elodie/geolocation.py
+++ b/elodie/geolocation.py
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ def place_name(lat, lon):
                         lookup_place_name['default'] = address[loc]
 
     if('default' not in lookup_place_name):
-        lookup_place_name = 'Unknown Location'
+        lookup_place_name = {'default': 'Unknown Location'}
 
     if(lookup_place_name is not {}):
         db.add_location(lat, lon, lookup_place_name)
diff --git a/elodie/tests/geolocation_test.py b/elodie/tests/geolocation_test.py
index d6f3e63..c97e757 100644
--- a/elodie/tests/geolocation_test.py
+++ b/elodie/tests/geolocation_test.py
@@ -139,6 +139,14 @@ def test_place_name_cached():
 
     assert place_name['city'] == 'UNITTEST', place_name
 
+def test_place_name_no_default():
+    # See gh-160 for backwards compatability needed when a string is stored instead of a dict
+    helper.reset_dbs()
+    place_name = geolocation.place_name(123456.000, 123456.000)
+    helper.restore_dbs()
+
+    assert place_name['default'] == 'Unknown Location', place_name
+
 @mock.patch('elodie.geolocation.__KEY__', 'invalid_key')
 def test_lookup_with_invalid_key():
     res = geolocation.lookup(location='Sunnyvale, CA')