diff --git a/autotests/syntaxrepository_test.cpp b/autotests/syntaxrepository_test.cpp
--- a/autotests/syntaxrepository_test.cpp
+++ b/autotests/syntaxrepository_test.cpp
@@ -94,15 +94,15 @@
         foreach (const auto &def, m_repo.definitions()) {
             QVERIFY(!def.name().isEmpty());
             QVERIFY(!def.translatedName().isEmpty());
-            QVERIFY(!def.section().isEmpty());
-            QVERIFY(!def.translatedSection().isEmpty());
+            QVERIFY(!def.isValid() || !def.section().isEmpty());
+            QVERIFY(!def.isValid() || !def.translatedSection().isEmpty());
             // indirectly trigger loading, as we can't reach that from public API
             // if the loading fails the highlighter will produce empty states
             NullHighlighter hl;
             State initialState;
             hl.setDefinition(def);
             const auto state = hl.highlightLine(QLatin1String("This should not crash } ] ) !"), initialState);
-            QVERIFY(state != initialState);
+            QVERIFY(!def.isValid() || state != initialState);
         }
     }
 
@@ -264,8 +264,7 @@
         Definition def;
         QVERIFY(!def.isValid());
         QVERIFY(def.filePath().isEmpty());
-        QVERIFY(def.name().isEmpty());
-        QVERIFY(def.translatedName().isEmpty());
+        QCOMPARE(def.name(), QLatin1String("None"));
         QVERIFY(def.section().isEmpty());
         QVERIFY(def.translatedSection().isEmpty());
         QVERIFY(def.mimeTypes().isEmpty());
diff --git a/autotests/testhighlighter.cpp b/autotests/testhighlighter.cpp
--- a/autotests/testhighlighter.cpp
+++ b/autotests/testhighlighter.cpp
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@
 
         int count = 0;
         foreach (const auto &def, m_repo->definitions()) {
-            if (def.isHidden())
+            if (def.isHidden() || !def.isValid())
                 continue;
             ++count;
             if (m_coveredDefinitions.contains(def.name()))
diff --git a/examples/codeeditor.cpp b/examples/codeeditor.cpp
--- a/examples/codeeditor.cpp
+++ b/examples/codeeditor.cpp
@@ -129,11 +129,7 @@
     auto hlActionGroup = new QActionGroup(menu);
     hlActionGroup->setExclusive(true);
     auto hlGroupMenu = menu->addMenu(QStringLiteral("Syntax"));
-    auto noHlAction = hlGroupMenu->addAction(QStringLiteral("None"));
-    noHlAction->setCheckable(true);
-    hlActionGroup->addAction(noHlAction);
-    noHlAction->setChecked(!m_highlighter->definition().isValid());
-    QMenu *hlSubMenu = nullptr;
+    QMenu *hlSubMenu = hlGroupMenu;
     QString currentGroup;
     foreach (const auto &def, m_repository.definitions()) {
         if (def.isHidden())
diff --git a/src/lib/definition_p.h b/src/lib/definition_p.h
--- a/src/lib/definition_p.h
+++ b/src/lib/definition_p.h
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@
     QString multiLineCommentEndMarker;
 
     QString fileName;
-    QString name;
+    QString name = QStringLiteral(QT_TRANSLATE_NOOP("Syntax highlighting", "None"));
     QString section;
     QString style;
     QString indenter;
diff --git a/src/lib/repository.cpp b/src/lib/repository.cpp
--- a/src/lib/repository.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/repository.cpp
@@ -122,6 +122,9 @@
 
 void RepositoryPrivate::load(Repository *repo)
 {
+    // always add invalid default "None" highlighting
+    addDefinition(Definition());
+
     auto dirs = QStandardPaths::locateAll(QStandardPaths::GenericDataLocation, QStringLiteral("org.kde.syntax-highlighting/syntax"), QStandardPaths::LocateDirectory);
     foreach (const auto &dir, dirs)
         loadSyntaxFolder(repo, dir);