diff --git a/arkindex_worker/worker/base.py b/arkindex_worker/worker/base.py
index a7f5e6c85666c740587aa595c3af107ac438c791..65d11da6386ac3940d5b899311b45651418acfa0 100644
--- a/arkindex_worker/worker/base.py
+++ b/arkindex_worker/worker/base.py
@@ -171,12 +171,12 @@ class BaseWorker(object):
             )
             self.config = worker_version["configuration"]["configuration"]
             if "user_configuration" in worker_version["configuration"]:
-                # Add default values (if set) from user configurable parameters to the base configuration
+                # Add default values (if set) to user_configuration
                 for key, value in worker_version["configuration"][
                     "user_configuration"
                 ].items():
                     if "default" in value:
-                        self.config.update({key: value["default"]})
+                        self.user_configuration.update({key: value["default"]})
             self.worker_details = worker_version["worker"]
             required_secrets = worker_version["configuration"].get("secrets", [])
         elif self.args.config:
diff --git a/tests/test_base_worker.py b/tests/test_base_worker.py
index df50e02e91bc2136a3b562004277c39362824765..d0c63fa4652ba6ba3e2c842ca39b3b4782fe5454 100644
--- a/tests/test_base_worker.py
+++ b/tests/test_base_worker.py
@@ -211,9 +211,8 @@ def test_configure_user_configuration_defaults(
     )
     worker.configure()
 
-    assert worker.config == {
-        "param_1": "/some/path/file.pth",
-        "param_2": 12,
+    assert worker.config == {"param_1": "/some/path/file.pth", "param_2": 12}
+    assert worker.user_configuration == {
         "param_3": "Animula vagula blandula",
         "param_5": True,
     }