diff --git a/Widget/PersonListWidget.php b/Widget/PersonListWidget.php
index b9ef18a4c..f6d8afae7 100644
--- a/Widget/PersonListWidget.php
+++ b/Widget/PersonListWidget.php
@@ -96,6 +96,8 @@ class PersonListWidget implements WidgetInterface
      */
     public function render(\Twig_Environment $env, $place, array $context, array $config)
     { 
+        $numberOfItems = $config['number_of_items'] ?? 20;
+        
         $qb = $this->personRepository
                 ->createQueryBuilder('person');
         
@@ -108,7 +110,7 @@ class PersonListWidget implements WidgetInterface
         
 
         // add the "only active" query
-        if ($config['only_active'] === true) {
+        if (\array_key_exists('only_active', $config) && $config['only_active'] === true) {
             $qb->join('person.accompanyingPeriods', 'ap');
             $or = new Expr\Orx();
             // add the case where closingDate IS NULL
@@ -125,7 +127,7 @@ class PersonListWidget implements WidgetInterface
         }
 
         
-        if ($config['filtering_class'] !== NULL) {
+        if (\array_key_exists('filtering_class', $config) && $config['filtering_class'] !== NULL) {
             $filteringClass = new $config['filtering_class'];
             if ( ! $filteringClass instanceof PersonListWidget\PersonFilteringInterface) {
                 throw new \UnexpectedValueException(sprintf("the class %s does not "
@@ -147,7 +149,7 @@ class PersonListWidget implements WidgetInterface
                 ->addOrderBy('person.firstName', 'ASC');
         
         
-        $qb->setFirstResult(0)->setMaxResults($config['number_of_items']);
+        $qb->setFirstResult(0)->setMaxResults($numberOfItems);
         
         $persons = $qb->getQuery()->getResult();