diff --git a/docs/api/pagy.md b/docs/api/pagy.md
index 8582f9445..71e22a6df 100644
--- a/docs/api/pagy.md
+++ b/docs/api/pagy.md
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ These are the non-core variables: as for the core-variables they can be set glob
 | `:params`     | the arbitrary param hash to add to the url. (see [Customizing the params](../how-to.md#customizing-the-params)                                                                                  | `{}`        |
 | `:anchor`     | the arbitrary anchor string (including the "#") to add to the url. (see [Customizing the page param](../how-to.md#customizing-the-params)                                                       | `""`       |
 | `:link_extra` | the extra attributes string (formatted as a valid HTML attribute/value pairs) added to the page links                                                                                           | `""`       |
-| `:item_path`  | the dictionary path used by the `pagy_info` method to lookup the item/model name                                                                                                                | `nil`       |
+| `:item_path`  | the dictionary path used by the `pagy_info` method to lookup the item/model name                                                                                                                | `""`       |
 
 There is no specific default nor validation for non-core variables, which are just optional strings.
 
diff --git a/lib/pagy.rb b/lib/pagy.rb
index 086787f23..5f3c1a3bc 100644
--- a/lib/pagy.rb
+++ b/lib/pagy.rb
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ class OutOfRangeError < StandardError; end
   # root pathname to get the path of pagy files like templates or dictionaries
   def self.root; Pathname.new(__FILE__).dirname end
 
-  # default core vars
-  VARS = { page:1, items:20, outset:0, size:[1,4,4,1], page_param: :page, params: {}, link_extra: ''.freeze, anchor: ''.freeze }
+  # default vars
+  VARS = { page:1, items:20, outset:0, size:[1,4,4,1], page_param: :page, params: {}, anchor: ''.freeze, link_extra: ''.freeze, item_path: 'pagy.info.item_name'.freeze }
 
   attr_reader :count, :page, :items, :vars, :pages, :last, :offset, :from, :to, :prev, :next
 
diff --git a/lib/pagy/frontend.rb b/lib/pagy/frontend.rb
index 21e674c5d..1d2cfec53 100644
--- a/lib/pagy/frontend.rb
+++ b/lib/pagy/frontend.rb
@@ -28,9 +28,9 @@ def pagy_nav(pagy)
 
     # return examples: "Displaying items 41-60 of 324 in total"  or "Displaying Products 41-60 of 324 in total"
     def pagy_info(pagy)
-      name = pagy_t(pagy.vars[:item_path] || 'pagy.info.item_name'.freeze, count: pagy.count)
-      key  = pagy.pages == 1 ? 'single_page'.freeze : 'multiple_pages'.freeze
-      pagy_t("pagy.info.#{key}", item_name: name, count: pagy.count, from: pagy.from, to: pagy.to)
+      name = pagy_t(pagy.vars[:item_path], count: pagy.count)
+      path = pagy.pages == 1 ? 'pagy.info.single_page'.freeze : 'pagy.info.multiple_pages'.freeze
+      pagy_t(path, item_name: name, count: pagy.count, from: pagy.from, to: pagy.to)
     end