diff --git a/plugins/autodoc/autodoc-processor/src/main/java/org/eclipse/edc/plugins/autodoc/core/processor/introspection/ExtensionIntrospector.java b/plugins/autodoc/autodoc-processor/src/main/java/org/eclipse/edc/plugins/autodoc/core/processor/introspection/ExtensionIntrospector.java
index 3500c7e..020ebb7 100644
--- a/plugins/autodoc/autodoc-processor/src/main/java/org/eclipse/edc/plugins/autodoc/core/processor/introspection/ExtensionIntrospector.java
+++ b/plugins/autodoc/autodoc-processor/src/main/java/org/eclipse/edc/plugins/autodoc/core/processor/introspection/ExtensionIntrospector.java
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Objects;
+import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.stream.Stream;
 import javax.lang.model.element.Element;
 import javax.lang.model.element.VariableElement;
@@ -153,7 +154,8 @@ private ConfigurationSetting createConfigurationSetting(VariableElement settingE
 
         return ConfigurationSetting.Builder.newInstance()
                 .key(keyValue)
-                .description(attributeValue(String.class, "value", settingMirror, elementUtils))
+                .description(Optional.ofNullable(attributeValue(String.class, "description", settingMirror, elementUtils))
+                        .orElseGet(() -> attributeValue(String.class, "value", settingMirror, elementUtils)))
                 .type(attributeValue(String.class, "type", settingMirror, elementUtils))
                 .required(attributeValue(Boolean.class, "required", settingMirror, elementUtils))
                 .maximum(attributeValue(Long.class, "max", settingMirror, elementUtils))