diff --git a/gst-meet/src/main.rs b/gst-meet/src/main.rs
index 1bcc96e..832c379 100644
--- a/gst-meet/src/main.rs
+++ b/gst-meet/src/main.rs
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ struct Opt {
   video_codec: String,
   #[structopt(long, default_value = "gst-meet")]
   nick: String,
-  #[structopt(long, default_value)]
-  region: String,
+  #[structopt(long)]
+  region: Option<String>,
   #[structopt(long)]
   send_pipeline: Option<String>,
   #[structopt(long)]
diff --git a/lib-gst-meet-c/src/lib.rs b/lib-gst-meet-c/src/lib.rs
index f0ffd62..74e8620 100644
--- a/lib-gst-meet-c/src/lib.rs
+++ b/lib-gst-meet-c/src/lib.rs
@@ -135,13 +135,18 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn gstmeet_connection_join_conference(
       return ptr::null_mut();
     },
   };
+  let region = if (*config).region.is_null() {
+    None
+  } else {
+    Some(CStr::from_ptr((*config).region)
+      .to_string_lossy()
+      .to_string())
+  };
   let config = JitsiConferenceConfig {
     muc,
     focus,
     nick: CStr::from_ptr((*config).nick).to_string_lossy().to_string(),
-    region: CStr::from_ptr((*config).region)
-      .to_string_lossy()
-      .to_string(),
+    region,
     video_codec: CStr::from_ptr((*config).video_codec)
       .to_string_lossy()
       .to_string(),
diff --git a/lib-gst-meet/src/conference.rs b/lib-gst-meet/src/conference.rs
index 42cc9b6..47ea0de 100644
--- a/lib-gst-meet/src/conference.rs
+++ b/lib-gst-meet/src/conference.rs
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ pub struct JitsiConferenceConfig {
   pub muc: BareJid,
   pub focus: Jid,
   pub nick: String,
-  pub region: String,
+  pub region: Option<String>,
   pub video_codec: String,
   pub extra_muc_features: Vec<String>,
 }
@@ -453,18 +453,22 @@ impl StanzaFilter for JitsiConference {
           Element::builder("jitsi_participant_codecType", ns::DEFAULT_NS)
             .append(self.config.video_codec.as_str())
             .build(),
-          Element::builder("jitsi_participant_region", ns::DEFAULT_NS)
-            .append(self.config.region.as_str())
-            .build(),
           Element::builder("audiomuted", ns::DEFAULT_NS).append("false").build(),
           Element::builder("videomuted", ns::DEFAULT_NS).append("false").build(),
           Element::builder("nick", "http://jabber.org/protocol/nick")
             .append(self.config.nick.as_str())
             .build(),
-          Element::builder("region", "http://jitsi.org/jitsi-meet")
-            .attr("id", &self.config.region)
-            .build(),
         ];
+        if let Some(region) = &self.config.region {
+          presence.extend([
+            Element::builder("jitsi_participant_region", ns::DEFAULT_NS)
+              .append(region.as_str())
+              .build(),
+            Element::builder("region", "http://jitsi.org/jitsi-meet")
+              .attr("id", region)
+              .build(),
+          ]);
+        }
         presence.extend(
           self
             .config