diff --git a/swh/model/hashutil.py b/swh/model/hashutil.py
index bda5389c766b692ce6e505c61971b6b930dfdaad..1bdaadbe31eb171c4383f6de65f699d207555412 100644
--- a/swh/model/hashutil.py
+++ b/swh/model/hashutil.py
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ class MultiHash:
     computed and returned.
 
     """
-    def __init__(self, hash_names, length=None):
+    def __init__(self, hash_names=DEFAULT_ALGORITHMS, length=None):
         self.state = {}
         self.track_length = False
         for name in hash_names: