diff --git a/lib/couchrest/mixins/properties.rb b/lib/couchrest/mixins/properties.rb
index 16643ed..19d33d1 100644
--- a/lib/couchrest/mixins/properties.rb
+++ b/lib/couchrest/mixins/properties.rb
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ module CouchRest
       end
       
       def apply_defaults
-        return unless self.respond_to?(:new_document?) && new_document?
+        return if self.respond_to?(:new_document?) && (new_document? == false)
         return unless self.class.respond_to?(:properties) 
         return if self.class.properties.empty?
         # TODO: cache the default object
diff --git a/spec/couchrest/more/casted_model_spec.rb b/spec/couchrest/more/casted_model_spec.rb
index 81bd7c2..269f03e 100644
--- a/spec/couchrest/more/casted_model_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/couchrest/more/casted_model_spec.rb
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ class WithCastedModelMixin < Hash
   include CouchRest::CastedModel
   property :name
   property :no_value
+  property :hash, :default => {}
 end
 
 class DummyModel < CouchRest::ExtendedDocument
@@ -68,6 +69,10 @@ describe CouchRest::CastedModel do
     it "should return nil for the unknown attribute" do
       @casted_obj["unknown"].should be_nil
     end
+    
+    it "should return {} for the hash attribute" do
+      @casted_obj.hash.should == {}
+    end
   end
   
   describe "casted as an array of a different type" do