diff --git a/couchrest.gemspec b/couchrest.gemspec
index b290b73..b508bfd 100644
--- a/couchrest.gemspec
+++ b/couchrest.gemspec
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 Gem::Specification.new do |s|
   s.name = %q{couchrest}
-  s.version = "0.21"
+  s.version = "0.22"
 
   s.required_rubygems_version = Gem::Requirement.new(">= 0") if s.respond_to? :required_rubygems_version=
   s.authors = ["J. Chris Anderson", "Matt Aimonetti"]
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |s|
   s.description = %q{CouchRest provides a simple interface on top of CouchDB's RESTful HTTP API, as well as including some utility scripts for managing views and attachments.}
   s.email = %q{jchris@apache.org}
   s.extra_rdoc_files = ["README.md", "LICENSE", "THANKS.md"]
-  s.files = ["LICENSE", "README.md", "Rakefile", "THANKS.md", "examples/model", "examples/model/example.rb", "examples/word_count", "examples/word_count/markov", "examples/word_count/views", "examples/word_count/views/books", "examples/word_count/views/books/chunked-map.js", "examples/word_count/views/books/united-map.js", "examples/word_count/views/markov", "examples/word_count/views/markov/chain-map.js", "examples/word_count/views/markov/chain-reduce.js", "examples/word_count/views/word_count", "examples/word_count/views/word_count/count-map.js", "examples/word_count/views/word_count/count-reduce.js", "examples/word_count/word_count.rb", "examples/word_count/word_count_query.rb", "examples/word_count/word_count_views.rb", "lib/couchrest", "lib/couchrest/commands", "lib/couchrest/commands/generate.rb", "lib/couchrest/commands/push.rb", "lib/couchrest/core", "lib/couchrest/core/database.rb", "lib/couchrest/core/design.rb", "lib/couchrest/core/document.rb", "lib/couchrest/core/response.rb", "lib/couchrest/core/server.rb", "lib/couchrest/core/view.rb", "lib/couchrest/helper", "lib/couchrest/helper/pager.rb", "lib/couchrest/helper/streamer.rb", "lib/couchrest/mixins", "lib/couchrest/mixins/attachments.rb", "lib/couchrest/mixins/callbacks.rb", "lib/couchrest/mixins/design_doc.rb", "lib/couchrest/mixins/document_queries.rb", "lib/couchrest/mixins/extended_attachments.rb", "lib/couchrest/mixins/extended_document_mixins.rb", "lib/couchrest/mixins/properties.rb", "lib/couchrest/mixins/validation.rb", "lib/couchrest/mixins/views.rb", "lib/couchrest/mixins.rb", "lib/couchrest/monkeypatches.rb", "lib/couchrest/more", "lib/couchrest/more/casted_model.rb", "lib/couchrest/more/extended_document.rb", "lib/couchrest/more/property.rb", "lib/couchrest/support", "lib/couchrest/support/blank.rb", "lib/couchrest/support/class.rb", "lib/couchrest/validation", "lib/couchrest/validation/auto_validate.rb", "lib/couchrest/validation/contextual_validators.rb", "lib/couchrest/validation/validation_errors.rb", "lib/couchrest/validation/validators", "lib/couchrest/validation/validators/absent_field_validator.rb", "lib/couchrest/validation/validators/confirmation_validator.rb", "lib/couchrest/validation/validators/format_validator.rb", "lib/couchrest/validation/validators/formats", "lib/couchrest/validation/validators/formats/email.rb", "lib/couchrest/validation/validators/formats/url.rb", "lib/couchrest/validation/validators/generic_validator.rb", "lib/couchrest/validation/validators/length_validator.rb", "lib/couchrest/validation/validators/method_validator.rb", "lib/couchrest/validation/validators/numeric_validator.rb", "lib/couchrest/validation/validators/required_field_validator.rb", "lib/couchrest.rb", "spec/couchrest", "spec/couchrest/core", "spec/couchrest/core/couchrest_spec.rb", "spec/couchrest/core/database_spec.rb", "spec/couchrest/core/design_spec.rb", "spec/couchrest/core/document_spec.rb", "spec/couchrest/core/server_spec.rb", "spec/couchrest/helpers", "spec/couchrest/helpers/pager_spec.rb", "spec/couchrest/helpers/streamer_spec.rb", "spec/couchrest/more", "spec/couchrest/more/casted_extended_doc_spec.rb", "spec/couchrest/more/casted_model_spec.rb", "spec/couchrest/more/extended_doc_attachment_spec.rb", "spec/couchrest/more/extended_doc_spec.rb", "spec/couchrest/more/extended_doc_view_spec.rb", "spec/couchrest/more/property_spec.rb", "spec/couchrest/support", "spec/couchrest/support/class_spec.rb", "spec/fixtures", "spec/fixtures/attachments", "spec/fixtures/attachments/couchdb.png", "spec/fixtures/attachments/README", "spec/fixtures/attachments/test.html", "spec/fixtures/couchapp", "spec/fixtures/couchapp/_attachments", "spec/fixtures/couchapp/_attachments/index.html", "spec/fixtures/couchapp/doc.json", "spec/fixtures/couchapp/foo", "spec/fixtures/couchapp/foo/bar.txt", "spec/fixtures/couchapp/foo/test.json", "spec/fixtures/couchapp/test.json", "spec/fixtures/couchapp/views", "spec/fixtures/couchapp/views/example-map.js", "spec/fixtures/couchapp/views/example-reduce.js", "spec/fixtures/couchapp-test", "spec/fixtures/couchapp-test/my-app", "spec/fixtures/couchapp-test/my-app/_attachments", "spec/fixtures/couchapp-test/my-app/_attachments/index.html", "spec/fixtures/couchapp-test/my-app/foo", "spec/fixtures/couchapp-test/my-app/foo/bar.txt", "spec/fixtures/couchapp-test/my-app/views", "spec/fixtures/couchapp-test/my-app/views/example-map.js", "spec/fixtures/couchapp-test/my-app/views/example-reduce.js", "spec/fixtures/more", "spec/fixtures/more/article.rb", "spec/fixtures/more/card.rb", "spec/fixtures/more/course.rb", "spec/fixtures/more/event.rb", "spec/fixtures/more/invoice.rb", "spec/fixtures/more/person.rb", "spec/fixtures/more/question.rb", "spec/fixtures/more/service.rb", "spec/fixtures/views", "spec/fixtures/views/lib.js", "spec/fixtures/views/test_view", "spec/fixtures/views/test_view/lib.js", "spec/fixtures/views/test_view/only-map.js", "spec/fixtures/views/test_view/test-map.js", "spec/fixtures/views/test_view/test-reduce.js", "spec/spec.opts", "spec/spec_helper.rb", "utils/remap.rb", "utils/subset.rb"]
+  s.files = ["LICENSE", "README.md", "Rakefile", "THANKS.md", "examples/model", "examples/model/example.rb", "examples/word_count", "examples/word_count/markov", "examples/word_count/views", "examples/word_count/views/books", "examples/word_count/views/books/chunked-map.js", "examples/word_count/views/books/united-map.js", "examples/word_count/views/markov", "examples/word_count/views/markov/chain-map.js", "examples/word_count/views/markov/chain-reduce.js", "examples/word_count/views/word_count", "examples/word_count/views/word_count/count-map.js", "examples/word_count/views/word_count/count-reduce.js", "examples/word_count/word_count.rb", "examples/word_count/word_count_query.rb", "examples/word_count/word_count_views.rb", "lib/couchrest", "lib/couchrest/commands", "lib/couchrest/commands/generate.rb", "lib/couchrest/commands/push.rb", "lib/couchrest/core", "lib/couchrest/core/database.rb", "lib/couchrest/core/design.rb", "lib/couchrest/core/document.rb", "lib/couchrest/core/response.rb", "lib/couchrest/core/server.rb", "lib/couchrest/core/view.rb", "lib/couchrest/helper", "lib/couchrest/helper/pager.rb", "lib/couchrest/helper/streamer.rb", "lib/couchrest/helper/upgrade.rb", "lib/couchrest/mixins", "lib/couchrest/mixins/attachments.rb", "lib/couchrest/mixins/callbacks.rb", "lib/couchrest/mixins/design_doc.rb", "lib/couchrest/mixins/document_queries.rb", "lib/couchrest/mixins/extended_attachments.rb", "lib/couchrest/mixins/extended_document_mixins.rb", "lib/couchrest/mixins/properties.rb", "lib/couchrest/mixins/validation.rb", "lib/couchrest/mixins/views.rb", "lib/couchrest/mixins.rb", "lib/couchrest/monkeypatches.rb", "lib/couchrest/more", "lib/couchrest/more/casted_model.rb", "lib/couchrest/more/extended_document.rb", "lib/couchrest/more/property.rb", "lib/couchrest/support", "lib/couchrest/support/blank.rb", "lib/couchrest/support/class.rb", "lib/couchrest/validation", "lib/couchrest/validation/auto_validate.rb", "lib/couchrest/validation/contextual_validators.rb", "lib/couchrest/validation/validation_errors.rb", "lib/couchrest/validation/validators", "lib/couchrest/validation/validators/absent_field_validator.rb", "lib/couchrest/validation/validators/confirmation_validator.rb", "lib/couchrest/validation/validators/format_validator.rb", "lib/couchrest/validation/validators/formats", "lib/couchrest/validation/validators/formats/email.rb", "lib/couchrest/validation/validators/formats/url.rb", "lib/couchrest/validation/validators/generic_validator.rb", "lib/couchrest/validation/validators/length_validator.rb", "lib/couchrest/validation/validators/method_validator.rb", "lib/couchrest/validation/validators/numeric_validator.rb", "lib/couchrest/validation/validators/required_field_validator.rb", "lib/couchrest.rb", "spec/couchrest", "spec/couchrest/core", "spec/couchrest/core/couchrest_spec.rb", "spec/couchrest/core/database_spec.rb", "spec/couchrest/core/design_spec.rb", "spec/couchrest/core/document_spec.rb", "spec/couchrest/core/server_spec.rb", "spec/couchrest/helpers", "spec/couchrest/helpers/pager_spec.rb", "spec/couchrest/helpers/streamer_spec.rb", "spec/couchrest/more", "spec/couchrest/more/casted_extended_doc_spec.rb", "spec/couchrest/more/casted_model_spec.rb", "spec/couchrest/more/extended_doc_attachment_spec.rb", "spec/couchrest/more/extended_doc_spec.rb", "spec/couchrest/more/extended_doc_subclass_spec.rb", "spec/couchrest/more/extended_doc_view_spec.rb", "spec/couchrest/more/property_spec.rb", "spec/fixtures", "spec/fixtures/attachments", "spec/fixtures/attachments/couchdb.png", "spec/fixtures/attachments/README", "spec/fixtures/attachments/test.html", "spec/fixtures/couchapp", "spec/fixtures/couchapp/_attachments", "spec/fixtures/couchapp/_attachments/index.html", "spec/fixtures/couchapp/doc.json", "spec/fixtures/couchapp/foo", "spec/fixtures/couchapp/foo/bar.txt", "spec/fixtures/couchapp/foo/test.json", "spec/fixtures/couchapp/test.json", "spec/fixtures/couchapp/views", "spec/fixtures/couchapp/views/example-map.js", "spec/fixtures/couchapp/views/example-reduce.js", "spec/fixtures/couchapp-test", "spec/fixtures/couchapp-test/my-app", "spec/fixtures/couchapp-test/my-app/_attachments", "spec/fixtures/couchapp-test/my-app/_attachments/index.html", "spec/fixtures/couchapp-test/my-app/foo", "spec/fixtures/couchapp-test/my-app/foo/bar.txt", "spec/fixtures/couchapp-test/my-app/views", "spec/fixtures/couchapp-test/my-app/views/example-map.js", "spec/fixtures/couchapp-test/my-app/views/example-reduce.js", "spec/fixtures/more", "spec/fixtures/more/article.rb", "spec/fixtures/more/card.rb", "spec/fixtures/more/course.rb", "spec/fixtures/more/event.rb", "spec/fixtures/more/invoice.rb", "spec/fixtures/more/person.rb", "spec/fixtures/more/question.rb", "spec/fixtures/more/service.rb", "spec/fixtures/views", "spec/fixtures/views/lib.js", "spec/fixtures/views/test_view", "spec/fixtures/views/test_view/lib.js", "spec/fixtures/views/test_view/only-map.js", "spec/fixtures/views/test_view/test-map.js", "spec/fixtures/views/test_view/test-reduce.js", "spec/spec.opts", "spec/spec_helper.rb", "utils/remap.rb", "utils/subset.rb"]
   s.has_rdoc = true
   s.homepage = %q{http://github.com/jchris/couchrest}
   s.require_paths = ["lib"]
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |s|
     current_version = Gem::Specification::CURRENT_SPECIFICATION_VERSION
     s.specification_version = 2
 
-    if current_version >= 3 then
+    if Gem::Version.new(Gem::RubyGemsVersion) >= Gem::Version.new('1.2.0') then
       s.add_runtime_dependency(%q<json>, [">= 1.1.2"])
       s.add_runtime_dependency(%q<rest-client>, [">= 0.5"])
       s.add_runtime_dependency(%q<mime-types>, [">= 1.15"])
diff --git a/lib/couchrest.rb b/lib/couchrest.rb
index 958db9e..61b0615 100644
--- a/lib/couchrest.rb
+++ b/lib/couchrest.rb
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ require 'couchrest/monkeypatches'
 
 # = CouchDB, close to the metal
 module CouchRest
-  VERSION    = '0.21' unless self.const_defined?("VERSION")
+  VERSION    = '0.22' unless self.const_defined?("VERSION")
   
   autoload :Server,       'couchrest/core/server'
   autoload :Database,     'couchrest/core/database'
diff --git a/lib/couchrest/mixins/properties.rb b/lib/couchrest/mixins/properties.rb
index 56b1925..8cb0019 100644
--- a/lib/couchrest/mixins/properties.rb
+++ b/lib/couchrest/mixins/properties.rb
@@ -8,10 +8,10 @@ module CouchRest
       class IncludeError < StandardError; end
       
       def self.included(base)
-        base.cattr_accessor(:properties)
-          base.class_eval <<-EOS, __FILE__, __LINE__
-              @@properties = []
-          EOS
+        base.class_eval <<-EOS, __FILE__, __LINE__
+            extlib_inheritable_accessor(:properties)
+            self.properties ||= []
+        EOS
         base.extend(ClassMethods)
         raise CouchRest::Mixins::Properties::IncludeError, "You can only mixin Properties in a class responding to [] and []=, if you tried to mixin CastedModel, make sure your class inherits from Hash or responds to the proper methods" unless (base.new.respond_to?(:[]) && base.new.respond_to?(:[]=))
       end
@@ -71,7 +71,10 @@ module CouchRest
       module ClassMethods
         
         def property(name, options={})
-          define_property(name, options) unless self.properties.map{|p| p.name}.include?(name.to_s)
+          existing_property = self.properties.find{|p| p.name == name.to_s}
+          if existing_property.nil? || (existing_property.default != options[:default])
+            define_property(name, options)
+          end
         end
         
         protected
diff --git a/lib/couchrest/mixins/validation.rb b/lib/couchrest/mixins/validation.rb
index c5bd96e..4b15c01 100644
--- a/lib/couchrest/mixins/validation.rb
+++ b/lib/couchrest/mixins/validation.rb
@@ -49,10 +49,10 @@ module CouchRest
   module Validation
     
     def self.included(base)
-      base.cattr_accessor(:auto_validation)
+      base.extlib_inheritable_accessor(:auto_validation)
       base.class_eval <<-EOS, __FILE__, __LINE__
           # Turn off auto validation by default
-          @@auto_validation = false
+          self.auto_validation ||= false
           
           # Force the auto validation for the class properties
           # This feature is still not fully ported over,
@@ -60,6 +60,11 @@ module CouchRest
           def self.auto_validate!
             self.auto_validation = true
           end
+          
+          # share the validations with subclasses
+          def self.inherited(subklass)
+            subklass.instance_variable_set(:@validations, self.validators.dup)
+          end
       EOS
       
       base.extend(ClassMethods)
@@ -71,7 +76,7 @@ module CouchRest
       base.class_eval <<-RUBY_EVAL, __FILE__, __LINE__ + 1
         def self.define_property(name, options={})
           super
-          auto_generate_validations(properties.last)
+          auto_generate_validations(properties.last) if properties && properties.size > 0
           autovalidation_check = true
         end
       RUBY_EVAL
diff --git a/lib/couchrest/more/extended_document.rb b/lib/couchrest/more/extended_document.rb
index 1ed2589..a103b62 100644
--- a/lib/couchrest/more/extended_document.rb
+++ b/lib/couchrest/more/extended_document.rb
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@ module CouchRest
     
     def self.inherited(subklass)
       subklass.send(:include, CouchRest::Mixins::Properties)
+      subklass.class_eval <<-EOS, __FILE__, __LINE__
+        def self.inherited(subklass)
+          subklass.properties = self.properties.dup
+        end
+      EOS
     end
     
     # Accessors
diff --git a/spec/couchrest/more/extended_doc_subclass_spec.rb b/spec/couchrest/more/extended_doc_subclass_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b2342b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/couchrest/more/extended_doc_subclass_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../../spec_helper'
+require File.join(FIXTURE_PATH, 'more', 'card')
+
+# add a default value
+Card.property :bg_color, :default => '#ccc'
+
+class BusinessCard < Card
+  property :extension_code
+  property :job_title
+end
+
+class DesignBusinessCard < BusinessCard
+  property :bg_color, :default => '#eee'
+end
+
+
+describe "Subclassing an ExtendedDocument" do
+  
+  before(:each) do
+    @card = BusinessCard.new
+  end
+  
+  it "shouldn't messup the parent's properties" do
+    Card.properties.should_not == BusinessCard.properties
+  end
+  
+  it "should share the same db default" do
+    @card.database.uri.should == Card.database.uri
+  end
+  
+  it "should share the same autovalidation details" do
+    @card.auto_validation.should be_true
+  end
+  
+  it "should have kept the validation details" do
+    @card.should_not be_valid
+  end
+  
+  it "should have added the new validation details" do
+    validated_fields = @card.class.validators.contexts[:default].map{|v| v.field_name}
+    validated_fields.should include(:extension_code) 
+    validated_fields.should include(:job_title)
+  end
+  
+  it "should inherit default property values" do
+    @card.bg_color.should == '#ccc'
+  end
+  
+  it "should be able to overwrite a default property" do
+    DesignBusinessCard.new.bg_color.should == '#eee'
+  end
+  
+end
+