diff --git a/lib/couchrest/more/casted_model.rb b/lib/couchrest/more/casted_model.rb
index 8ab794e..6f442c8 100644
--- a/lib/couchrest/more/casted_model.rb
+++ b/lib/couchrest/more/casted_model.rb
@@ -10,12 +10,12 @@ module CouchRest
     
     def initialize(keys={})
       raise StandardError unless self.is_a? Hash
+      apply_defaults # defined in CouchRest::Mixins::Properties
       super()
       keys.each do |k,v|
         self[k.to_s] = v
       end if keys
-      apply_defaults # defined in CouchRest::Mixins::Properties
-      # cast_keys      # defined in CouchRest::Mixins::Properties
+      cast_keys      # defined in CouchRest::Mixins::Properties
     end
     
     def []= key, value
diff --git a/spec/couchrest/more/casted_model_spec.rb b/spec/couchrest/more/casted_model_spec.rb
index 269f03e..75b0c57 100644
--- a/spec/couchrest/more/casted_model_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/couchrest/more/casted_model_spec.rb
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ class WithCastedModelMixin < Hash
   include CouchRest::CastedModel
   property :name
   property :no_value
-  property :hash, :default => {}
+  property :details,          :default => {}
+  property :casted_attribute, :cast_as => 'WithCastedModelMixin'
 end
 
 class DummyModel < CouchRest::ExtendedDocument
@@ -42,11 +43,28 @@ describe CouchRest::CastedModel do
       @obj.name = 'Matt'
       @obj.name.should == 'Matt' 
     end
+    
+    it "should allow override of default" do
+      @obj = WithCastedModelMixin.new(:name => 'Eric', :details => {'color' => 'orange'})
+      @obj.name.should == 'Eric'
+      @obj.details['color'].should == 'orange'
+    end
+  end
+  
+  describe "casted as an attribute, but without a value" do
+    before(:each) do
+      @obj = DummyModel.new
+      @casted_obj = @obj.casted_attribute
+    end
+    it "should be nil" do
+      @casted_obj.should == nil
+    end
   end
   
   describe "casted as attribute" do
     before(:each) do
-      @obj = DummyModel.new(:casted_attribute => {:name => 'whatever'})
+      casted = {:name => 'not whatever'}
+      @obj = DummyModel.new(:casted_attribute => {:name => 'whatever', :casted_attribute => casted})
       @casted_obj = @obj.casted_attribute
     end
     
@@ -71,7 +89,11 @@ describe CouchRest::CastedModel do
     end
     
     it "should return {} for the hash attribute" do
-      @casted_obj.hash.should == {}
+      @casted_obj.details.should == {}
+    end
+    
+    it "should cast its own attributes" do
+      @casted_obj.casted_attribute.should be_instance_of(WithCastedModelMixin)
     end
   end
   
@@ -112,6 +134,14 @@ describe CouchRest::CastedModel do
       casted_obj.name.should == "test"
     end
     
+    it "should retain an override of a casted model attribute's default" do
+      casted_obj = @obj.casted_attribute
+      casted_obj.details['color'] = 'orange'
+      @obj.save
+      casted_obj = DummyModel.get(@obj.id).casted_attribute
+      casted_obj.details['color'].should == 'orange'
+    end
+    
   end
 
   describe "saving document with array of casted models and validation" do