diff --git a/lib/couchrest/mixins/properties.rb b/lib/couchrest/mixins/properties.rb
index 0049736..5fec51d 100644
--- a/lib/couchrest/mixins/properties.rb
+++ b/lib/couchrest/mixins/properties.rb
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ module CouchRest
         self.class.properties.each do |property|
           key = property.name.to_s
           # let's make sure we have a default and we can assign the value
-          if property.default && (self.respond_to?("#{key}=") || self.key?(key))
+          if !property.default.nil? && (self.respond_to?("#{key}=") || self.key?(key))
               if property.default.class == Proc
                 self[key] = property.default.call
               else
diff --git a/lib/couchrest/more/property.rb b/lib/couchrest/more/property.rb
index 096f03e..77e2b90 100644
--- a/lib/couchrest/more/property.rb
+++ b/lib/couchrest/more/property.rb
@@ -30,11 +30,11 @@ module CouchRest
         @validation_format  = options.delete(:format)     if options[:format]
         @read_only          = options.delete(:read_only)  if options[:read_only]
         @alias              = options.delete(:alias)      if options[:alias]
-        @default            = options.delete(:default)    if options[:default]
+        @default            = options.delete(:default)    unless options[:default].nil?
         @casted             = options[:casted] ? true : false
         @init_method        = options[:send] ? options.delete(:send) : 'new'
         @options            = options
       end
     
   end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end
diff --git a/spec/couchrest/more/extended_doc_spec.rb b/spec/couchrest/more/extended_doc_spec.rb
index 45eb0e3..fccd8d9 100644
--- a/spec/couchrest/more/extended_doc_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/couchrest/more/extended_doc_spec.rb
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ describe "ExtendedDocument" do
     property :preset,       :default => {:right => 10, :top_align => false}
     property :set_by_proc,  :default => Proc.new{Time.now},       :cast_as => 'Time'
     property :tags,         :default => []
+    property :false_default, :default => false
     property :name
     timestamps!
   end
@@ -157,6 +158,11 @@ describe "ExtendedDocument" do
       obj = WithDefaultValues.new(:tags => ['spec'])
       obj.tags.should == ['spec']
     end
+
+    it "should work with a default value of false" do
+      obj = WithDefaultValues.new
+      obj.false_default.should == false
+    end
   end
   
   describe "a doc with template values (CR::Model spec)" do