diff --git a/lib/couchrest/mixins/properties.rb b/lib/couchrest/mixins/properties.rb
index 19d33d1..6a69b44 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
-          if property.default
+          unless property.default.nil?
               if property.default.class == Proc
                 self[key] = property.default.call
               else
diff --git a/spec/couchrest/more/extended_doc_spec.rb b/spec/couchrest/more/extended_doc_spec.rb
index 6fa886f..618ee0c 100644
--- a/spec/couchrest/more/extended_doc_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/couchrest/more/extended_doc_spec.rb
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ describe "ExtendedDocument" do
     property :set_by_proc,  :default => Proc.new{Time.now},       :cast_as => 'Time'
     property :tags,         :default => []
     property :read_only_with_default, :default => 'generic', :read_only => true
+    property :default_false, :default => false
     property :name
     timestamps!
   end
@@ -142,6 +143,10 @@ describe "ExtendedDocument" do
     it "should have the default value set at initalization" do
       @obj.preset.should == {:right => 10, :top_align => false}
     end
+
+    it "should have the default false value explicitly assigned" do
+      @obj.default_false.should == false
+    end
     
     it "should automatically call a proc default at initialization" do
       @obj.set_by_proc.should be_an_instance_of(Time)