diff --git a/lib/Cake/Test/Case/View/ViewTest.php b/lib/Cake/Test/Case/View/ViewTest.php
index 78a149bb0..fdf52d6e2 100644
--- a/lib/Cake/Test/Case/View/ViewTest.php
+++ b/lib/Cake/Test/Case/View/ViewTest.php
@@ -1660,7 +1660,7 @@ TEXT;
 	}
 
 /**
- * Tests that a vew block uses default value when not assigned and uses assigned value when it is
+ * Tests that a view block uses default value when not assigned and uses assigned value when it is
  *
  * @return void
  */
@@ -1674,4 +1674,20 @@ TEXT;
 		$result = $this->View->fetch('title', $default);
 		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result);
 	}
+
+/**
+ * Tests that a view variable uses default value when not assigned and uses assigned value when it is
+ *
+ * @return void
+ */
+	public function testViewVarDefaultValue() {
+		$default = 'Default';
+		$result = $this->View->get('title', $default);
+		$this->assertEquals($default, $result);
+
+		$expected = 'Back to the Future';
+		$this->View->set('title', $expected);
+		$result = $this->View->get('title', $default);
+		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result);
+	}
 }
diff --git a/lib/Cake/View/View.php b/lib/Cake/View/View.php
index 79fd648fa..6292f926f 100644
--- a/lib/Cake/View/View.php
+++ b/lib/Cake/View/View.php
@@ -582,11 +582,12 @@ class View extends Object {
  * Blocks are checked before view variables.
  *
  * @param string $var The view var you want the contents of.
- * @return mixed The content of the named var if its set, otherwise null.
+ * @param mixed $default The default/fallback content of $var.
+ * @return mixed The content of the named var if its set, otherwise $default.
  */
-	public function get($var) {
+	public function get($var, $default = null) {
 		if (!isset($this->viewVars[$var])) {
-			return null;
+			return $default;
 		}
 		return $this->viewVars[$var];
 	}