diff --git a/cake/libs/view/helper.php b/cake/libs/view/helper.php
index 00d112c3f..ca5d8248a 100644
--- a/cake/libs/view/helper.php
+++ b/cake/libs/view/helper.php
@@ -465,6 +465,13 @@ class Helper extends Overloadable {
 			}
 		}
 
+		if (is_array($options)) {
+			if (empty($result) && isset($options['default'])) {
+				$result = $options['default'];
+			}
+			unset($options['default']);
+		}
+
 		if (is_array($options)) {
 			$options[$key] = $result;
 			return $options;
diff --git a/cake/tests/cases/libs/view/helpers/form.test.php b/cake/tests/cases/libs/view/helpers/form.test.php
index 6a83a1568..4c65e75e2 100644
--- a/cake/tests/cases/libs/view/helpers/form.test.php
+++ b/cake/tests/cases/libs/view/helpers/form.test.php
@@ -144,6 +144,16 @@ class FormHelperTest extends UnitTestCase {
 		$this->assertNoPattern('/<input[^<>]+[^type|name|id|value|class]=[^<>]*>/', $result);
 	}
 
+	function testDefaultValue() {
+		$this->Form->data['Model']['field'] = 'test';
+		$result = $this->Form->text('Model/field', array('default' => 'default value'));
+		$this->assertPattern('/^<input[^<>]+value="test"[^<>]+\/>$/', $result);
+
+		unset($this->Form->data['Model']['field']);
+		$result = $this->Form->text('Model/field', array('default' => 'default value'));
+		$this->assertPattern('/^<input[^<>]+value="default value"[^<>]+\/>$/', $result);
+	}
+
 	function testFieldError() {
 		$this->Form->validationErrors['Model']['field'] = 1;
 		$result = $this->Form->error('Model.field');