diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 8365624..9466b19 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+*.iml
+.idea/
 # Compiled Object files, Static and Dynamic libs (Shared Objects)
 *.o
 *.a
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index cf17560..6b48fdb 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -406,14 +406,23 @@ The following functions and methods exist:
 
  * `Get(key string) : interface{}`
  * `GetBool(key string) : bool`
+ * `GetDefaultBool(key string, value bool) : bool`
  * `GetFloat64(key string) : float64`
+ * `GetDefaultFloat64(key string, value float64) : float64`
  * `GetInt(key string) : int`
+ * `GetDefaultInt(key string, value int) : int`
  * `GetString(key string) : string`
+ * `GetDefaultString(key string, value string) : string`
  * `GetStringMap(key string) : map[string]interface{}`
+ * `GetDefaultStringMap(key string, value map[string]interface{}) : map[string]interface{}`
  * `GetStringMapString(key string) : map[string]string`
+ * `GetDefaultStringMapString(key string, value map[string]string) : map[string]string`
  * `GetStringSlice(key string) : []string`
+ * `GetDefaultStringSlice(key string, value []string) : []string`
  * `GetTime(key string) : time.Time`
+ * `GetDefaultTime(key string, value time.Time) : time.Time`
  * `GetDuration(key string) : time.Duration`
+ * `GetDefaultDuration(key string, value time.Duration) : time.Duration`
  * `IsSet(key string) : bool`
 
 One important thing to recognize is that each Get function will return a zero
diff --git a/viper.go b/viper.go
index f17790e..b42b8bb 100644
--- a/viper.go
+++ b/viper.go
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ func (v *Viper) WatchConfig() {
 			for {
 				select {
 				case event := <-watcher.Events:
-					// we only care about the config file
+				// we only care about the config file
 					if filepath.Clean(event.Name) == configFile {
 						if event.Op&fsnotify.Write == fsnotify.Write || event.Op&fsnotify.Create == fsnotify.Create {
 							err := v.ReadInConfig()
@@ -548,66 +548,165 @@ func (v *Viper) GetString(key string) string {
 	return cast.ToString(v.Get(key))
 }
 
+// Returns the value associated with the key as a string or the passed default value
+func GetDefaultString(key string, defaultValue string) string { return v.GetDefaultString(key, defaultValue) }
+func (v *Viper) GetDefaultString(key string, defaultValue string) string {
+	if value := v.Get(key); value != nil {
+		return cast.ToString(value)
+	}
+	return defaultValue
+}
+
 // Returns the value associated with the key as a boolean
 func GetBool(key string) bool { return v.GetBool(key) }
 func (v *Viper) GetBool(key string) bool {
 	return cast.ToBool(v.Get(key))
 }
 
+// Returns the value associated with the key as a boolean or the passed default value
+func GetDefaultBoolean(key string, defaultValue bool) bool { return v.GetDefaultBoolean(key, defaultValue) }
+func (v *Viper) GetDefaultBoolean(key string, defaultValue bool) bool {
+	if value := v.Get(key); value != nil {
+		return cast.ToBool(value)
+	}
+	return defaultValue
+}
+
 // Returns the value associated with the key as an integer
 func GetInt(key string) int { return v.GetInt(key) }
 func (v *Viper) GetInt(key string) int {
 	return cast.ToInt(v.Get(key))
 }
 
+// Returns the value associated with the key as an int or the passed default value
+func GetDefaultInt(key string, defaultValue int) int { return v.GetDefaultInt(key, defaultValue) }
+func (v *Viper) GetDefaultInt(key string, defaultValue int) int {
+	if value := v.Get(key); value != nil {
+		return cast.ToInt(value)
+	}
+	return defaultValue
+}
+
 // Returns the value associated with the key as an integer
 func GetInt64(key string) int64 { return v.GetInt64(key) }
 func (v *Viper) GetInt64(key string) int64 {
 	return cast.ToInt64(v.Get(key))
 }
 
+// Returns the value associated with the key as an int64 or the passed default value
+func GetDefaultInt64(key string, defaultValue int64) int64 { return v.GetDefaultInt64(key, defaultValue) }
+func (v *Viper) GetDefaultInt64(key string, defaultValue int64) int64 {
+	if value := v.Get(key); value != nil {
+		return cast.ToInt64(value)
+	}
+	return defaultValue
+}
+
 // Returns the value associated with the key as a float64
 func GetFloat64(key string) float64 { return v.GetFloat64(key) }
 func (v *Viper) GetFloat64(key string) float64 {
 	return cast.ToFloat64(v.Get(key))
 }
 
+// Returns the value associated with the key as a float64 or the passed default value
+func GetDefaultFloat64(key string, defaultValue float64) float64 { return v.GetDefaultFloat64(key, defaultValue) }
+func (v *Viper) GetDefaultFloat64(key string, defaultValue float64) float64 {
+	if value := v.Get(key); value != nil {
+		return cast.ToFloat64(value)
+	}
+	return defaultValue
+}
+
 // Returns the value associated with the key as time
 func GetTime(key string) time.Time { return v.GetTime(key) }
 func (v *Viper) GetTime(key string) time.Time {
 	return cast.ToTime(v.Get(key))
 }
 
+// Returns the value associated with the key as time or the passed default value
+func GetDefaultTime(key string, defaultValue time.Time) time.Time { return v.GetDefaultTime(key, defaultValue) }
+func (v *Viper) GetDefaultTime(key string, defaultValue time.Time) time.Time {
+	if value := v.Get(key); value != nil {
+		return cast.ToTime(value)
+	}
+	return defaultValue
+}
+
 // Returns the value associated with the key as a duration
 func GetDuration(key string) time.Duration { return v.GetDuration(key) }
 func (v *Viper) GetDuration(key string) time.Duration {
 	return cast.ToDuration(v.Get(key))
 }
 
+// Returns the value associated with the key as a duration or the passed default value
+func GetDefaultDuration(key string, defaultValue time.Duration) time.Duration { return v.GetDefaultDuration(key, defaultValue) }
+func (v *Viper) GetDefaultDuration(key string, defaultValue time.Duration) time.Duration {
+	if value := v.Get(key); value != nil {
+		return cast.ToDuration(value)
+	}
+	return defaultValue
+}
+
 // Returns the value associated with the key as a slice of strings
 func GetStringSlice(key string) []string { return v.GetStringSlice(key) }
 func (v *Viper) GetStringSlice(key string) []string {
 	return cast.ToStringSlice(v.Get(key))
 }
 
+// Returns the value associated with the key as a duration or the passed default value
+func GetDefaultStringSlice(key string, defaultValue []string) []string { return v.GetDefaultStringSlice(key, defaultValue) }
+func (v *Viper) GetDefaultStringSlice(key string, defaultValue []string) []string {
+	if value := v.Get(key); value != nil {
+		return cast.ToStringSlice(value)
+	}
+	return defaultValue
+}
+
 // Returns the value associated with the key as a map of interfaces
 func GetStringMap(key string) map[string]interface{} { return v.GetStringMap(key) }
 func (v *Viper) GetStringMap(key string) map[string]interface{} {
 	return cast.ToStringMap(v.Get(key))
 }
 
+// Returns the value associated with the key as a map or the passed default value
+func GetDefaultStringMap(key string, defaultValue map[string]interface{}) map[string]interface{} { return v.GetDefaultStringMap(key, defaultValue) }
+func (v *Viper) GetDefaultStringMap(key string, defaultValue map[string]interface{}) map[string]interface{} {
+	if value := v.Get(key); value != nil {
+		return cast.ToStringMap(value)
+	}
+	return defaultValue
+}
+
 // Returns the value associated with the key as a map of strings
 func GetStringMapString(key string) map[string]string { return v.GetStringMapString(key) }
 func (v *Viper) GetStringMapString(key string) map[string]string {
 	return cast.ToStringMapString(v.Get(key))
 }
 
+// Returns the value associated with the key as a map of strings or the passed default value
+func GetDefaultStringMapString(key string, defaultValue map[string]string) map[string]string { return v.GetDefaultStringMapString(key, defaultValue) }
+func (v *Viper) GetDefaultStringMapString(key string, defaultValue map[string]string) map[string]string {
+	if value := v.Get(key); value != nil {
+		return cast.ToStringMapString(value)
+	}
+	return defaultValue
+}
+
 // Returns the value associated with the key as a map to a slice of strings.
 func GetStringMapStringSlice(key string) map[string][]string { return v.GetStringMapStringSlice(key) }
 func (v *Viper) GetStringMapStringSlice(key string) map[string][]string {
 	return cast.ToStringMapStringSlice(v.Get(key))
 }
 
+// Returns the value associated with the key as a map to a slice of string or the passed default value
+func GetDefaultStringMapStringSlice(key string, defaultValue map[string][]string) map[string][]string { return v.GetDefaultStringMapStringSlice(key, defaultValue) }
+func (v *Viper) GetDefaultStringMapStringSlice(key string, defaultValue map[string][]string) map[string][]string {
+	if value := v.Get(key); value != nil {
+		return cast.ToStringMapStringSlice(value)
+	}
+	return defaultValue
+}
+
 // Returns the size of the value associated with the given key
 // in bytes.
 func GetSizeInBytes(key string) uint { return v.GetSizeInBytes(key) }
@@ -1005,7 +1104,7 @@ func keyExists(k string, m map[string]interface{}) string {
 }
 
 func castToMapStringInterface(
-	src map[interface{}]interface{}) map[string]interface{} {
+src map[interface{}]interface{}) map[string]interface{} {
 	tgt := map[string]interface{}{}
 	for k, v := range src {
 		tgt[fmt.Sprintf("%v", k)] = v
@@ -1019,7 +1118,7 @@ func castToMapStringInterface(
 // deep. Both map types are supported as there is a go-yaml fork that uses
 // `map[string]interface{}` instead.
 func mergeMaps(
-	src, tgt map[string]interface{}, itgt map[interface{}]interface{}) {
+src, tgt map[string]interface{}, itgt map[interface{}]interface{}) {
 	for sk, sv := range src {
 		tk := keyExists(sk, tgt)
 		if tk == "" {
diff --git a/viper_test.go b/viper_test.go
index 0c0c7e5..c174246 100644
--- a/viper_test.go
+++ b/viper_test.go
@@ -250,6 +250,29 @@ func TestDefault(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, "leather", Get("clothing.jacket"))
 }
 
+func TestDefaultValueOnGetters(t *testing.T) {
+	SetConfigType("yaml")
+	r := bytes.NewReader(yamlExample)
+
+	unmarshalReader(r, v.config)
+	assert.False(t, InConfig("surname"))
+	assert.Equal(t, "doe", GetDefaultString("surname", "doe"))
+	assert.False(t, InConfig("month"))
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, GetDefaultInt("month", 1))
+	assert.False(t, InConfig("year"))
+	assert.Equal(t, int64(20), GetDefaultInt64("year", 20))
+	assert.False(t, InConfig("false-bool"))
+	assert.Equal(t, true, GetDefaultBoolean("false-bool", true))
+	assert.False(t, InConfig("float-64"))
+	assert.Equal(t, float64(2.4), GetDefaultFloat64("float-64", 2.4))
+	localTime := time.Now()
+	assert.False(t, InConfig("no-time"))
+	assert.Equal(t, localTime, GetDefaultTime("no-time", localTime))
+	secDuration := time.Second
+	assert.False(t, InConfig("no-duration"))
+	assert.Equal(t, secDuration, GetDefaultDuration("no-duration", secDuration))
+}
+
 func TestUnmarshalling(t *testing.T) {
 	SetConfigType("yaml")
 	r := bytes.NewReader(yamlExample)