diff --git a/Readme.md b/Readme.md
index d1644012c..54eb6266e 100644
--- a/Readme.md
+++ b/Readme.md
@@ -69,6 +69,15 @@ function list(val) {
   return val.split(',');
 }
 
+function collect(val, memo) {
+  memo.push(val);
+  return memo;
+}
+
+function increaseVerbosity(v, total) {
+  return total + 1;
+}
+
 program
   .version('0.0.1')
   .usage('[options] <file ...>')
@@ -77,6 +86,8 @@ program
   .option('-r, --range <a>..<b>', 'A range', range)
   .option('-l, --list <items>', 'A list', list)
   .option('-o, --optional [value]', 'An optional value')
+  .option('-c, --collect [value]', 'A repeatable value', [])
+  .option('-v, --verbose', 'A value that can be increased', increaseVerbosity, 0)
   .parse(process.argv);
 
 console.log(' int: %j', program.integer);
@@ -85,6 +96,8 @@ console.log(' optional: %j', program.optional);
 program.range = program.range || [];
 console.log(' range: %j..%j', program.range[0], program.range[1]);
 console.log(' list: %j', program.list);
+console.log(' collect: %j', program.collect);
+console.log(' verbosity: %j', program.verbose);
 console.log(' args: %j', program.args);
 ```
 
diff --git a/examples/coercion b/examples/coercion
index cd0bff831..46a46a286 100755
--- a/examples/coercion
+++ b/examples/coercion
@@ -14,6 +14,15 @@ function list(val) {
   return val.split(',');
 }
 
+function collect(val, memo) {
+  memo.push(val);
+  return memo;
+}
+
+function increaseVerbosity(v, total) {
+  return total + 1;
+}
+
 program
   .version('0.0.1')
   .usage('test')
@@ -22,6 +31,8 @@ program
   .option('-r, --range <a>..<b>', 'A range', range)
   .option('-l, --list <items>', 'A list', list)
   .option('-o, --optional [value]', 'An optional value')
+  .option('-c, --collect [value]', 'A repeatable value', collect, [])
+  .option('-v, --verbose', 'A value that can be increased', increaseVerbosity, 0)
   .parse(process.argv);
 
 console.log(' int: %j', program.integer);
@@ -30,4 +41,6 @@ console.log(' optional: %j', program.optional);
 program.range = program.range || [];
 console.log(' range: %j..%j', program.range[0], program.range[1]);
 console.log(' list: %j', program.list);
-console.log(' args: %j', program.args);
\ No newline at end of file
+console.log(' collect: %j', program.collect);
+console.log(' verbosity: %j', program.verbose);
+console.log(' args: %j', program.args);
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 107901d37..2c2f07e75 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ Command.prototype.option = function(flags, description, fn, defaultValue){
   // and conditionally invoke the callback
   this.on(oname, function(val){
     // coercion
-    if (null != val && fn) val = fn(val);
+    if (null !== val && fn) val = fn(val, undefined !== self[name] ? self[name] : defaultValue);
 
     // unassigned or bool
     if ('boolean' == typeof self[name] || 'undefined' == typeof self[name]) {
diff --git a/test/test.options.coercion.js b/test/test.options.coercion.js
index 296d9671a..df80a3602 100644
--- a/test/test.options.coercion.js
+++ b/test/test.options.coercion.js
@@ -9,15 +9,28 @@ function parseRange(str) {
   return str.split('..').map(Number);
 }
 
+function increaseVerbosity(v, total) {
+  return total + 1;
+}
+
+function collectValues(str, memo) {
+  memo.push(str);
+  return memo;
+}
+
 program
   .version('0.0.1')
   .option('-i, --int <n>', 'pass an int', parseInt)
   .option('-n, --num <n>', 'pass a number', Number)
   .option('-f, --float <n>', 'pass a float', parseFloat)
-  .option('-r, --range <a..b>', 'pass a range', parseRange);
+  .option('-r, --range <a..b>', 'pass a range', parseRange)
+  .option('-v, --verbose', 'increase verbosity', increaseVerbosity, 0)
+  .option('-c, --collect <str>', 'add a string (can be used multiple times)', collectValues, []);
 
-program.parse('node test -i 5.5 -f 5.5 -n 15.99 -r 1..5'.split(' '));
+program.parse('node test -i 5.5 -f 5.5 -n 15.99 -r 1..5 -c foo -c bar -c baz -vvvv --verbose'.split(' '));
 program.int.should.equal(5);
 program.num.should.equal(15.99);
 program.float.should.equal(5.5);
 program.range.should.eql([1,5]);
+program.collect.should.eql([ 'foo', 'bar', 'baz' ]);
+program.verbose.should.equal(5);
diff --git a/test/test.options.commands.js b/test/test.options.commands.js
index 8cb9e487e..85df74f74 100644
--- a/test/test.options.commands.js
+++ b/test/test.options.commands.js
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@ program.parse(['node', 'test', '--config', 'conf']);
 program.config.should.equal("conf");
 program.commands[0].should.not.have.property.setup_mode;
 program.commands[1].should.not.have.property.exec_mode;
-envValue.should.be.null;
-cmdValue.should.be.null;
+envValue.should.equal("");
+cmdValue.should.equal("");
 
 program.parse(['node', 'test', '--config', 'conf1', 'setup', '--setup_mode', 'mode3', 'env1']);
 program.config.should.equal("conf1");