diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 16a9277..2c902b6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -471,11 +471,11 @@ produces nothing.
 
 ### Default values
 
-For arguments and options, if `default` field is set, its value is used as default argument. 
+For elements such as arguments and options, if `default` field is set, its value is stored in case the element was not used. 
 
 ```lua
-parser:argument "input"
-   :default "input.txt"
+parser:option "-o" "--output"
+   :default "a.out"
 ```
 
 ```bash
@@ -483,7 +483,7 @@ $ lua script.lua
 ```
 
 ```
-input	input.txt
+output	a.out
 ```
 
 The existence of a default value is reflected in help message. 
@@ -493,22 +493,72 @@ $ lua script.lua --help
 ```
 
 ```
-Usage: script.lua [-h] [<input>]
-
-Arguments: 
-   input                 default: input.txt
+Usage: script [-o <output>] [-h]
 
 Options: 
+   -o <output>, --output <output>
+                         default: a.out
    -h, --help            Show this help message and exit. 
 ```
 
-#### Default values and options
+Note that invocation without required arguments is still an error. 
 
-Note that if an option is not invoked, its default value will not be stored. 
+```bash
+$ lua script.lua -o
+```
 
-```lua
-parser:option "-o" "--output"
+```
+Usage: script [-o <output>] [-h]
+
+Error: too few arguments
+```
+
+#### Default mode
+
+The `defmode` field regulates how argparse should use the default value of an element. 
+
+If `defmode` contains `"u"`(for `unused`), the default value will be automatically passed to the element if it was not invoked at all. This is the default behavior. 
+
+If `defmode` contains `"a"`(for `argument`), the default value will be automatically passed to the element if not enough arguments were passed, or not enough invocations were made. 
+
+Consider the difference: 
+
+```
+parser:option "-o"
    :default "a.out"
+parser:option "-p"
+   :default "password"
+   :defmode "arg"
+```
+
+```bash
+$ lua script.lua -h
+```
+
+```
+Usage: script [-o <o>] [-p [<p>]] [-h]
+
+Options: 
+   -o <o>                default: a.out
+   -p [<p>]              default: password
+   -h, --help            Show this help message and exit. 
+```
+
+```bash
+$ lua script.lua
+```
+
+```
+o	a.out
+```
+
+```bash
+$ lua script.lua -p
+```
+
+```
+o	a.out
+p	password
 ```
 
 ```bash
@@ -516,31 +566,9 @@ $ lua script.lua -o
 ```
 
 ```
-output	a.out
-```
+Usage: script [-o <o>] [-p [<p>]] [-h]
 
-But
-
-```bash
-$ lua script.lua
-```
-
-produces nothing. 
-
-That is because by default options can be not used at all. If default value must be used even when the option is not invoked, make the invocation obligatory. 
-
-```lua
-parser:option "-o" "--output"
-   :default "a.out"
-   :count(1)
-```
-
-```bash
-$ lua script.lua
-```
-
-```
-output	a.out
+Error: too few arguments
 ```
 
 ### Converters
diff --git a/spec/default_spec.lua b/spec/default_spec.lua
index 8f8d61c..a80433e 100644
--- a/spec/default_spec.lua
+++ b/spec/default_spec.lua
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ describe("tests related to default values", function()
          local parser = Parser()
          parser:option "-o" "--output"
             :default "a.out"
+            :defmode "unused"
          local args = parser:parse{}
          assert.same({output = "a.out"}, args)
          args = parser:parse{"--output", "foo.txt"}
diff --git a/src/argparse.lua b/src/argparse.lua
index de70a70..ff83e4f 100644
--- a/src/argparse.lua
+++ b/src/argparse.lua
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ local Argument = class {
    __name = "Argument",
    _args = 1,
    _count = 1,
-   _defmode = "count",
+   _defmode = "unused",
    _fields = {
       "name", "description", "target", "args",
       "minargs", "maxargs", "default", "defmode",
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ function Argument:get_usage()
    if not self._usage then
       self._usage = table.concat(self:get_arg_usage("<" .. self._name .. ">"), " ")
 
-      if self._default and self._defmode:find "c" then
+      if self._default and self._defmode:find "u" then
          if self._maxargs > 1 or (self._minargs == 1 and not self._defmode:find "a") then
             self._usage = "[" .. self._usage .. "]"
          end
@@ -772,7 +772,7 @@ function Parser:_parse(args, errhandler)
    end
 
    while cur_arg do
-      if passed[cur_arg] == 0 and cur_arg._default and cur_arg._defmode:find "c" then
+      if passed[cur_arg] == 0 and cur_arg._default and cur_arg._defmode:find "u" then
          complete_invocation(cur_arg)
       else
          close(cur_arg)
@@ -785,7 +785,7 @@ function Parser:_parse(args, errhandler)
 
    for _, option in ipairs(options) do
       if invocations[option] == 0 then
-         if option._default and option._defmode:find "c" then
+         if option._default and option._defmode:find "u" then
             invoke(option)
             complete_invocation(option)
             close(option)