diff --git a/lib/prius/errors.rb b/lib/prius/errors.rb
index fd64364..6041ef1 100644
--- a/lib/prius/errors.rb
+++ b/lib/prius/errors.rb
@@ -4,4 +4,5 @@ module Prius
   class MissingValueError < StandardError; end
   class TypeMismatchError < StandardError; end
   class UndeclaredNameError < StandardError; end
+  class InvalidLoadError < StandardError; end
 end
diff --git a/lib/prius/registry.rb b/lib/prius/registry.rb
index abe78bf..50a51c3 100644
--- a/lib/prius/registry.rb
+++ b/lib/prius/registry.rb
@@ -15,13 +15,19 @@ def initialize(env)
     end
 
     # See Prius.load for documentation.
-    def load(name, env_var: nil, type: :string, required: true)
+    def load(name, env_var: nil, type: :string, required: true, default: nil)
       env_var = name.to_s.upcase if env_var.nil?
+
+      if required && !default.nil?
+        raise InvalidLoadError, "required config value #{env_var} cannot have default value"
+      end
+
+      value = load_value(env_var, required, default)
       @registry[name] = case type
-                        when :string then load_string(env_var, required)
-                        when :int    then load_int(env_var, required)
-                        when :bool   then load_bool(env_var, required)
-                        when :date   then load_date(env_var, required)
+                        when :string then value
+                        when :int    then parse_int(env_var, value)
+                        when :bool   then parse_bool(env_var, value)
+                        when :date   then parse_date(env_var, value)
                         else raise ArgumentError, "Invalid type #{type}"
                         end
     end
@@ -35,18 +41,15 @@ def get(name)
 
     private
 
-    def load_string(name, required)
+    def load_value(name, required, default)
       @env.fetch(name)
     rescue KeyError
-      return nil unless required
+      return default unless required
 
       raise MissingValueError, "config value '#{name}' not present"
     end
 
-    def load_int(name, required)
-      value = load_string(name, required)
-      return value if value.nil?
-
+    def parse_int(name, value)
       unless /\A[0-9]+\z/.match?(value)
         raise TypeMismatchError, "'#{name}' value '#{value}' is not an integer"
       end
@@ -54,10 +57,7 @@ def load_int(name, required)
       value.to_i
     end
 
-    def load_bool(name, required)
-      value = load_string(name, required)
-      return nil if value.nil?
-
+    def parse_bool(name, value)
       value = value.downcase
       return true if %w[yes y true t 1].include?(value)
       return false if %w[no n false f 0].include?(value)
@@ -65,10 +65,7 @@ def load_bool(name, required)
       raise TypeMismatchError, "'#{name}' value '#{value}' is not a boolean"
     end
 
-    def load_date(name, required)
-      value = load_string(name, required)
-      return nil if value.nil?
-
+    def parse_date(name, value)
       Date.parse(value)
     rescue ArgumentError
       raise TypeMismatchError, "'#{name}' value '#{value}' is not a date"
diff --git a/spec/prius/registry_spec.rb b/spec/prius/registry_spec.rb
index 8685e60..e6ffab0 100644
--- a/spec/prius/registry_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/prius/registry_spec.rb
@@ -26,6 +26,13 @@
       it "doesn't blow up" do
         expect { registry.load(:name) }.to_not raise_error
       end
+
+      context "but also a default value" do
+        it "raises an error" do
+          expect { registry.load(:name, default: "foo") }.
+            to raise_error(Prius::InvalidLoadError)
+        end
+      end
     end
 
     context "given a name that's not present in the environment" do
@@ -38,6 +45,14 @@
         it "doesn't blow up" do
           expect { registry.load(:slogan, required: false) }.to_not raise_error
         end
+
+        context "when a default value is provided" do
+          it "doesn't blow up" do
+            expect do
+              registry.load(:slogan, required: false, default: "GO GO GO")
+            end.to_not raise_error
+          end
+        end
       end
     end
 
@@ -48,6 +63,14 @@
       end
     end
 
+    # TODO: Decide if default values should be strings or of the parsed type
+    context "when specifying a default for a non-string type" do
+      it "doesn't blow up" do
+        expect { registry.load(:blah, type: :int, required: false, default: "56") }.
+          to_not raise_error
+      end
+    end
+
     context "when specifying :int as the type" do
       context "given a integer value" do
         it "doesn't blow up" do
@@ -74,7 +97,7 @@
           expect { registry.load(:alive, type: :bool) }.to_not raise_error
         end
 
-        it "stores an boolean" do
+        it "stores a boolean" do
           registry.load(:alive, type: :bool)
           expect(registry.get(:alive)).to be_a(TrueClass)
         end
@@ -133,12 +156,20 @@
       end
     end
 
-    context "given a nillable name that has been loaded" do
+    context "given a nilable name that has been loaded" do
       before { registry.load(:lightsabre, required: false) }
 
       it "returns nil" do
         expect(registry.get(:lightsabre)).to be_nil
       end
+
+      context "with a default" do
+        before { registry.load(:lightsabre, required: false, default: "blue") }
+
+        it "returns the default" do
+          expect(registry.get(:lightsabre)).to eq("blue")
+        end
+      end
     end
   end
 end