diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index 3890d86..e5bdb48 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 ## 0.2.2 (unreleased)
 
+- fields with default values are properly passed to __new__()/__init__()
 - added support for coercion of tuples for Struct-typed fields
 - added support for `__getitem__` and `__setitem__`
 - testing a Struct for equality with itself succeeds quickly
diff --git a/examples/vector.py b/examples/vector.py
index 1dff6e6..6406a43 100644
--- a/examples/vector.py
+++ b/examples/vector.py
@@ -89,12 +89,13 @@ class MutablePoint(Struct):
 #
 # If the fields have default values, these are substituted in before
 # calling the constructor. Thus providing default parameter values
-# in the constructor argument list is meaningless.
+# in the constructor argument list is meaningless, as they will always
+# be overridden by the defaults from the field's declaration.
 
 class DoublingVector2D(Struct):
     
-    x = Field
-    y = Field
+    x = Field(default=0)
+    y = Field(default=0)
     
     def __new__(cls, x, y):
         print('Vector2D.__new__() has been called')
diff --git a/simplestruct/struct.py b/simplestruct/struct.py
index b4b8143..ed0275b 100644
--- a/simplestruct/struct.py
+++ b/simplestruct/struct.py
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ class MetaStruct(type):
     
     Upon instantiation of a Struct subtype, set the instance's
     _initialized attribute to True after __init__() returns.
+    Preprocess its __new__/__init__() arguments as well.
     """
     
     # Use OrderedDict to preserve Field declaration order.
@@ -144,9 +145,23 @@ def __new__(mcls, clsname, bases, namespace, **kargs):
         
         return cls
     
+    def get_boundargs(cls, *args, **kargs):
+        """Return an inspect.BoundArguments object for the application
+        of this Struct's signature to its arguments. Add missing values
+        for default fields as keyword arguments.
+        """
+        boundargs = cls._signature.bind(*args, **kargs)
+        # Include default arguments.
+        for param in cls._signature.parameters.values():
+            if (param.name not in boundargs.arguments and
+                param.default is not param.empty):
+                boundargs.arguments[param.name] = param.default
+        return boundargs
+    
     # Mark the class as _initialized after construction.
     def __call__(cls, *args, **kargs):
-        inst = super().__call__(*args, **kargs)
+        boundargs = cls.get_boundargs(*args, **kargs)
+        inst = super().__call__(*boundargs.args, **boundargs.kwargs)
         inst._initialized = True
         return inst
 
@@ -193,12 +208,7 @@ def __new__(cls, *args, **kargs):
         
         f = None
         try:
-            boundargs = cls._signature.bind(*args, **kargs)
-            # Include default arguments.
-            for param in cls._signature.parameters.values():
-                if (param.name not in boundargs.arguments and
-                    param.default is not param.empty):
-                    boundargs.arguments[param.name] = param.default
+            boundargs = cls.get_boundargs(*args, **kargs)
             for f in cls._struct:
                 setattr(inst, f.name, boundargs.arguments[f.name])
             f = None
diff --git a/tests/test_struct.py b/tests/test_struct.py
index f88f402..5a0a1ce 100644
--- a/tests/test_struct.py
+++ b/tests/test_struct.py
@@ -133,10 +133,13 @@ class Foo(Struct):
         class Foo(Struct):
             a = Field()
             b = Field(default='b')
+            # Make sure default field values are passed to __init__() too.
+            def __init__(self, a, b):
+                self.c = b
         f = Foo(1, 2)
-        self.assertEqual((f.a, f.b), (1, 2))
+        self.assertEqual((f.a, f.b, f.c), (1, 2, 2))
         f = Foo(1)
-        self.assertEqual((f.a, f.b), (1, 'b'))
+        self.assertEqual((f.a, f.b, f.c), (1, 'b', 'b'))
         
         # Parentheses-less shorthand.
         class Foo(Struct):