diff --git a/examples/__tests__/test-status-message.ava.js b/examples/__tests__/test-status-message.ava.js
index a89828191..de58690d1 100644
--- a/examples/__tests__/test-status-message.ava.js
+++ b/examples/__tests__/test-status-message.ava.js
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ test.before(async t => {
         './build/status-message.wasm',
     );
     
-    // Init the contract
-    await statusMessage.call(statusMessage, 'init', {});
+    // When we skip init the status message, default() will be used  
+    // await statusMessage.call(statusMessage, 'init', {});
     
     // Create test users
     const ali = await root.createSubAccount('ali');
diff --git a/lib/near-contract.js b/lib/near-contract.js
index 13a117830..f7b62f2c8 100644
--- a/lib/near-contract.js
+++ b/lib/near-contract.js
@@ -2,11 +2,11 @@ import * as near from "./api";
 export class NearContract {
     deserialize() {
         const rawState = near.storageRead("STATE");
+        let c = this.default();
         if (rawState) {
             const state = JSON.parse(rawState);
-            // reconstruction of the contract class object from plain object
-            let c = this.default();
             Object.assign(this, state);
+            // reconstruction of the contract class object from plain object
             for (const item in c) {
                 if (c[item].constructor?.deserialize !== undefined) {
                     this[item] = c[item].constructor.deserialize(this[item]);
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ export class NearContract {
             }
         }
         else {
-            throw new Error("Contract state is empty");
+            Object.assign(this, c);
         }
     }
     serialize() {
diff --git a/src/near-contract.ts b/src/near-contract.ts
index 76afcb31c..17a8f9e6b 100644
--- a/src/near-contract.ts
+++ b/src/near-contract.ts
@@ -3,18 +3,18 @@ import * as near from "./api";
 export abstract class NearContract {
   deserialize() {
     const rawState = near.storageRead("STATE");
+    let c = this.default()
     if (rawState) {
       const state = JSON.parse(rawState)
-      // reconstruction of the contract class object from plain object
-      let c = this.default()
       Object.assign(this, state);
+      // reconstruction of the contract class object from plain object
       for (const item in c) {
         if (c[item].constructor?.deserialize !== undefined) {
           this[item] = c[item].constructor.deserialize(this[item])
         }
       }
     } else {
-      throw new Error("Contract state is empty");
+      Object.assign(this, c)
     }
   }