diff --git a/source/Stargate-Examples-Tests/PetOrdersRESTfulControllerTest.class.st b/source/Stargate-Examples-Tests/PetOrdersRESTfulControllerTest.class.st
index fc60e29..591ce6f 100644
--- a/source/Stargate-Examples-Tests/PetOrdersRESTfulControllerTest.class.st
+++ b/source/Stargate-Examples-Tests/PetOrdersRESTfulControllerTest.class.st
@@ -536,6 +536,30 @@ PetOrdersRESTfulControllerTest >> testOverlyComplexOrderCreation [
 		assert: order date equals: '2018-10-24T18:05:46.418Z'
 ]
 
+{ #category : 'tests - orders' }
+PetOrdersRESTfulControllerTest >> testOverlyComplexOrderCreationWithoutSpecifyingStatusUsesDefaultValue [
+
+	| response order |
+
+	response := resourceController
+		  createOrderBasedOn: ( self requestToPOSTAsOverlyComplexOrder:
+				    '{"date":"2018-10-24T18:05:46.418Z","pet":{"alternativeName":"Fido","itsType":"Dog"}}' )
+		  within: self newHttpRequestContext.
+
+	self
+		assert: response isSuccess;
+		assert: response status equals: 201;
+		assertUrl: response location equals: 'https://petstore.example.com/orders/1';
+		assert: response hasEntity;
+		assert: orderRepository count equals: 1.
+	order := orderRepository findAll first.
+	self
+		assert: order pet name equals: 'Fido';
+		assert: order pet type equals: 'Dog';
+		assert: order pet status equals: 'UNKNOWN';
+		assert: order date equals: '2018-10-24T18:05:46.418Z'
+]
+
 { #category : 'tests' }
 PetOrdersRESTfulControllerTest >> testRoutes [
 
diff --git a/source/Stargate-Examples/PetOrdersRESTfulController.class.st b/source/Stargate-Examples/PetOrdersRESTfulController.class.st
index 30f8e25..c1df0c7 100644
--- a/source/Stargate-Examples/PetOrdersRESTfulController.class.st
+++ b/source/Stargate-Examples/PetOrdersRESTfulController.class.st
@@ -150,7 +150,8 @@ PetOrdersRESTfulController >> configureOverlyComplexOrderDecodingOn: reader [
 			mapProperty: #theStatus as: #Status.
 		mapping
 			mapCreationSending: #named:ofType:withStatus:
-			withArguments: { #alternativeName. #itsType. #theStatus }
+			withArguments: { #alternativeName. #itsType. #theStatus };
+			argumentNamed: #theStatus defaultingTo: 'UNKNOWN'
 		].
 	reader for: PetOrder createInstanceUsing: [ :mapping |
 		mapping
diff --git a/source/Stargate-NeoJSON-Extensions/InstanceCreationMapping.class.st b/source/Stargate-NeoJSON-Extensions/InstanceCreationMapping.class.st
index 340cd7d..464af08 100644
--- a/source/Stargate-NeoJSON-Extensions/InstanceCreationMapping.class.st
+++ b/source/Stargate-NeoJSON-Extensions/InstanceCreationMapping.class.st
@@ -8,12 +8,25 @@ Class {
 	#superclass : 'NeoJSONObjectMapping',
 	#instVars : [
 		'instanceCreationSelector',
-		'argumentNames'
+		'argumentNames',
+		'defaultsByArgumentName'
 	],
 	#category : 'Stargate-NeoJSON-Extensions',
 	#package : 'Stargate-NeoJSON-Extensions'
 }
 
+{ #category : 'mapping' }
+InstanceCreationMapping >> argumentNamed: anArgumentName defaultingTo: aValue [
+
+  defaultsByArgumentName at: anArgumentName put: aValue
+]
+
+{ #category : 'private' }
+InstanceCreationMapping >> defaultFor: argumentName ifAbsent: aBlock [
+
+  ^ defaultsByArgumentName at: argumentName ifAbsent: aBlock
+]
+
 { #category : 'private' }
 InstanceCreationMapping >> errorDescriptionForMissing: propertyNames [
 
@@ -40,8 +53,9 @@ InstanceCreationMapping >> errorDescriptionForMissing: propertyNames [
 { #category : 'mapping' }
 InstanceCreationMapping >> mapCreationSending: anInstanceCreationSelector withArguments: anArgumentCollection [
 
-	instanceCreationSelector := anInstanceCreationSelector.
-	argumentNames := anArgumentCollection
+  instanceCreationSelector := anInstanceCreationSelector.
+  argumentNames := anArgumentCollection.
+  defaultsByArgumentName := Dictionary new
 ]
 
 { #category : 'mapping' }
@@ -62,20 +76,25 @@ InstanceCreationMapping >> mapProperty: aKey as: aValueSchema [
 { #category : 'parsing' }
 InstanceCreationMapping >> readFrom: jsonReader [
 
-	| argumentByName arguments missingArguments |
-
-	argumentByName := Dictionary new.
-	jsonReader parseMapKeysDo: [ :key |
-		( self propertyNamed: key ifAbsent: [ nil ] )
-			ifNil: [ "read, skip & ignore value" jsonReader next ]
-			ifNotNil: [ :mapping | mapping readObject: argumentByName from: jsonReader ]
-		].
+  | argumentByName arguments missingArguments |
+  argumentByName := Dictionary new.
+  jsonReader parseMapKeysDo: [ :key |
+      ( self propertyNamed: key ifAbsent: [ nil ] )
+        ifNil: [ "read, skip & ignore value" jsonReader next ]
+        ifNotNil: [ :mapping | mapping readObject: argumentByName from: jsonReader ]
+    ].
 
-	missingArguments := OrderedCollection new.
-	arguments := argumentNames collect: [ :argumentName |
-		             argumentByName at: argumentName ifAbsent: [ missingArguments add: argumentName ] ].
-	missingArguments ifNotEmpty: [
-		jsonReader error: ( self errorDescriptionForMissing: missingArguments ) ].
+  missingArguments := OrderedCollection new.
+  arguments := argumentNames collect: [ :argumentName |
+                   argumentByName
+                     at: argumentName
+                     ifAbsent: [
+                       self
+                         defaultFor: argumentName
+                         ifAbsent: [ missingArguments add: argumentName ] ]
+                 ].
+  missingArguments ifNotEmpty: [
+      jsonReader error: ( self errorDescriptionForMissing: missingArguments ) ].
 
-	^ subjectClass perform: instanceCreationSelector withArguments: arguments
+  ^ subjectClass perform: instanceCreationSelector withArguments: arguments
 ]