diff --git a/extra/interface/ap/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/interfaces/processor/AnnotationDefaults.java b/extra/interface/ap/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/interfaces/processor/AnnotationDefaults.java
index 520b90a2..0ae7e3e3 100644
--- a/extra/interface/ap/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/interfaces/processor/AnnotationDefaults.java
+++ b/extra/interface/ap/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/interfaces/processor/AnnotationDefaults.java
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 
 import javax.lang.model.AnnotatedConstruct;
 import javax.lang.model.element.ExecutableElement;
+import javax.lang.model.element.TypeElement;
 import javax.lang.model.type.TypeMirror;
 
 final class AnnotationDefaults implements AnnotationProcessor {
@@ -48,6 +49,7 @@ public Set<Class<? extends Annotation>> processes() {
 
     @Override
     public void process(
+            final TypeElement targetInterface,
             final ExecutableElement element,
             final TypeMirror nodeType,
             final FieldSpecBuilderTracker fieldSpec
@@ -56,7 +58,7 @@ public void process(
 
         // first, handle default value of a default method getter
         if (element.isDefault() && element.getParameters().isEmpty() && hasNoAnnotationDefaults(element)) {
-            fieldSpec.initializer("$T.super.$L()", element.getEnclosingElement(), element.getSimpleName());
+            fieldSpec.initializer("$T.super.$L()", targetInterface, element.getSimpleName());
             return;
         }
 
diff --git a/extra/interface/ap/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/interfaces/processor/AnnotationHidden.java b/extra/interface/ap/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/interfaces/processor/AnnotationHidden.java
index 9ea1c8b6..b55cf42b 100644
--- a/extra/interface/ap/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/interfaces/processor/AnnotationHidden.java
+++ b/extra/interface/ap/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/interfaces/processor/AnnotationHidden.java
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 import java.util.Set;
 
 import javax.lang.model.element.ExecutableElement;
+import javax.lang.model.element.TypeElement;
 import javax.lang.model.type.TypeMirror;
 
 final class AnnotationHidden implements AnnotationProcessor {
@@ -42,6 +43,7 @@ public Set<Class<? extends Annotation>> processes() {
 
     @Override
     public void process(
+            final TypeElement targetInterface,
             final ExecutableElement element,
             final TypeMirror nodeType,
             final FieldSpecBuilderTracker fieldSpec
diff --git a/extra/interface/ap/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/interfaces/processor/AnnotationOthers.java b/extra/interface/ap/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/interfaces/processor/AnnotationOthers.java
index f26a71c7..1452f96d 100644
--- a/extra/interface/ap/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/interfaces/processor/AnnotationOthers.java
+++ b/extra/interface/ap/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/interfaces/processor/AnnotationOthers.java
@@ -48,7 +48,11 @@ public Set<Class<? extends Annotation>> processes() {
     }
 
     @Override
-    public void process(final ExecutableElement element, final TypeMirror nodeType, final FieldSpecBuilderTracker fieldSpec) {
+    public void process(
+            final TypeElement targetInterface,
+            final ExecutableElement element,
+            final TypeMirror nodeType,
+            final FieldSpecBuilderTracker fieldSpec) {
         for (AnnotationMirror annotationMirror : element.getAnnotationMirrors()) {
             //noinspection UnstableApiUsage
             final TypeElement annotationType = MoreElements.asType(annotationMirror.getAnnotationType().asElement());
diff --git a/extra/interface/ap/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/interfaces/processor/AnnotationProcessor.java b/extra/interface/ap/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/interfaces/processor/AnnotationProcessor.java
index e34218a3..c4468c70 100644
--- a/extra/interface/ap/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/interfaces/processor/AnnotationProcessor.java
+++ b/extra/interface/ap/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/interfaces/processor/AnnotationProcessor.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 import java.util.Set;
 
 import javax.lang.model.element.ExecutableElement;
+import javax.lang.model.element.TypeElement;
 import javax.lang.model.type.TypeMirror;
 
 interface AnnotationProcessor {
@@ -40,6 +41,11 @@ interface AnnotationProcessor {
      * @param fieldSpec the builder of the field that is being generated
      * @throws IllegalStateException when something goes wrong
      */
-    void process(ExecutableElement element, TypeMirror nodeType, FieldSpecBuilderTracker fieldSpec) throws IllegalStateException;
+    void process(
+            TypeElement targetInterface,
+            ExecutableElement element,
+            TypeMirror nodeType,
+            FieldSpecBuilderTracker fieldSpec
+    ) throws IllegalStateException;
 
 }
diff --git a/extra/interface/ap/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/interfaces/processor/AnnotationProcessorHandler.java b/extra/interface/ap/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/interfaces/processor/AnnotationProcessorHandler.java
index a02ecf68..b16cd6a3 100644
--- a/extra/interface/ap/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/interfaces/processor/AnnotationProcessorHandler.java
+++ b/extra/interface/ap/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/interfaces/processor/AnnotationProcessorHandler.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 import java.util.List;
 
 import javax.lang.model.element.ExecutableElement;
+import javax.lang.model.element.TypeElement;
 import javax.lang.model.type.TypeMirror;
 
 final class AnnotationProcessorHandler {
@@ -37,11 +38,15 @@ final class AnnotationProcessorHandler {
 
     private AnnotationProcessorHandler() {}
 
-    static void handle(final ExecutableElement element, final TypeMirror nodeType, final FieldSpec.Builder fieldSpec) {
+    static void handle(
+            final TypeElement targetInterface,
+            final ExecutableElement element,
+            final TypeMirror nodeType,
+            final FieldSpec.Builder fieldSpec) {
         final FieldSpecBuilderTracker fieldTracker = new FieldSpecBuilderTracker(fieldSpec);
 
         for (AnnotationProcessor handler : HANDLERS) {
-            handler.process(element, nodeType, fieldTracker);
+            handler.process(targetInterface, element, nodeType, fieldTracker);
             fieldTracker.processed(handler.processes());
         }
     }
diff --git a/extra/interface/ap/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/interfaces/processor/ConfigImplementationGenerator.java b/extra/interface/ap/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/interfaces/processor/ConfigImplementationGenerator.java
index 19973aaf..bee1b4ba 100644
--- a/extra/interface/ap/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/interfaces/processor/ConfigImplementationGenerator.java
+++ b/extra/interface/ap/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/interfaces/processor/ConfigImplementationGenerator.java
@@ -47,10 +47,10 @@ class ConfigImplementationGenerator {
 
     ConfigImplementationGenerator(
         final ConfigImplementationGeneratorProcessor processor,
-        final TypeElement configInterfaceType
+        final TypeElement source
     ) {
         this.processor = processor;
-        this.source = configInterfaceType;
+        this.source = source;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -158,8 +158,22 @@ private boolean gatherElementSpec(
                 fieldSpec.addModifiers(Modifier.TRANSIENT);
             }
 
+            // set a default value for config subsections
+            final TypeElement nodeTypeElement = Utils.toBoxedTypeElement(nodeType, this.processor.typeUtils);
+            if (!element.isDefault() && hasAnnotation(nodeTypeElement, ConfigSerializable.class)) {
+                ClassName configClass = ClassName.get(nodeTypeElement);
+                if (nodeTypeElement.getKind().isInterface()) {
+                    // first find the generated class for given type
+                    String implName = this.processor.generatedClasses().getProperty(configClass.reflectionName());
+                    // make it canonical and replace superinterface type with source interface type if present
+                    implName = implName.replace('$', '.').replace(type.getQualifiedName(), this.source.getQualifiedName());
+                    configClass = ClassName.bestGuess(implName);
+                }
+                fieldSpec.initializer("new $T()", configClass);
+            }
+
             //todo add tests for hidden in both ap and interfaces and defaults in interfaces
-            AnnotationProcessorHandler.handle(element, nodeType, fieldSpec);
+            AnnotationProcessorHandler.handle(this.source, element, nodeType, fieldSpec);
 
             spec.add(simpleName, fieldSpec);
         }
diff --git a/extra/interface/ap/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/interfaces/processor/Utils.java b/extra/interface/ap/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/interfaces/processor/Utils.java
index 21fc5e04..8f914349 100644
--- a/extra/interface/ap/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/interfaces/processor/Utils.java
+++ b/extra/interface/ap/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/interfaces/processor/Utils.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 import javax.lang.model.element.ElementKind;
 import javax.lang.model.element.TypeElement;
 import javax.lang.model.type.TypeMirror;
+import javax.lang.model.util.Types;
 
 final class Utils {
 
@@ -67,4 +68,11 @@ static boolean isNumeric(final TypeMirror typeMirror) {
             || MoreTypes.isTypeOf(Long.TYPE, typeMirror);
     }
 
+    public static TypeElement toBoxedTypeElement(final TypeMirror mirror, final Types typeUtils) {
+        if (mirror.getKind().isPrimitive()) {
+            return typeUtils.boxedClass(MoreTypes.asPrimitiveType(mirror));
+        }
+        return MoreTypes.asTypeElement(mirror);
+    }
+
 }