diff --git a/src/util/serialize.zig b/src/util/serialize.zig
index 120ca48..0f49c48 100644
--- a/src/util/serialize.zig
+++ b/src/util/serialize.zig
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ pub fn DeserializerContext(comptime Result: type, comptime From: type, comptime
         }
 
         pub fn finish(self: *@This(), allocator: std.mem.Allocator) !Result {
-            return (try self.deserialize(allocator, Result, self.data, &.{})) orelse
+            return (try self.deserialize(allocator, Result, self.data, &.{}, true)) orelse
                 if (std.meta.fields(Result).len == 0)
                 return .{}
             else
@@ -290,6 +290,7 @@ pub fn DeserializerContext(comptime Result: type, comptime From: type, comptime
             comptime T: type,
             intermediary: anytype,
             comptime field_ref: FieldRef,
+            allow_default: bool,
         ) DeserializeError!?T {
             if (comptime Context.options.isScalar(T)) {
                 const val = @field(intermediary.static, util.comptimeJoin(".", field_ref));
@@ -304,7 +305,7 @@ pub fn DeserializerContext(comptime Result: type, comptime From: type, comptime
                     var partial_match_found: bool = false;
                     inline for (info.fields) |field| {
                         const F = field.field_type;
-                        const maybe_value = self.deserialize(allocator, F, intermediary, field_ref) catch |err| switch (err) {
+                        const maybe_value = self.deserialize(allocator, F, intermediary, field_ref, false) catch |err| switch (err) {
                             error.MissingField => blk: {
                                 partial_match_found = true;
                                 break :blk @as(?F, null);
@@ -333,7 +334,7 @@ pub fn DeserializerContext(comptime Result: type, comptime From: type, comptime
                     inline for (info.fields) |field, i| {
                         const F = field.field_type;
                         const new_field_ref = field_ref ++ &[_][]const u8{field.name};
-                        const maybe_value = try self.deserialize(allocator, F, intermediary, new_field_ref);
+                        const maybe_value = try self.deserialize(allocator, F, intermediary, new_field_ref, false);
                         if (maybe_value) |v| {
                             @field(result, field.name) = v;
                             fields_alloced[i] = true;
@@ -350,7 +351,7 @@ pub fn DeserializerContext(comptime Result: type, comptime From: type, comptime
                     }
                     if (any_missing and any_explicit) return error.MissingField;
 
-                    if (!any_explicit) {
+                    if (!any_explicit and !allow_default) {
                         inline for (info.fields) |field, i| {
                             if (fields_alloced[i]) self.deserializeFree(allocator, @field(result, field.name));
                         }
@@ -369,7 +370,7 @@ pub fn DeserializerContext(comptime Result: type, comptime From: type, comptime
                         var count: usize = 0;
                         errdefer for (result[0..count]) |res| util.deepFree(allocator, res);
                         for (data.items) |sub, i| {
-                            result[i] = (try self.deserialize(allocator, info.child, sub, &.{})) orelse return error.SparseSlice;
+                            result[i] = (try self.deserialize(allocator, info.child, sub, &.{}, false)) orelse return error.SparseSlice;
                         }
 
                         return result;
@@ -378,7 +379,7 @@ pub fn DeserializerContext(comptime Result: type, comptime From: type, comptime
                 },
 
                 // Specifically non-scalar optionals
-                .Optional => |info| return try self.deserialize(allocator, info.child, intermediary, field_ref),
+                .Optional => |info| return try self.deserialize(allocator, info.child, intermediary, field_ref, allow_default),
 
                 else => @compileError("Unsupported type"),
             }