diff --git a/Readme.md b/Readme.md
index a29da4013..e4367dcda 100644
--- a/Readme.md
+++ b/Readme.md
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ console.log('  - %s cheese', program.cheese);
 
 Short flags may be passed as a single arg, for example `-abc` is equivalent to `-a -b -c`. Multi-word options such as "--template-engine" are camel-cased, becoming `program.templateEngine` etc.
 
-Note that multi-word options starting with `--no` prefix negate the boolean value of the following word. For example, `--no-sauce` sets the value of `program.sauce` to false. 
+Note that multi-word options starting with `--no` prefix negate the boolean value of the following word. For example, `--no-sauce` sets the value of `program.sauce` to false.
 
 ```js
 #!/usr/bin/env node
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ program
   .option('-s --size <size>', 'Pizza size', /^(large|medium|small)$/i, 'medium')
   .option('-d --drink [drink]', 'Drink', /^(coke|pepsi|izze)$/i)
   .parse(process.argv);
-  
+
 console.log(' size: %j', program.size);
 console.log(' drink: %j', program.drink);
 ```
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ You can enable `--harmony` option in two ways:
      -p, --peppers        Add peppers
      -P, --pineapple      Add pineapple
      -b, --bbq            Add bbq sauce
-     -c, --cheese <type>  Add the specified type of cheese [marble]
+     -c, --cheese [type]  Add the specified type of cheese [marble]
      -C, --no-cheese      You do not want any cheese
 
 ```
diff --git a/examples/pizza b/examples/pizza
index f67f9cba2..525f85536 100755
--- a/examples/pizza
+++ b/examples/pizza
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ program
   .option('-p, --peppers', 'Add peppers')
   .option('-P, --pineapple', 'Add pineapple')
   .option('-b, --bbq', 'Add bbq sauce')
-  .option('-c, --cheese <type>', 'Add the specified type of cheese [marble]')
+  .option('-c, --cheese [type]', 'Add the specified type of cheese [marble]', 'marble')
   .option('-C, --no-cheese', 'You do not want any cheese')
   .parse(process.argv);
 
@@ -21,9 +21,7 @@ if (program.peppers) console.log('  - peppers');
 if (program.pineapple) console.log('  - pineapple');
 if (program.bbq) console.log('  - bbq');
 
-var cheese = true === program.cheese
-  ? 'marble'
-  : program.cheese || 'no';
+var cheese = !program.cheese ? 'no' : program.cheese;
 
 console.log('  - %s cheese', cheese);
 console.log(program.args);
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 0f54b5ef7..482dd86b4 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -60,9 +60,7 @@ function Option(flags, description) {
  */
 
 Option.prototype.name = function() {
-  return this.long
-    .replace('--', '')
-    .replace('no-', '');
+  return this.long.replace(/^--/, '');
 };
 
 /**
@@ -74,7 +72,7 @@ Option.prototype.name = function() {
  */
 
 Option.prototype.attributeName = function() {
-  return camelcase(this.name());
+  return camelcase(this.name().replace(/^no-/, ''));
 };
 
 /**
@@ -335,14 +333,17 @@ Command.prototype.action = function(fn) {
  *
  * Examples:
  *
- *     // simple boolean defaulting to false
+ *     // simple boolean defaulting to undefined
  *     program.option('-p, --pepper', 'add pepper');
  *
+ *     program.pepper
+ *     // => undefined
+ *
  *     --pepper
  *     program.pepper
- *     // => Boolean
+ *     // => true
  *
- *     // simple boolean defaulting to true
+ *     // simple boolean defaulting to true (unless non-negated option is also defined)
  *     program.option('-C, --no-cheese', 'remove cheese');
  *
  *     program.cheese
@@ -392,8 +393,11 @@ Command.prototype.option = function(flags, description, fn, defaultValue) {
 
   // preassign default value only for --no-*, [optional], or <required>
   if (!option.bool || option.optional || option.required) {
-    // when --no-* we make sure default is true
-    if (!option.bool) defaultValue = true;
+    // when --no-foo we make sure default is true, unless a --foo option is already defined
+    if (!option.bool) {
+      var opts = self.opts();
+      defaultValue = name in opts ? opts[name] : true;
+    }
     // preassign only if we have a default
     if (defaultValue !== undefined) {
       self[name] = defaultValue;
@@ -424,7 +428,7 @@ Command.prototype.option = function(flags, description, fn, defaultValue) {
       }
     } else if (val !== null) {
       // reassign
-      self[name] = val;
+      self[name] = option.bool ? val : false;
     }
   });
 
diff --git a/test/test.options.bool.no.js b/test/test.options.bool.no.js
index c8c954439..0a3eaaefc 100644
--- a/test/test.options.bool.no.js
+++ b/test/test.options.bool.no.js
@@ -7,9 +7,25 @@ var program = require('../')
 
 program
   .version('0.0.1')
+  .option('-e, --everything', 'add all of the toppings')
   .option('-p, --pepper', 'add pepper')
+  .option('-P, --no-pepper', 'remove pepper')
   .option('-c|--no-cheese', 'remove cheese');
 
-program.parse(['node', 'test', '--no-cheese']);
-should.equal(undefined, program.pepper);
+program.parse(['node', 'test']);
+program.should.not.have.property('everything');
+program.should.not.have.property('pepper');
+program.cheese.should.be.true();
+
+program.parse(['node', 'test', '--everything']);
+program.everything.should.be.true();
+program.should.not.have.property('pepper');
+program.cheese.should.be.true();
+
+program.parse(['node', 'test', '--pepper']);
+program.pepper.should.be.true();
+program.cheese.should.be.true();
+
+program.parse(['node', 'test', '--everything', '--no-pepper', '--no-cheese']);
+program.pepper.should.be.false();
 program.cheese.should.be.false();
diff --git a/test/test.options.defaults.no.js b/test/test.options.defaults.no.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3eb38d4d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test.options.defaults.no.js
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+/**
+ * Module dependencies.
+ */
+
+var program = require('../')
+  , should = require('should');
+
+program
+  .version('0.0.1')
+  .option('-p, --pepper [type]', 'add pepper', 'red')
+  .option('-P, --no-pepper', 'remove pepper');
+
+program.parse(['node', 'test']);
+program.pepper.should.equal('red');
+
+program.parse(['node', 'test', '--pepper']);
+program.pepper.should.equal('red');
+
+program.parse(['node', 'test', '--pepper', 'jalapeño']);
+program.pepper.should.equal('jalapeño');
+
+program.parse(['node', 'test', '--no-pepper']);
+program.pepper.should.be.false();