diff --git a/ipalib/public.py b/ipalib/public.py
index 10f916937..17d00f048 100644
--- a/ipalib/public.py
+++ b/ipalib/public.py
@@ -130,7 +130,8 @@ class option(plugable.Plugin):
 class cmd(plugable.Plugin):
     __public__ = frozenset((
         'normalize',
-        'autofill',
+        'default',
+        'validate',
         '__call__',
         'get_doc',
         'options',
@@ -182,11 +183,6 @@ class cmd(plugable.Plugin):
     def normalize(self, **kw):
         return dict(self.normalize_iter(kw))
 
-    def validate(self, **kw):
-        for (key, value) in kw.items():
-            if key in self.options:
-                self.options.validate(value)
-
     def default(self, **kw):
         d = {}
         for opt in self.options:
@@ -198,11 +194,16 @@ class cmd(plugable.Plugin):
         kw.update(d)
         return kw
 
+    def validate(self, **kw):
+        for (key, value) in kw.items():
+            if key in self.options:
+                self.options.validate(value)
+
     def __call__(self, **kw):
-        (args, kw) = self.normalize(*args, **kw)
-        (args, kw) = self.autofill(*args, **kw)
-        self.validate(*args, **kw)
-        self.execute(*args, **kw)
+        kw = self.normalize(**kw)
+        kw = self.default(**kw)
+        self.validate(**kw)
+        self.execute(**kw)
 
 
 
diff --git a/ipalib/tests/test_public.py b/ipalib/tests/test_public.py
index 7e98b7355..8f0ac9633 100644
--- a/ipalib/tests/test_public.py
+++ b/ipalib/tests/test_public.py
@@ -167,6 +167,13 @@ class test_cmd(ClassChecker):
         class my_option(public.option):
             def normalize(self, value):
                 return super(my_option, self).normalize(value).lower()
+            @public.rule
+            def my_rule(self, value):
+                if value != self.name:
+                    return 'must equal %s' % name
+            def default(self, **kw):
+                return kw['default_from']
+
         class option0(my_option):
             pass
         class option1(my_option):
@@ -221,6 +228,28 @@ class test_cmd(ClassChecker):
         sub = self.subcls()
         assert sub.normalize(**kw) == norm
 
+    def test_default(self):
+        """
+        Tests the `default` method.
+        """
+        assert 'default' in self.cls.__public__ # Public
+        no_fill = dict(
+            option0='value0',
+            option1='value1',
+            whatever='hello world',
+        )
+        fill = dict(
+            default_from='the default',
+        )
+        filled = dict(
+            option0='the default',
+            option1='the default',
+            default_from='the default',
+        )
+        sub = self.subcls()
+        assert sub.default(**no_fill) == no_fill
+        assert sub.default(**fill) == filled
+
 
 def test_obj():
     cls = public.obj