diff --git a/docs/changelog/7.x.x.txt b/docs/changelog/7.x.x.txt
index 3f4014f7e..74faabaea 100644
--- a/docs/changelog/7.x.x.txt
+++ b/docs/changelog/7.x.x.txt
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
  - fix: Cannot delete private message (Diona Kidd, Knowmad Technologies)
  - fix: Delete this entry link in data form header broken
  - fix: Image uploads fail when not using preload.perl
+ - fix: Workflow activities don't pick up new default values
 
 7.4.10
  - fix: Graphs aren't sized properly using GraphicsMagick
diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/Workflow/Activity.pm b/lib/WebGUI/Workflow/Activity.pm
index 0e109506a..591000aca 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/Workflow/Activity.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/Workflow/Activity.pm
@@ -297,15 +297,21 @@ sub new {
 	my $main = $session->db->getRow("WorkflowActivity","activityId", $activityId);
 	return undef unless $main->{activityId};
 	$class = $main->{className};
-        my $cmd = "use ".$class;
-        eval ($cmd);
-        if ($@) {
-                $session->errorHandler->error("Couldn't compile workflow activity package: ".$class.". Root cause: ".$@);
-		return undef;
-	}
+    (my $module = "$class.pm") =~ s{'|::}{/}g;
+    unless (eval { require $module; 1 }) {
+        $session->errorHandler->error("Couldn't compile workflow activity package: ".$class.". Root cause: ".$@);
+        return undef;
+    }
 	my $sub = $session->db->buildHashRef("select name,value from WorkflowActivityData where activityId=?",[$activityId]);
 	my %data = (%{$main}, %{$sub});
-	bless {_session=>$session, _id=>$activityId, _data=>\%data}, $class;
+    for my $definition (reverse @{$class->definition($session)}) {
+        for my $property (keys %{$definition->{properties}}) {
+            if(!defined $data{$property} || $data{$property} eq '' && $definition->{properties}{$property}{defaultValue}) {
+                $data{$property} = $definition->{properties}{$property}{defaultValue};
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    bless {_session=>$session, _id=>$activityId, _data=>\%data}, $class;
 }
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------