diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index 04e2ad8d8..4bbfe5bd2 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@
 
 * `HttpRequest::url_for_static()` for a named route with no variables segments
 
+* Propagation of the application's default resource to scopes that haven't set a default resource.
+
 
 ### Changed
 
diff --git a/src/application.rs b/src/application.rs
index b28c1829f..9ce99e5b1 100644
--- a/src/application.rs
+++ b/src/application.rs
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ pub struct HttpApplication<S = ()> {
 #[doc(hidden)]
 pub struct Inner<S> {
     prefix: usize,
-    default: ResourceHandler<S>,
+    default: Rc<RefCell<ResourceHandler<S>>>,
     encoding: ContentEncoding,
     resources: Vec<ResourceHandler<S>>,
     handlers: Vec<PrefixHandlerType<S>>,
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ impl<S: 'static> PipelineHandler<S> for Inner<S> {
         match htype {
             HandlerType::Normal(idx) => match self.resources[idx].handle(req) {
                 Ok(result) => result,
-                Err(req) => match self.default.handle(req) {
+                Err(req) => match self.default.borrow_mut().handle(req) {
                     Ok(result) => result,
                     Err(_) => AsyncResult::ok(HttpResponse::new(StatusCode::NOT_FOUND)),
                 },
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ impl<S: 'static> PipelineHandler<S> for Inner<S> {
                 PrefixHandlerType::Handler(_, ref mut hnd) => hnd.handle(req),
                 PrefixHandlerType::Scope(_, ref mut hnd, _) => hnd.handle(req),
             },
-            HandlerType::Default => match self.default.handle(req) {
+            HandlerType::Default => match self.default.borrow_mut().handle(req) {
                 Ok(result) => result,
                 Err(_) => AsyncResult::ok(HttpResponse::new(StatusCode::NOT_FOUND)),
             },
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ struct ApplicationParts<S> {
     state: S,
     prefix: String,
     settings: ServerSettings,
-    default: ResourceHandler<S>,
+    default: Rc<RefCell<ResourceHandler<S>>>,
     resources: Vec<(Resource, Option<ResourceHandler<S>>)>,
     handlers: Vec<PrefixHandlerType<S>>,
     external: HashMap<String, Resource>,
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ where
                 state,
                 prefix: "/".to_owned(),
                 settings: ServerSettings::default(),
-                default: ResourceHandler::default_not_found(),
+                default: Rc::new(RefCell::new(ResourceHandler::default_not_found())),
                 resources: Vec::new(),
                 handlers: Vec::new(),
                 external: HashMap::new(),
@@ -474,7 +474,7 @@ where
     {
         {
             let parts = self.parts.as_mut().expect("Use after finish");
-            f(&mut parts.default);
+            f(&mut parts.default.borrow_mut());
         }
         self
     }
@@ -615,7 +615,7 @@ where
 
     /// Finish application configuration and create `HttpHandler` object.
     pub fn finish(&mut self) -> HttpApplication<S> {
-        let parts = self.parts.take().expect("Use after finish");
+        let mut parts = self.parts.take().expect("Use after finish");
         let prefix = parts.prefix.trim().trim_right_matches('/');
         let (prefix, prefix_len) = if prefix.is_empty() {
             ("/".to_owned(), 0)
@@ -628,11 +628,19 @@ where
             resources.push((pattern, None));
         }
 
+        for ref mut handler in parts.handlers.iter_mut() {
+            if let PrefixHandlerType::Scope(_, ref mut route_handler, _) = handler {
+                if !route_handler.has_default_resource() {
+                    route_handler.default_resource(Rc::clone(&parts.default));
+                }
+            };
+        }
+
         let (router, resources) = Router::new(&prefix, parts.settings, resources);
 
         let inner = Rc::new(RefCell::new(Inner {
             prefix: prefix_len,
-            default: parts.default,
+            default: Rc::clone(&parts.default),
             encoding: parts.encoding,
             handlers: parts.handlers,
             resources,
diff --git a/src/handler.rs b/src/handler.rs
index d330e0716..4428ce83f 100644
--- a/src/handler.rs
+++ b/src/handler.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
+use std::cell::RefCell;
 use std::marker::PhantomData;
 use std::ops::Deref;
+use std::rc::Rc;
 
 use futures::future::{err, ok, Future};
 use futures::{Async, Poll};
@@ -8,6 +10,7 @@ use error::Error;
 use http::StatusCode;
 use httprequest::HttpRequest;
 use httpresponse::HttpResponse;
+use resource::ResourceHandler;
 
 /// Trait defines object that could be registered as route handler
 #[allow(unused_variables)]
@@ -403,6 +406,14 @@ where
 // /// Trait defines object that could be registered as resource route
 pub(crate) trait RouteHandler<S>: 'static {
     fn handle(&mut self, req: HttpRequest<S>) -> AsyncResult<HttpResponse>;
+
+    fn has_default_resource(&self) -> bool {
+        false
+    }
+
+    fn default_resource(&mut self, default: Rc<RefCell<ResourceHandler<S>>>) {
+        unimplemented!()
+    }
 }
 
 /// Route handler wrapper for Handler
diff --git a/src/scope.rs b/src/scope.rs
index 6651992db..70fb17287 100644
--- a/src/scope.rs
+++ b/src/scope.rs
@@ -405,6 +405,14 @@ impl<S: 'static> RouteHandler<S> for Scope<S> {
             unimplemented!()
         }
     }
+
+    fn has_default_resource(&self) -> bool {
+        self.default.is_some()
+    }
+
+    fn default_resource(&mut self, default: ScopeResource<S>) {
+        self.default = Some(default);
+    }
 }
 
 struct Wrapper<S: 'static> {
@@ -1188,4 +1196,27 @@ mod tests {
         let resp = app.run(req);
         assert_eq!(resp.as_msg().status(), StatusCode::NOT_FOUND);
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_default_resource_propagation() {
+        let mut app = App::new()
+            .scope("/app1", |scope| {
+                scope.default_resource(|r| r.f(|_| HttpResponse::BadRequest()))
+            })
+            .scope("/app2", |scope| scope)
+            .default_resource(|r| r.f(|_| HttpResponse::MethodNotAllowed()))
+            .finish();
+
+        let req = TestRequest::with_uri("/non-exist").finish();
+        let resp = app.run(req);
+        assert_eq!(resp.as_msg().status(), StatusCode::METHOD_NOT_ALLOWED);
+
+        let req = TestRequest::with_uri("/app1/non-exist").finish();
+        let resp = app.run(req);
+        assert_eq!(resp.as_msg().status(), StatusCode::BAD_REQUEST);
+
+        let req = TestRequest::with_uri("/app2/non-exist").finish();
+        let resp = app.run(req);
+        assert_eq!(resp.as_msg().status(), StatusCode::METHOD_NOT_ALLOWED);
+    }
 }