diff --git a/examples/functions_empty_arguments.cpp b/examples/functions_empty_arguments.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d2178e22
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/functions_empty_arguments.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+#define SOL_CHECK_ARGUMENTS 1
+#include <sol.hpp>
+
+#include "assert.hpp"
+#include <iostream>
+
+int main(int, char*[]) {
+	std::cout << "=== functions empty args ===" << std::endl;
+
+	// sol::reference, sol::Stack_reference,
+	// sol::object (and main_* types) can all be
+	// used to capture "nil", or "none" when a function
+	// leaves it off
+	auto my_defaulting_function = [](sol::object maybe_defaulted) -> int {
+		// if it's nil, it's "unused" or "inactive"
+		bool inactive = maybe_defaulted == sol::lua_nil;
+		if (inactive) {
+			return 0;
+		}
+		if (maybe_defaulted.is<int>()) {
+			int value = maybe_defaulted.as<int>();
+			return value;
+		}
+		return 1;
+	};
+
+	sol::state lua;
+	lua.open_libraries(sol::lib::base);
+
+	// copy function in (use std::ref to change this behavior)
+	lua.set_function("defaulting_function", my_defaulting_function);
+
+	sol::string_view code = R"(
+		result = defaulting_function(24)
+		result_nothing = defaulting_function()
+		result_nil = defaulting_function(nil)
+		result_string = defaulting_function('meow')
+		print('defaulting_function(24), returned:', result)
+		print('defaulting_function(), returned:', result_nothing)
+		print('defaulting_function(nil), returned:', result_nil)
+		print('defaulting_function(\'meow\'), returned:', result_string)
+		assert(result == 24)
+		assert(result_nothing == 0)
+		assert(result_nil == 0)
+		assert(result_string == 1)
+	)";
+
+	lua.safe_script(code);
+
+	std::cout << std::endl;
+
+	return 0;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/single/sol/sol.hpp b/single/sol/sol.hpp
index 8fadd873..9efd5b1d 100644
--- a/single/sol/sol.hpp
+++ b/single/sol/sol.hpp
@@ -7899,12 +7899,7 @@ namespace stack {
 		template <typename Handler>
 		static bool check(lua_State* L, int index, Handler&& handler, record& tracking) {
 			tracking.use(1);
-			bool success = !lua_isnone(L, index);
-			if (!success) {
-				// expected type, actual type
-				handler(L, index, type::poly, type_of(L, index), "");
-			}
-			return success;
+			return true;
 		}
 	};
 
diff --git a/sol/stack_check.hpp b/sol/stack_check.hpp
index 6853c0e5..441dbc17 100644
--- a/sol/stack_check.hpp
+++ b/sol/stack_check.hpp
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ namespace stack {
 		template <typename Handler>
 		static bool check(lua_State* L, int index, Handler&& handler, record& tracking) {
 			tracking.use(1);
-			bool success = !lua_isnone(L, index);
+			bool success = is_lua_reference<T>::value || !lua_isnone(L, index);
 			if (!success) {
 				// expected type, actual type
 				handler(L, index, type::poly, type_of(L, index), "");
diff --git a/sol/stack_check_get.hpp b/sol/stack_check_get.hpp
index 87997e1c..19a537db 100644
--- a/sol/stack_check_get.hpp
+++ b/sol/stack_check_get.hpp
@@ -135,15 +135,16 @@ namespace stack {
 		typedef std::integral_constant<bool, V_size::value == 0> V_is_empty;
 
 		template <typename Handler>
-		static optional<V> get_empty(std::true_type, lua_State* L, int index, Handler&& handler, record& tracking) {
+		static optional<V> get_empty(std::true_type, lua_State*, int, Handler&&, record&) {
 			return nullopt;
 		}
 
 		template <typename Handler>
-		static optional<V> get_empty(std::false_type, lua_State* L, int index, Handler&& handler, record& tracking) {
+		static optional<V> get_empty(std::false_type, lua_State* L, int index, Handler&& handler, record&) {
 			typedef std::variant_alternative_t<0, V> T;
 			// This should never be reached...
 			// please check your code and understand what you did to bring yourself here
+			// maybe file a bug report, or 5
 			handler(L, index, type::poly, type_of(L, index), "this variant code should never be reached: if it has, you have done something so terribly wrong");
 			return nullopt;
 		}
diff --git a/tests/test_functions.cpp b/tests/test_functions.cpp
index b2c876d7..e23ee0d7 100644
--- a/tests/test_functions.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_functions.cpp
@@ -1490,6 +1490,54 @@ TEST_CASE("functions/unique_usertype overloading", "make sure overloading can wo
 	};
 }
 
+TEST_CASE("functions/lua style default arguments", "allow default arguments using sol::reference and sol::object") {
+	auto def_f1 = [](sol::object defaulted) -> int {
+		bool inactive = defaulted == sol::lua_nil; // inactive by default
+		if (inactive) {
+			return 20;
+		}
+		return 10;
+	};
+	auto def_f2 = [](sol::reference defaulted) -> int {
+		bool inactive = defaulted == sol::lua_nil; // inactive by default
+		if (inactive) {
+			return 20;
+		}
+		return 10;
+	};
+	auto def_f3 = [](sol::stack_reference defaulted) -> int {
+		bool inactive = defaulted == sol::lua_nil; // inactive by default
+		if (inactive) {
+			return 20;
+		}
+		return 10;
+	};
+
+	sol::state lua;
+	lua.set_function("f1", def_f1);
+	lua.set_function("f2", def_f2);
+	lua.set_function("f3", def_f3);
+
+	auto result = lua.safe_script(R"(
+		v1d, v1nd = f1(), f1(1)
+		v2d, v2nd = f2(), f2(1)
+		v3d, v3nd = f3(), f3(1)
+	)", sol::script_pass_on_error);
+	REQUIRE(result.valid());
+	int v1d = lua["v1d"];
+	int v1nd = lua["v1nd"];
+	int v2d = lua["v2d"];
+	int v2nd = lua["v2nd"];
+	int v3d = lua["v3d"];
+	int v3nd = lua["v3nd"];
+	REQUIRE(20 == v1d);
+	REQUIRE(20 == v2d);
+	REQUIRE(20 == v3d);
+	REQUIRE(10 == v1nd);
+	REQUIRE(10 == v2nd);
+	REQUIRE(10 == v3nd);
+}
+
 #if !defined(_MSC_VER) || !(defined(_WIN32) && !defined(_WIN64))
 
 TEST_CASE("functions/noexcept", "allow noexcept functions to be serialized properly into Lua using sol2") {