diff --git a/library/Zend/Controller/Router/Route.php b/library/Zend/Controller/Router/Route.php
index 927b97b3d3..52c850e9b9 100644
--- a/library/Zend/Controller/Router/Route.php
+++ b/library/Zend/Controller/Router/Route.php
@@ -324,8 +324,10 @@ public function match($path, $partial = false)
             if (!array_key_exists($var, $return)) {
                 return false;
             } elseif ($return[$var] == '' || $return[$var] === null) {
-                // Empty variable? Replace with the default value.
-                $return[$var] = $this->_defaults[$var];
+                if (isset($this->_defaults[$var])) {
+                    // Empty variable? Replace with the default value.
+                    $return[$var] = $this->_defaults[$var];
+                }
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/tests/Zend/Controller/Router/Route/ChainTest.php b/tests/Zend/Controller/Router/Route/ChainTest.php
index 95134cb104..3a0438c4d3 100644
--- a/tests/Zend/Controller/Router/Route/ChainTest.php
+++ b/tests/Zend/Controller/Router/Route/ChainTest.php
@@ -799,6 +799,19 @@ public function testChainingStaticDynamicMatchToDefaults()
         $this->assertEquals(0, $res['bar']);
     }
 
+    public function testChainingStaticDynamicMatchToNoDefaults()
+    {
+        $foo = new Zend_Controller_Router_Route_Static('foo');
+        $bar = new Zend_Controller_Router_Route(':bar', array());
+        $chain = $foo->chain($bar);
+
+        $request = new Zend_Controller_Router_ChainTest_Request('http://www.zend.com/foo');
+        $res = $chain->match($request);
+
+        $this->assertTrue(is_array($res), 'Route did not match');
+        $this->assertEquals('', $res['bar']);
+    }
+
     /**
      * @group ZF-7368
      */