diff --git a/publication-collector.js b/publication-collector.js
index a016630..a872983 100755
--- a/publication-collector.js
+++ b/publication-collector.js
@@ -27,9 +27,6 @@ PublicationCollector = class PublicationCollector extends EventEmitter {
   }
 
   collect(name, ...args) {
-    const handler = Meteor.server.publish_handlers[name];
-    const result = handler.call(this, ...args);
-
     if (_.isFunction(args[args.length - 1])) {
       const callback = args.pop();
       this.on('ready', collections => {
@@ -38,6 +35,9 @@ PublicationCollector = class PublicationCollector extends EventEmitter {
       });
     }
 
+    const handler = Meteor.server.publish_handlers[name];
+    const result = handler.call(this, ...args);
+
     // TODO -- we should check that result has _publishCursor? What does _runHandler do?
     if (result) {
       // array-ize
diff --git a/tests/publication-collector.test.js b/tests/publication-collector.test.js
index 82ef2f2..501a385 100644
--- a/tests/publication-collector.test.js
+++ b/tests/publication-collector.test.js
@@ -109,6 +109,18 @@ describe('PublicationCollector', () => {
 
       collector.collect('publicationWithArgs', 'foo', 'bar');
     });
+
+    it('should support optional publication arguments', (done) => {
+      Meteor.publish('publicationWithOptionalArg', function(arg1 = 'foo') {
+        assert.equal(arg1, 'foo');
+        this.ready();
+        done();
+      });
+
+      const collector = new PublicationCollector();
+
+      collector.collect('publicationWithOptionalArg', function(){});
+    });
   });
 
   describe('Added', () => {