diff --git a/lib/marked.js b/lib/marked.js
index b56ad176e7..4399d3f7d1 100644
--- a/lib/marked.js
+++ b/lib/marked.js
@@ -1345,25 +1345,29 @@ marked.setOptions = function(opt) {
   return marked;
 };
 
-marked.defaults = {
-  baseUrl: null,
-  breaks: false,
-  gfm: true,
-  headerIds: true,
-  headerPrefix: '',
-  highlight: null,
-  langPrefix: 'lang-',
-  mangle: true,
-  pedantic: false,
-  renderer: new Renderer(),
-  sanitize: false,
-  sanitizer: null,
-  silent: false,
-  smartLists: false,
-  smartypants: false,
-  tables: true,
-  xhtml: false
-};
+marked.getDefaults = function () {
+  return {
+    baseUrl: null,
+    breaks: false,
+    gfm: true,
+    headerIds: true,
+    headerPrefix: '',
+    highlight: null,
+    langPrefix: 'lang-',
+    mangle: true,
+    pedantic: false,
+    renderer: new Renderer(),
+    sanitize: false,
+    sanitizer: null,
+    silent: false,
+    smartLists: false,
+    smartypants: false,
+    tables: true,
+    xhtml: false
+  };
+}
+
+marked.defaults = marked.getDefaults();
 
 /**
  * Expose
diff --git a/test/helpers/helpers.js b/test/helpers/helpers.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d9244a880b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/helpers/helpers.js
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+var marked = require('../../lib/marked.js');
+
+beforeEach(function () {
+  marked.setOptions(marked.getDefaults());
+});