diff --git a/plugins/sudoers/defaults.c b/plugins/sudoers/defaults.c
index 1d6564873..3faeff860 100644
--- a/plugins/sudoers/defaults.c
+++ b/plugins/sudoers/defaults.c
@@ -697,37 +697,31 @@ update_defaults(int what, bool quiet)
 }
 
 /*
- * Check the defaults entries without actually setting them.
- * Pass in an OR'd list of which default types to check.
+ * Check a defaults entry without actually setting it.
  */
 bool
-check_defaults(int what, bool quiet)
+check_default(struct defaults *def, bool quiet)
 {
-    struct sudo_defs_types *cur, tmp;
-    struct defaults *def;
+    struct sudo_defs_types *cur;
     bool ret = true;
-    debug_decl(check_defaults, SUDOERS_DEBUG_DEFAULTS)
+    debug_decl(check_default, SUDOERS_DEBUG_DEFAULTS)
 
-    TAILQ_FOREACH(def, &defaults, entries) {
-	if (!default_type_matches(def, what))
-	    continue;
-	for (cur = sudo_defs_table; cur->name != NULL; cur++) {
-	    if (strcmp(def->var, cur->name) == 0)
-		break;
-	}
-	if (cur->name == NULL) {
-	    if (!quiet)
-		sudo_warnx(U_("unknown defaults entry `%s'"), def->var);
-	    ret = false;
-	} else {
+    for (cur = sudo_defs_table; cur->name != NULL; cur++) {
+	if (strcmp(def->var, cur->name) == 0) {
 	    /* Don't actually set the defaults value, just checking. */
-	    tmp = *cur;
+	    struct sudo_defs_types tmp = *cur;
 	    memset(&tmp.sd_un, 0, sizeof(tmp.sd_un));
 	    if (!set_default_entry(&tmp, def->val, def->op, quiet, false))
 		ret = false;
 	    free_default(&tmp);
+	    break;
 	}
     }
+    if (cur->name == NULL) {
+	if (!quiet)
+	    sudo_warnx(U_("unknown defaults entry `%s'"), def->var);
+	ret = false;
+    }
     debug_return_bool(ret);
 }
 
diff --git a/plugins/sudoers/defaults.h b/plugins/sudoers/defaults.h
index f02fd3dd4..7a4567d68 100644
--- a/plugins/sudoers/defaults.h
+++ b/plugins/sudoers/defaults.h
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ struct early_default {
 #define T_PATH		0x200
 
 /*
- * Argument to update_defaults() and check_defaults()
+ * Argument to update_defaults()
  */
 #define SETDEF_GENERIC	0x01
 #define	SETDEF_HOST	0x02
@@ -119,8 +119,10 @@ struct early_default {
 /*
  * Prototypes
  */
+struct defaults;	/* in parse.h */
+
 void dump_default(void);
-bool check_defaults(int what, bool quiet);
+bool check_default(struct defaults *def, bool quiet);
 bool init_defaults(void);
 struct early_default *is_early_default(const char *var);
 bool run_early_defaults(void);
diff --git a/plugins/sudoers/gram.c b/plugins/sudoers/gram.c
index c34f96432..cbe69ea7f 100644
--- a/plugins/sudoers/gram.c
+++ b/plugins/sudoers/gram.c
@@ -799,8 +799,10 @@ new_digest(int digest_type, const char *digest_str)
 static bool
 add_defaults(int type, struct member *bmem, struct defaults *defs)
 {
-    struct defaults *d;
+    struct defaults *d, *next;
     struct member_list *binding;
+    bool binding_used = false;
+    bool ret = true;
     debug_decl(add_defaults, SUDOERS_DEBUG_PARSER)
 
     if (defs != NULL) {
@@ -820,16 +822,34 @@ add_defaults(int type, struct member *bmem, struct defaults *defs)
 
 	/*
 	 * Set type and binding (who it applies to) for new entries.
-	 * Then add to the global defaults list.
+	 * Then add to the global defaults list if it parses.
 	 */
-	HLTQ_FOREACH(d, defs, entries) {
-	    d->type = type;
-	    d->binding = binding;
+	HLTQ_FOREACH_SAFE(d, defs, entries, next) {
+	    if (check_default(d, !sudoers_warnings)) {
+		/* Append to defaults list */
+		d->type = type;
+		d->binding = binding;
+		binding_used = true;
+		TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&defaults, d, entries);
+	    } else {
+		/* Did not parse, warn and free it. */
+		sudoerserror(N_("problem with defaults entries"));
+		free(d->var);
+		free(d->val);
+		free(d);
+		ret = false;	/* XXX - only an error for visudo */
+		continue;
+	    }
+	}
+
+	if (!binding_used) {
+	    /* No valid Defaults entries, binding unused. */
+	    free_members(binding);
+	    free(binding);
 	}
-	TAILQ_CONCAT_HLTQ(&defaults, defs, entries);
     }
 
-    debug_return_bool(true);
+    debug_return_bool(ret);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -1003,7 +1023,7 @@ init_parser(const char *path, bool quiet)
 
     debug_return_bool(ret);
 }
-#line 954 "gram.c"
+#line 974 "gram.c"
 /* allocate initial stack or double stack size, up to YYMAXDEPTH */
 #if defined(__cplusplus) || defined(__STDC__)
 static int yygrowstack(void)
@@ -2086,7 +2106,7 @@ case 115:
 			    }
 			}
 break;
-#line 2037 "gram.c"
+#line 2057 "gram.c"
     }
     yyssp -= yym;
     yystate = *yyssp;
diff --git a/plugins/sudoers/gram.y b/plugins/sudoers/gram.y
index 38bd6104a..fcf7cdc4c 100644
--- a/plugins/sudoers/gram.y
+++ b/plugins/sudoers/gram.y
@@ -955,8 +955,10 @@ new_digest(int digest_type, const char *digest_str)
 static bool
 add_defaults(int type, struct member *bmem, struct defaults *defs)
 {
-    struct defaults *d;
+    struct defaults *d, *next;
     struct member_list *binding;
+    bool binding_used = false;
+    bool ret = true;
     debug_decl(add_defaults, SUDOERS_DEBUG_PARSER)
 
     if (defs != NULL) {
@@ -976,16 +978,34 @@ add_defaults(int type, struct member *bmem, struct defaults *defs)
 
 	/*
 	 * Set type and binding (who it applies to) for new entries.
-	 * Then add to the global defaults list.
+	 * Then add to the global defaults list if it parses.
 	 */
-	HLTQ_FOREACH(d, defs, entries) {
-	    d->type = type;
-	    d->binding = binding;
+	HLTQ_FOREACH_SAFE(d, defs, entries, next) {
+	    if (check_default(d, !sudoers_warnings)) {
+		/* Append to defaults list */
+		d->type = type;
+		d->binding = binding;
+		binding_used = true;
+		TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&defaults, d, entries);
+	    } else {
+		/* Did not parse, warn and free it. */
+		sudoerserror(N_("problem with defaults entries"));
+		free(d->var);
+		free(d->val);
+		free(d);
+		ret = false;	/* XXX - only an error for visudo */
+		continue;
+	    }
+	}
+
+	if (!binding_used) {
+	    /* No valid Defaults entries, binding unused. */
+	    free_members(binding);
+	    free(binding);
 	}
-	TAILQ_CONCAT_HLTQ(&defaults, defs, entries);
     }
 
-    debug_return_bool(true);
+    debug_return_bool(ret);
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/plugins/sudoers/visudo.c b/plugins/sudoers/visudo.c
index 9cec2856f..f641c00fe 100644
--- a/plugins/sudoers/visudo.c
+++ b/plugins/sudoers/visudo.c
@@ -592,8 +592,7 @@ reparse_sudoers(char *editor, int editor_argc, char **editor_argv,
 	fclose(sudoersin);
 	if (!parse_error) {
 	    (void) update_defaults(SETDEF_GENERIC|SETDEF_HOST|SETDEF_USER, true);
-	    if (!check_defaults(SETDEF_ALL, quiet) ||
-		check_aliases(strict, quiet) != 0) {
+	    if (check_aliases(strict, quiet) != 0) {
 		parse_error = true;
 		free(errorfile);
 		errorfile = NULL;	/* don't know which file */
@@ -937,8 +936,7 @@ check_syntax(const char *sudoers_file, bool quiet, bool strict, bool oldperms)
     }
     if (!parse_error) {
 	(void) update_defaults(SETDEF_GENERIC|SETDEF_HOST|SETDEF_USER, true);
-	if (!check_defaults(SETDEF_ALL, quiet) ||
-	    check_aliases(strict, quiet) != 0) {
+	if (check_aliases(strict, quiet) != 0) {
 	    parse_error = true;
 	    free(errorfile);
 	    errorfile = NULL;	/* don't know which file */