diff --git a/src/dobjtype.cpp b/src/dobjtype.cpp
index 71bfd542b..0e17299cd 100644
--- a/src/dobjtype.cpp
+++ b/src/dobjtype.cpp
@@ -2778,14 +2778,14 @@ void PClass::StaticBootstrap()
 PClass::PClass()
 {
 	Size = sizeof(DObject);
-	ParentClass = NULL;
-	Pointers = NULL;
-	FlatPointers = NULL;
-	HashNext = NULL;
-	Defaults = NULL;
+	ParentClass = nullptr;
+	Pointers = nullptr;
+	FlatPointers = nullptr;
+	HashNext = nullptr;
+	Defaults = nullptr;
 	bRuntimeClass = false;
 	bExported = false;
-	ConstructNative = NULL;
+	ConstructNative = nullptr;
 	mDescriptiveName = "Class";
 
 	PClass::AllClasses.Push(this);
@@ -2969,10 +2969,7 @@ DObject *PClass::CreateNew() const
 
 	ConstructNative (mem);
 	((DObject *)mem)->SetClass (const_cast<PClass *>(this));
-	if (Defaults != NULL)
-	{
-		InitializeSpecials(mem);
-	}
+	InitializeSpecials(mem);
 	return (DObject *)mem;
 }
 
@@ -3037,16 +3034,52 @@ void PClass::Derive(PClass *newclass)
 {
 	newclass->ParentClass = this;
 	newclass->ConstructNative = ConstructNative;
+	newclass->Symbols.SetParentTable(&this->Symbols);
+	newclass->InitializeDefaults();
+}
 
-	// Set up default instance of the new class.
-	newclass->Defaults = (BYTE *)M_Malloc(newclass->Size);
-	if (Defaults) memcpy(newclass->Defaults, Defaults, Size);
-	if (newclass->Size > Size)
+//==========================================================================
+//
+// PClassActor :: InitializeNativeDefaults
+//
+//==========================================================================
+
+void PClass::InitializeDefaults()
+{
+	assert(Defaults == NULL);
+	Defaults = (BYTE *)M_Malloc(Size);
+	if (ParentClass->Defaults != NULL)
 	{
-		memset(newclass->Defaults + Size, 0, newclass->Size - Size);
+		memcpy(Defaults, ParentClass->Defaults, ParentClass->Size);
+		if (Size > ParentClass->Size)
+		{
+			memset(Defaults + ParentClass->Size, 0, Size - ParentClass->Size);
+		}
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		memset(Defaults, 0, Size);
 	}
 
-	newclass->Symbols.SetParentTable(&this->Symbols);
+	if (bRuntimeClass)
+	{
+		// Copy parent values from the parent defaults.
+		assert(ParentClass != NULL);
+		ParentClass->InitializeSpecials(Defaults);
+
+		// and initialize our own special values.
+		auto it = Symbols.GetIterator();
+		PSymbolTable::MapType::Pair *pair;
+
+		while (it.NextPair(pair))
+		{
+			auto field = dyn_cast<PField>(pair->Value);
+			if (field != nullptr && !(field->Flags & VARF_Native))
+			{
+				field->Type->SetDefaultValue(Defaults, unsigned(field->Offset), &SpecialInits);
+			}
+		}
+	}
 }
 
 //==========================================================================
@@ -3136,7 +3169,6 @@ PField *PClass::AddField(FName name, PType *type, DWORD flags)
 	{
 		Defaults = (BYTE *)M_Realloc(Defaults, Size);
 		memset(Defaults + oldsize, 0, Size - oldsize);
-		type->SetDefaultValue(Defaults, unsigned(field->Offset), &SpecialInits);
 	}
 	return field;
 }
diff --git a/src/dobjtype.h b/src/dobjtype.h
index e1f95a828..62860d0bd 100644
--- a/src/dobjtype.h
+++ b/src/dobjtype.h
@@ -137,6 +137,13 @@ struct PSymbolTable
 	// Frees all symbols from this table.
 	void ReleaseSymbols();
 
+	typedef TMap<FName, PSymbol *> MapType;
+
+	MapType::Iterator GetIterator()
+	{
+		return MapType::Iterator(Symbols);
+	}
+
 	// add a name to help debugging.
 #ifdef _DEBUG
 	FString name;
@@ -147,7 +154,6 @@ struct PSymbolTable
 
 
 private:
-	typedef TMap<FName, PSymbol *> MapType;
 
 	PSymbolTable *ParentSymbolTable;
 	MapType Symbols;
@@ -761,6 +767,7 @@ public:
 	void WriteAllFields(FSerializer &ar, const void *addr) const;
 	bool ReadValue(FSerializer &ar, const char *key,void *addr) const override;
 	bool ReadAllFields(FSerializer &ar, void *addr) const;
+	void InitializeDefaults();
 
 	virtual void DeriveData(PClass *newclass) {}
 	static void StaticInit();
diff --git a/src/info.cpp b/src/info.cpp
index 09d0905f6..83b455fb4 100644
--- a/src/info.cpp
+++ b/src/info.cpp
@@ -355,35 +355,6 @@ size_t PClassActor::PropagateMark()
 	return Super::PropagateMark();
 }
 
-//==========================================================================
-//
-// PClassActor :: InitializeNativeDefaults
-//
-// This is used by DECORATE to assign ActorInfos to internal classes
-//
-//==========================================================================
-
-void PClassActor::InitializeNativeDefaults()
-{
-	assert(Defaults == NULL);
-	Defaults = (BYTE *)M_Malloc(Size);
-	if (ParentClass->Defaults != NULL) 
-	{
-		memcpy(Defaults, ParentClass->Defaults, ParentClass->Size);
-		if (Size > ParentClass->Size)
-		{
-			memset(Defaults + ParentClass->Size, 0, Size - ParentClass->Size);
-		}
-	}
-	else
-	{
-		memset (Defaults, 0, Size);
-		// Non-DECORATE properties that must be set.
-		((AActor*)Defaults)->DamageMultiply = 1.;	// fixme: Make this a DECORATE property.
-		((AActor*)Defaults)->ConversationRoot = -1;
-	}
-}
-
 //==========================================================================
 //
 // PClassActor :: SetReplacement
diff --git a/src/info.h b/src/info.h
index ad25bdcaf..6aee02bed 100644
--- a/src/info.h
+++ b/src/info.h
@@ -234,7 +234,6 @@ public:
 	void SetDamageFactor(FName type, double factor);
 	void SetPainChance(FName type, int chance);
 	size_t PropagateMark();
-	void InitializeNativeDefaults();
 	bool SetReplacement(FName replaceName);
 	void SetDropItems(DDropItem *drops);
 	virtual void Finalize(FStateDefinitions &statedef);
diff --git a/src/scripting/decorate/thingdef_parse.cpp b/src/scripting/decorate/thingdef_parse.cpp
index 07da3cf57..baa662047 100644
--- a/src/scripting/decorate/thingdef_parse.cpp
+++ b/src/scripting/decorate/thingdef_parse.cpp
@@ -875,7 +875,7 @@ static void ParseActorProperty(FScanner &sc, Baggage &bag)
 // Starts a new actor definition
 //
 //==========================================================================
-PClassActor *CreateNewActor(const FScriptPosition &sc, FName typeName, FName parentName, bool native)
+PClassActor *CreateNewActor(const FScriptPosition &sc, FName typeName, FName parentName)
 {
 	PClassActor *replacee = NULL;
 	PClassActor *ti = NULL;
@@ -908,36 +908,7 @@ PClassActor *CreateNewActor(const FScriptPosition &sc, FName typeName, FName par
 			parent = RUNTIME_CLASS(AActor);
 		}
 	}
-
-	if (native)
-	{
-		ti = PClass::FindActor(typeName);
-		if (ti == NULL)
-		{
-			extern void DumpTypeTable();
-			DumpTypeTable();
-			sc.Message(MSG_ERROR, "Unknown native actor '%s'", typeName.GetChars());
-			goto create;
-		}
-		else if (ti != RUNTIME_CLASS(AActor) && ti->ParentClass->NativeClass() != parent->NativeClass())
-		{
-			sc.Message(MSG_ERROR, "Native class '%s' does not inherit from '%s'", typeName.GetChars(), parentName.GetChars());
-			parent = RUNTIME_CLASS(AActor);
-			goto create;
-		}
-		else if (ti->Defaults != NULL)
-		{
-			sc.Message(MSG_ERROR, "Redefinition of internal class '%s'", typeName.GetChars());
-			goto create;
-		}
-		ti->InitializeNativeDefaults();
-		ti->ParentClass->DeriveData(ti);
-	}
-	else
-	{
-	create:
-		ti = DecoDerivedClass(sc, parent, typeName);
-	}
+	ti = DecoDerivedClass(sc, parent, typeName);
 
 	ti->Replacee = ti->Replacement = NULL;
 	ti->DoomEdNum = -1;
@@ -1025,12 +996,13 @@ static PClassActor *ParseActorHeader(FScanner &sc, Baggage *bag)
 
 	if (sc.CheckString("native"))
 	{
-		native = true;
+		sc.ScriptMessage("Cannot define native classes in DECORATE");
+		FScriptPosition::ErrorCounter++;
 	}
 
 	try
 	{
-		PClassActor *info = CreateNewActor(sc, typeName, parentName, native);
+		PClassActor *info = CreateNewActor(sc, typeName, parentName);
 		info->DoomEdNum = DoomEdNum > 0 ? DoomEdNum : -1;
 		info->SourceLumpName = Wads.GetLumpFullPath(sc.LumpNum);
 
diff --git a/src/scripting/thingdef.h b/src/scripting/thingdef.h
index 6529059e6..2c13d8eb7 100644
--- a/src/scripting/thingdef.h
+++ b/src/scripting/thingdef.h
@@ -164,8 +164,6 @@ void CreateDamageFunction(PClassActor *info, AActor *defaults, FxExpression *id,
 //
 //==========================================================================
 
-PClassActor *CreateNewActor(const FScriptPosition &sc, FName typeName, FName parentName, bool native);
-
 void HandleActorFlag(FScanner &sc, Baggage &bag, const char *part1, const char *part2, int mod);
 FxExpression *ParseParameter(FScanner &sc, PClassActor *cls, PType *type, bool constant);
 
diff --git a/src/scripting/thingdef_properties.cpp b/src/scripting/thingdef_properties.cpp
index aa4508950..45d78557c 100644
--- a/src/scripting/thingdef_properties.cpp
+++ b/src/scripting/thingdef_properties.cpp
@@ -652,6 +652,15 @@ DEFINE_PROPERTY(damage, X, Actor)
 	CreateDamageFunction(bag.Info, defaults, id, true);
 }
 
+//==========================================================================
+//
+//==========================================================================
+DEFINE_PROPERTY(damagemultiply, F, Actor)
+{
+	PROP_FLOAT_PARM(dmgm, 0);
+	defaults->DamageMultiply = dmgm;
+}
+
 //==========================================================================
 //
 //==========================================================================
diff --git a/src/scripting/zscript/zcc_compile.cpp b/src/scripting/zscript/zcc_compile.cpp
index 7db62d6fb..a2e2262f2 100644
--- a/src/scripting/zscript/zcc_compile.cpp
+++ b/src/scripting/zscript/zcc_compile.cpp
@@ -1917,13 +1917,19 @@ void ZCCCompiler::InitDefaults()
 				if (ti->ParentClass->Defaults == DEFAULTS_VMEXPORT)
 				{
 					ti->ParentClass->Defaults = nullptr;
-					static_cast<PClassActor *>(ti->ParentClass)->InitializeNativeDefaults();
+					ti->ParentClass->InitializeDefaults();
 					ti->ParentClass->ParentClass->DeriveData(ti->ParentClass);
 				}
 
-				ti->InitializeNativeDefaults();
+				ti->InitializeDefaults();
 				ti->ParentClass->DeriveData(ti);
 
+				// We need special treatment for this one field in AActor's defaults which cannot be made visible to DECORATE as a property.
+				// It's better to do this here under controlled conditions than deeper down in the class type classes.
+				if (ti == RUNTIME_CLASS(AActor))
+				{
+					((AActor*)ti->Defaults)->ConversationRoot = 1;
+				}
 
 				Baggage bag;
 			#ifdef _DEBUG
diff --git a/wadsrc/static/zscript/actor.txt b/wadsrc/static/zscript/actor.txt
index 5aa1af293..c70ab28a1 100644
--- a/wadsrc/static/zscript/actor.txt
+++ b/wadsrc/static/zscript/actor.txt
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@ class Actor : Thinker native
 		FloatBobPhase -1;	// randomly initialize by default
 		Gravity 1;
 		Friction 1;
-		DamageFactor 1.0;
+		DamageFactor 1.0;		// damage multiplier as target of damage.
+		DamageMultiply 1.0;		// damage multiplier as source of damage.
 		PushFactor 0.25;
 		WeaveIndexXY 0;
 		WeaveIndexZ 16;