diff --git a/src/console/c_cvars.cpp b/src/console/c_cvars.cpp
index 103c8cf95..0b4bdd2ed 100644
--- a/src/console/c_cvars.cpp
+++ b/src/console/c_cvars.cpp
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@
 #include "menu/menu.h"
 #include "vm.h"
 
+#include "version.h"
+
 struct FLatchedValue
 {
 	FBaseCVar *Variable;
@@ -1745,3 +1747,55 @@ CCMD (archivecvar)
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+void C_GrabCVarDefaults ()
+{
+	int lump, lastlump = 0;
+	int lumpversion, gamelastrunversion;
+	gamelastrunversion = atoi(LASTRUNVERSION);
+
+	while ((lump = Wads.FindLump("DEFCVARS", &lastlump)) != -1)
+	{
+		FScanner sc(lump);
+
+		sc.MustGetString();
+		if (!sc.Compare("version"))
+			sc.ScriptError("Must declare version for defcvars!");
+		sc.MustGetNumber();
+		lumpversion = sc.Number;
+		if (lumpversion > gamelastrunversion)
+			sc.ScriptError("Unsupported version %i (%i supported)", lumpversion, gamelastrunversion);
+		if (lumpversion < 218)
+			sc.ScriptError("Version must be at least 218 (current version %i)", gamelastrunversion);
+
+		FBaseCVar *var;
+
+		while (sc.GetString())
+		{
+			if (sc.Compare("set"))
+			{
+				sc.MustGetString();
+			}
+			var = FindCVar (sc.String, NULL);
+			if (var != NULL)
+			{
+				if (var->GetFlags() & CVAR_ARCHIVE)
+				{
+					UCVarValue val;
+
+					sc.MustGetString();
+					val.String = const_cast<char *>(sc.String);
+					var->SetGenericRepDefault(val, CVAR_String);
+				}
+				else
+				{
+					sc.ScriptError("Cannot set cvar default for non-config cvar '%s'", sc.String);
+				}
+			}
+			else
+			{
+				sc.ScriptError("Unknown cvar '%s'", sc.String);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/d_main.cpp b/src/d_main.cpp
index bc4b66dde..12ea85c47 100644
--- a/src/d_main.cpp
+++ b/src/d_main.cpp
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ void DrawFullscreenSubtitle(const char *text);
 void D_Cleanup();
 void FreeSBarInfoScript();
 void I_UpdateWindowTitle();
+void C_GrabCVarDefaults ();
 
 // PRIVATE FUNCTION PROTOTYPES ---------------------------------------------
 
@@ -2531,6 +2532,8 @@ static int D_DoomMain_Internal (void)
 		allwads.ShrinkToFit();
 		SetMapxxFlag();
 
+		C_GrabCVarDefaults(); //parse DEFCVARS
+
 		GameConfig->DoKeySetup(gameinfo.ConfigName);
 
 		// Now that wads are loaded, define mod-specific cvars.