diff --git a/src/kernel/building.test.c b/src/kernel/building.test.c
index 72439bad6..e414544e6 100644
--- a/src/kernel/building.test.c
+++ b/src/kernel/building.test.c
@@ -363,6 +363,7 @@ static void test_btype_defaults(CuTest *tc) {
 
     btype = bt_get_or_create("hodor");
     CuAssertPtrNotNull(tc, btype);
+    CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "hodor", btype->_name);
     CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, 0, btype->maintenance);
     CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, 0, btype->construction);
     CuAssertTrue(tc, !btype->name);
@@ -370,7 +371,6 @@ static void test_btype_defaults(CuTest *tc) {
     CuAssertTrue(tc, !btype->age);
     CuAssertTrue(tc, !btype->protection);
     CuAssertTrue(tc, !btype->taxes);
-    CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "hodor", btype->_name);
     CuAssertDblEquals(tc, 1.0, btype->auraregen, 0.0);
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, -1, btype->maxsize);
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, -1, btype->capacity);
diff --git a/src/kernel/jsonconf.test.c b/src/kernel/jsonconf.test.c
index 177340fe0..db861fcfc 100644
--- a/src/kernel/jsonconf.test.c
+++ b/src/kernel/jsonconf.test.c
@@ -320,6 +320,30 @@ static void test_buildings_default(CuTest * tc)
     test_cleanup();
 }
 
+static const char * ship_defaults_data = "{\"ships\": { "
+"\"hodor\" : { }"
+"}}";
+
+static void test_ships_default(CuTest * tc)
+{
+    cJSON *json = cJSON_Parse(ship_defaults_data);
+    const ship_type *st;
+    ship_type clone;
+
+    test_cleanup();
+
+    st = st_get_or_create("hodor");
+    clone = *st;
+
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 0, memcmp(st, &clone, sizeof(ship_type)));
+    CuAssertPtrNotNull(tc, json);
+    json_config(json);
+
+    CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, (void *)st, (void *)st_find("hodor"));
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 0, memcmp(st, &clone, sizeof(ship_type)));
+    test_cleanup();
+}
+
 static void test_configs(CuTest * tc)
 {
     const char * data = "{\"include\": [ \"test.json\" ] }";
@@ -470,6 +494,7 @@ CuSuite *get_jsonconf_suite(void)
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_skills);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_directions);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_items);
+    SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_ships_default);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_ships);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_buildings);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_buildings_default);
diff --git a/src/kernel/ship.c b/src/kernel/ship.c
index 0d42174e6..1ae81b436 100644
--- a/src/kernel/ship.c
+++ b/src/kernel/ship.c
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ ship_type *st_get_or_create(const char * name) {
     if (!st) {
         st = (ship_type *)calloc(sizeof(ship_type), 1);
         st->_name = _strdup(name);
+        st->storm = 1.0;
         ql_push(&shiptypes, (void *)st);
     }
     return st;
diff --git a/src/kernel/ship.h b/src/kernel/ship.h
index 11b19588c..809e678a4 100644
--- a/src/kernel/ship.h
+++ b/src/kernel/ship.h
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ extern "C" {
         int range;                  /* range in regions */
         int flags;                  /* flags */
         int combat;                 /* modifier for combat */
+        int fishing;                /* weekly income from fishing */
 
         double storm;               /* multiplier for chance to drift in storm */
         double damage;              /* multiplier for damage taken by the ship */
@@ -49,8 +50,6 @@ extern "C" {
         int minskill;               /* min. skill to sail this (crew) */
         int sumskill;               /* min. sum of crew+captain */
 
-        int fishing;                /* weekly income from fishing */
-
         int at_bonus;               /* Verändert den Angriffsskill (default: 0) */
         int df_bonus;               /* Verändert den Verteidigungskill (default: 0) */
         float tac_bonus;
diff --git a/src/kernel/ship.test.c b/src/kernel/ship.test.c
index 36ba9a6ff..6d0c1b0cb 100644
--- a/src/kernel/ship.test.c
+++ b/src/kernel/ship.test.c
@@ -342,10 +342,36 @@ void test_shipowner_goes_to_empty_unit_after_leave(CuTest * tc)
     CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, u2, ship_owner(sh));
 }
 
+static void test_stype_defaults(CuTest *tc) {
+    ship_type *stype;
+    test_cleanup();
+    stype = st_get_or_create("hodor");
+    CuAssertPtrNotNull(tc, stype);
+    CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "hodor", stype->_name);
+    CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, 0, stype->construction);
+    CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, 0, stype->coasts);
+    CuAssertDblEquals(tc, 0.0, stype->damage, 0.0);
+    CuAssertDblEquals(tc, 1.0, stype->storm, 0.0);
+    CuAssertDblEquals(tc, 0.0, stype->tac_bonus, 0.0);
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 0, stype->cabins);
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 0, stype->cargo);
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 0, stype->combat);
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 0, stype->fishing);
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 0, stype->range);
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 0, stype->cptskill);
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 0, stype->minskill);
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 0, stype->sumskill);
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 0, stype->at_bonus);
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 0, stype->df_bonus);
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 0, stype->flags);
+    test_cleanup();
+}
+
 CuSuite *get_ship_suite(void)
 {
     CuSuite *suite = CuSuiteNew();
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_register_ship);
+    SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_stype_defaults);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_ship_set_owner);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_shipowner_resets_when_empty);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_shipowner_goes_to_next_when_empty);
diff --git a/src/kernel/xmlreader.c b/src/kernel/xmlreader.c
index 5d4c8dc99..14f9f8f56 100644
--- a/src/kernel/xmlreader.c
+++ b/src/kernel/xmlreader.c
@@ -491,21 +491,21 @@ static int parse_ships(xmlDocPtr doc)
             xmlFree(propValue);
 
             st->cabins = xml_ivalue(node, "cabins", 0) * PERSON_WEIGHT;
-            st->cargo = xml_ivalue(node, "cargo", 0);
-            st->combat = xml_ivalue(node, "combat", 0);
-            st->cptskill = xml_ivalue(node, "cptskill", 0);
-            st->damage = xml_fvalue(node, "damage", 0.0);
+            st->cargo = xml_ivalue(node, "cargo", st->cargo);
+            st->combat = xml_ivalue(node, "combat", st->combat);
+            st->damage = xml_fvalue(node, "damage", st->damage);
             if (xml_bvalue(node, "nocoast", false))
                 st->flags |= SFL_NOCOAST;
             if (xml_bvalue(node, "fly", false))
                 st->flags |= SFL_FLY;
             if (xml_bvalue(node, "opensea", false))
                 st->flags |= SFL_OPENSEA;
-            st->fishing = xml_ivalue(node, "fishing", 0);
-            st->minskill = xml_ivalue(node, "minskill", 0);
-            st->range = xml_ivalue(node, "range", 0);
-            st->storm = xml_fvalue(node, "storm", 1.0);
-            st->sumskill = xml_ivalue(node, "sumskill", 0);
+            st->fishing = xml_ivalue(node, "fishing", st->fishing);
+            st->cptskill = xml_ivalue(node, "cptskill", st->cptskill);
+            st->minskill = xml_ivalue(node, "minskill", st->minskill);
+            st->sumskill = xml_ivalue(node, "sumskill", st->sumskill);
+            st->range = xml_ivalue(node, "range", st->range);
+            st->storm = xml_fvalue(node, "storm", st->storm);
 
             /* reading eressea/ships/ship/construction */
             xpath->node = node;
diff --git a/src/tests.c b/src/tests.c
index 108cde2a4..efab2ab8f 100644
--- a/src/tests.c
+++ b/src/tests.c
@@ -240,13 +240,12 @@ const message_type *register_msg(const char *type, int n_param, ...) {
 void assert_messages(struct CuTest * tc, struct mlist *msglist, const message_type **types,
     int num_msgs, bool exact_match, ...) {
     va_list args;
-    int found, argc;
+    int found = 0, argc = 0;
     struct message *msg;
     bool match = true;
 
     va_start(args, exact_match);
 
-    found = 0;
     while (msglist) {
         if (found >= num_msgs) {
             if (exact_match) {