diff --git a/src/task.cpp b/src/task.cpp
index 4c958684d..132879e4c 100644
--- a/src/task.cpp
+++ b/src/task.cpp
@@ -774,7 +774,9 @@ std::string runTaskCommand (
   // If argc == 1 and the default.command configuration variable is set,
   // then use that, otherwise stick with argc/argv.
   std::string defaultCommand = conf.get ("default.command");
-  if (args.size () == 0 && defaultCommand != "")
+  if ((args.size () == 0 ||
+      (args.size () == 1 && args[0].substr (0, 3) == "rc:")) &&
+      defaultCommand != "")
   {
     // Stuff the command line.
     args.clear ();
diff --git a/src/tests/default.t b/src/tests/default.t
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..6851b0063
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/default.t
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+#! /usr/bin/perl
+################################################################################
+## task - a command line task list manager.
+##
+## Copyright 2006 - 2009, Paul Beckingham.
+## All rights reserved.
+##
+## This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
+## the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software
+## Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later
+## version.
+##
+## This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+## ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS
+## FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License for more
+## details.
+##
+## You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with
+## this program; if not, write to the
+##
+##     Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
+##     51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor,
+##     Boston, MA
+##     02110-1301
+##     USA
+##
+################################################################################
+
+use strict;
+use warnings;
+use Test::More tests => 16;
+
+# Create the rc file.
+if (open my $fh, '>', 'default.rc')
+{
+  print $fh "data.location=.\n",
+            "default.command=list\n",
+            "default.project=PROJECT\n",
+            "default.priority=M\n";
+  close $fh;
+  ok (-r 'default.rc', 'Created default.rc');
+}
+
+# Set up a default command, project and priority.
+qx{../task rc:default.rc add all defaults};
+my $output = qx{../task rc:default.rc list};
+like ($output, qr/ all defaults/, 'task added');
+like ($output, qr/ PROJECT /,     'default project added');
+like ($output, qr/ M /,           'default priority added');
+unlink 'pending.data';
+
+qx{../task rc:default.rc add project:specific priority:L all specified};
+$output = qx{../task rc:default.rc list};
+like ($output, qr/ all specified/, 'task added');
+like ($output, qr/ specific /,     'project specified');
+like ($output, qr/ L /,            'priority specified');
+unlink 'pending.data';
+
+qx{../task rc:default.rc add project:specific project specified};
+$output = qx{../task rc:default.rc list};
+like ($output, qr/ project specified/, 'task added');
+like ($output, qr/ specific /,         'project specified');
+like ($output, qr/ M /,                'default priority added');
+unlink 'pending.data';
+
+qx{../task rc:default.rc add priority:L priority specified};
+$output = qx{../task rc:default.rc list};
+like ($output, qr/ priority specified/, 'task added');
+like ($output, qr/ PROJECT /,           'default project added');
+like ($output, qr/ L /,                 'priority specified');
+
+$output = qx{../task rc:default.rc};
+like ($output, qr/1 PROJECT L .+ priority specified/, 'default command worked');
+
+# Cleanup.
+unlink 'pending.data';
+ok (!-r 'pending.data', 'Removed pending.data');
+
+unlink 'default.rc';
+ok (!-r 'default.rc', 'Removed default.rc');
+
+exit 0;
+