diff --git filefield_field.inc filefield_field.inc
index 077eddc..1df824a 100755
--- filefield_field.inc
+++ filefield_field.inc
@@ -263,8 +263,8 @@ function filefield_field_sanitize($node, $field, &$items, $teaser, $page) {
     if (empty($item['fid']) || !empty($item['delete'])) {
       // Check for default images at the widget level.
       // TODO: Provide an API to ImageField to do this itself?
-      if (!empty($field['widget']['use_default_image']) && !empty($field['widget']['default_image']['filepath']) && $delta == 0) {
-        $items[$delta] = $field['widget']['default_image'];
+      if (!empty($field['widget']['use_default_image']) && !empty($field['widget']['default_image']['fid']) && $delta == 0) {        
+        $items[$delta] = field_file_load($field['widget']['default_image']['fid']);
         $items[$delta]['default'] = TRUE;
       }
       else {