diff --git a/representative_image.module b/representative_image.module
index 19f7476..2410c70 100644
--- a/representative_image.module
+++ b/representative_image.module
@@ -6,6 +6,13 @@
  * which image field contains the appropriate image.
  */
 
+// The value of a representative image variable in case there is no
+// representative image
+define('REPRESENTATIVE_IMAGE_NONE', 0);
+// The value of a representative image in case we want to fall back to the next
+// sensible default.
+define('REPRESENTATIVE_IMAGE_FALLBACK', 1);
+
 /**
  * Implments hook_menu().
  */
@@ -142,14 +149,49 @@ function representative_image($entity, $entity_type) {
   // how to set the default image, See the README.txt file.
   // @todo: Is there a better way to handle this?
   if (!$image) {
-    global $base_url;
-    $image = $base_url . '/' . variable_get('representative_image_default', '');
+    $image = representative_image_default($entity_type, $bundle);
   }
 
   return $image;
 }
 
 /**
+ * Get the default representative image.
+ *
+ * @param $entity_type
+ *   An entity type like "node", can also be NULL, in which case the bundle
+ *   will be ignored and the site default will be returned.
+ *
+ * @param $bundle
+ *   A bundle like "page"
+ */
+function representative_image_default($entity_type = NULL, $bundle = NULL) {
+  global $base_url;
+  // the global can any of the following
+  if ($entity_type && $bundle) {
+    $default = variable_get('representative_image_default_' . $entity_type . '_' . $bundle, REPRESENTATIVE_IMAGE_FALLBACK);
+    if ($default == REPRESENTATIVE_IMAGE_FALLBACK) {
+      return representative_image_default($entity_type);
+    } 
+  }
+  elseif ($entity_type) {
+    $default = variable_get('representative_image_default_' . $entity_type, REPRESENTATIVE_IMAGE_FALLBACK);
+    if ($default == REPRESENTATIVE_IMAGE_FALLBACK) {
+      return representative_image_default();
+    } 
+  }
+  else {
+    $default = variable_get('representative_image_default', preg_replace('/^' . str_replace('/', '\/', $base_url) . '\//', '', theme_get_setting('logo')));
+  }
+
+  if ($default) {
+    $default = $base_url . '/' . $default;
+  }
+
+  return $default;
+}
+
+/**
  * Given a node type machine name, returns available image fields.
  */
 function representative_image_available_fields($entity_type, $bundle) {
@@ -173,8 +215,24 @@ function representative_image_available_fields($entity_type, $bundle) {
  * Given an entity type and bundle, get its representative image or NULL.
  */
 function representative_image_get_field($entity_type, $bundle) {
-  $field = variable_get('representative_image_field_' . $entity_type . '_' . $bundle, '');
-  return array_key_exists($field, representative_image_available_fields($entity_type, $bundle)) ? $field : NULL;
+  // start by figuring out a sensible default value in case our field has
+  // not yet been defined.
+  $default = REPRESENTATIVE_IMAGE_NONE;
+  $available = representative_image_available_fields($entity_type, $bundle);
+  if (count($available)) {
+    $keys = array_keys($available);
+    $default = array_shift($keys);
+  }
+
+  $field = variable_get('representative_image_field_' . $entity_type . '_' . $bundle, $default);
+
+  // It is possible that we have an unavailable field in here, one that is
+  // temporarily unavailable or deleted.
+  // In that case we'll return REPRESENTATIVE_IMAGE_NONE. It should be noted
+  // that if admin/config/media/representative_image is visited in such a
+  // case, then saved, the value of the variable will change to
+  // REPRESENTATIVE_IMAGE_NONE without any feedback
+  return array_key_exists($field, representative_image_available_fields($entity_type, $bundle)) ? $field : REPRESENTATIVE_IMAGE_NONE;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/tests/representative_image.test b/tests/representative_image.test
index 25f2c32..651e8c9 100644
--- a/tests/representative_image.test
+++ b/tests/representative_image.test
@@ -148,6 +148,20 @@ class RepresentativeImageEntitiesTestCase extends RepresentativeImageBaseTest {
   }
 
   /**
+   * Confirm that the defaults are sensible out of the box.
+   */
+  function testDefaults() {
+    global $base_url;
+    $edit = array(
+      'title' => ($article_image = $this->randomName()),
+    );
+    $this->drupalPost('node/add/page', $edit, t('Save'));
+    $this->assertTrue(representative_image(node_load(1), 'node') == theme_get_setting('logo'), 'The global default image out of the box is the logo.');
+    $this->assertTrue(representative_image_get_field('article', 'node') == 'field_image', 'The out-of-the-box default image field for a given entity is its first available image field if there is one.');
+    $this->assertTrue(!representative_image_get_field('page', 'node'), 'The out-of-the-box default image field for a given entity is unset if no image field is available.');
+  }
+
+  /**
    * Confirm that node entities can have representative images.
    */
   function testNodeTest() {