diff --git a/cli/src/main/java/org/jboss/as/cli/impl/aesh/cmd/security/model/ElytronUtil.java b/cli/src/main/java/org/jboss/as/cli/impl/aesh/cmd/security/model/ElytronUtil.java
index 8c51b590ad7..5121e2b1a05 100644
--- a/cli/src/main/java/org/jboss/as/cli/impl/aesh/cmd/security/model/ElytronUtil.java
+++ b/cli/src/main/java/org/jboss/as/cli/impl/aesh/cmd/security/model/ElytronUtil.java
@@ -745,9 +745,7 @@ private static ModelNode buildUsersResource(PropertiesRealmConfiguration config)
             mn.get(Util.RELATIVE_TO).set(config.getRelativeTo());
         }
         mn.get(Util.DIGEST_REALM_NAME).set(config.getExposedRealmName());
-        if (config.getPlainText()) {
-            mn.get(Util.PLAIN_TEXT).set(config.getPlainText());
-        }
+        mn.get(Util.PLAIN_TEXT).set(config.getPlainText());
         return mn;
     }
 
diff --git a/controller/src/main/java/org/jboss/as/controller/ValidateModelStepHandler.java b/controller/src/main/java/org/jboss/as/controller/ValidateModelStepHandler.java
index ef8a70c2b0c..57c209ce6d5 100644
--- a/controller/src/main/java/org/jboss/as/controller/ValidateModelStepHandler.java
+++ b/controller/src/main/java/org/jboss/as/controller/ValidateModelStepHandler.java
@@ -223,11 +223,12 @@ private void validateNestedAttributes(final ModelNode subModel, final ObjectType
             return;
         }
 
-        final Set<String> keys = subModel.keys();
-        final Set<String> definedKeys = new HashSet<>(keys.size());
-        for (String key : keys) {
-            if (subModel.hasDefined(key)) {
-                definedKeys.add(key);
+        // only top-level model contains all keys, we have to retrieve keys from the description
+        final AttributeDefinition[] keys = attr.getValueTypes();
+        final Set<String> definedKeys = new HashSet<>(keys.length);
+        for (AttributeDefinition key : keys) {
+            if (subModel.hasDefined(key.getName()) || key.getDefaultValue() != null) {
+                definedKeys.add(key.getName());
             }
         }
         AttributeDefinition[] subAttrs = attr.getValueTypes();
diff --git a/controller/src/main/java/org/jboss/as/controller/operations/common/Util.java b/controller/src/main/java/org/jboss/as/controller/operations/common/Util.java
index f191da994e1..72d82ef5d79 100644
--- a/controller/src/main/java/org/jboss/as/controller/operations/common/Util.java
+++ b/controller/src/main/java/org/jboss/as/controller/operations/common/Util.java
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 import static org.jboss.as.controller.descriptions.ModelDescriptionConstants.COMPOSITE;
 import static org.jboss.as.controller.descriptions.ModelDescriptionConstants.FAILED;
 import static org.jboss.as.controller.descriptions.ModelDescriptionConstants.FAILURE_DESCRIPTION;
+import static org.jboss.as.controller.descriptions.ModelDescriptionConstants.INCLUDE_DEFAULTS;
 import static org.jboss.as.controller.descriptions.ModelDescriptionConstants.NAME;
 import static org.jboss.as.controller.descriptions.ModelDescriptionConstants.OP;
 import static org.jboss.as.controller.descriptions.ModelDescriptionConstants.OP_ADDR;
@@ -161,6 +162,12 @@ public static ModelNode getReadAttributeOperation(final PathAddress address, Str
         return createAttributeOperation(READ_ATTRIBUTE_OPERATION, address, attributeName);
     }
 
+    public static ModelNode getReadAttributeOperation(final PathAddress address, String attributeName, boolean includeDefaults) {
+        ModelNode op = getReadAttributeOperation(address, attributeName);
+        op.get(INCLUDE_DEFAULTS).set(includeDefaults);
+        return op;
+    }
+
     public static ModelNode getReadResourceDescriptionOperation(final PathAddress address) {
         ModelNode op = createEmptyOperation(READ_RESOURCE_DESCRIPTION_OPERATION, address);
         return op;
diff --git a/controller/src/main/java/org/jboss/as/controller/operations/global/AbstractCollectionHandler.java b/controller/src/main/java/org/jboss/as/controller/operations/global/AbstractCollectionHandler.java
index 80c3189327e..266b26cbeff 100644
--- a/controller/src/main/java/org/jboss/as/controller/operations/global/AbstractCollectionHandler.java
+++ b/controller/src/main/java/org/jboss/as/controller/operations/global/AbstractCollectionHandler.java
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ public void execute(OperationContext context, ModelNode operation) throws Operat
             }, OperationContext.Stage.MODEL, true);
 
             // 1. read current attribute value
-            ModelNode readAttributeOperation = Util.getReadAttributeOperation(address, useEnhancedSyntax ? attributeExpression : attributeName);
+            ModelNode readAttributeOperation = Util.getReadAttributeOperation(address, useEnhancedSyntax ? attributeExpression : attributeName, false);
             context.addStep(readResponse, readAttributeOperation, ReadAttributeHandler.INSTANCE, OperationContext.Stage.MODEL, true);
         } else {
             assert attributeAccess.getStorageType() == AttributeAccess.Storage.RUNTIME;
diff --git a/controller/src/main/java/org/jboss/as/controller/operations/global/ReadAttributeHandler.java b/controller/src/main/java/org/jboss/as/controller/operations/global/ReadAttributeHandler.java
index 0e0f5addc07..51be88929c5 100644
--- a/controller/src/main/java/org/jboss/as/controller/operations/global/ReadAttributeHandler.java
+++ b/controller/src/main/java/org/jboss/as/controller/operations/global/ReadAttributeHandler.java
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@
 
 import org.jboss.as.controller.AttributeDefinition;
 import org.jboss.as.controller.ExpressionResolver;
+import org.jboss.as.controller.ObjectListAttributeDefinition;
+import org.jboss.as.controller.ObjectMapAttributeDefinition;
+import org.jboss.as.controller.ObjectTypeAttributeDefinition;
 import org.jboss.as.controller.OperationContext;
 import org.jboss.as.controller.OperationDefinition;
 import org.jboss.as.controller.OperationFailedException;
@@ -276,6 +279,9 @@ static void resolveAttribute(OperationContext context, AttributeDefinition attri
         } else if (subModel.hasDefined(attribute.getName())) {
             final ModelNode result = subModel.get(attribute.getName());
             context.getResult().set(result);
+            if (defaults) {
+                handleObjectAttributes(context.getResult(), attribute);
+            }
         } else if (defaults && attribute.getDefaultValue() != null) {
             // No defined value in the model. See if we should reply with a default from the metadata,
             // reply with undefined, or fail because it's a non-existent attribute name
@@ -287,6 +293,36 @@ static void resolveAttribute(OperationContext context, AttributeDefinition attri
         }
     }
 
+    private static void handleObjectAttributes(ModelNode model, AttributeDefinition attribute) {
+        if (attribute instanceof ObjectTypeAttributeDefinition) {
+            readNestedDefaults(model, (ObjectTypeAttributeDefinition) attribute);
+        } else if (attribute instanceof ObjectListAttributeDefinition) {
+            ObjectTypeAttributeDefinition valueType = ((ObjectListAttributeDefinition) attribute).getValueType();
+            for (int i = 0; i < model.asInt(); i++) {
+                readNestedDefaults(model.get(i), valueType);
+            }
+        } else if (attribute instanceof ObjectMapAttributeDefinition) {
+            ObjectTypeAttributeDefinition valueType = ((ObjectMapAttributeDefinition) attribute).getValueType();
+            for (String key : model.keys()) {
+                readNestedDefaults(model.get(key), valueType);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static void readNestedDefaults(ModelNode model, ObjectTypeAttributeDefinition attribute) {
+        for (AttributeDefinition subAttribute : attribute.getValueTypes()) {
+            ModelNode defaultValue = subAttribute.getDefaultValue();
+            String subAttrName = subAttribute.getName();
+            if (defaultValue != null && !model.hasDefined(subAttrName)) {
+                model.get(subAttrName).set(defaultValue);
+            }
+
+            if (model.hasDefined(subAttrName)) {
+                handleObjectAttributes(model.get(subAttrName), subAttribute);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     private static class Validator extends ParametersValidator {
 
         private static final Validator RESOLVABLE = new Validator(true);