Index: com/opensymphony/xwork2/config/entities/ActionConfig.java
===================================================================
--- com/opensymphony/xwork2/config/entities/ActionConfig.java	(revision 1715)
+++ com/opensymphony/xwork2/config/entities/ActionConfig.java	(working copy)
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
  */
 package com.opensymphony.xwork2.config.entities;
 
+import com.opensymphony.xwork2.util.TextUtils;
 import com.opensymphony.xwork2.util.location.Located;
 import com.opensymphony.xwork2.util.location.Location;
 
@@ -226,6 +227,13 @@
             return this;
         }
 
+        public Builder defaultClassName(String name) {
+        	if (!TextUtils.stringSet(target.className)) {
+        	  	target.className = name;
+        	}
+            return this;
+        }
+        
         public Builder methodName(String method) {
             target.methodName = method;
             return this;
Index: com/opensymphony/xwork2/config/entities/PackageConfig.java
===================================================================
--- com/opensymphony/xwork2/config/entities/PackageConfig.java	(revision 1715)
+++ com/opensymphony/xwork2/config/entities/PackageConfig.java	(working copy)
@@ -197,7 +197,16 @@
     }
 
     public String getDefaultClassRef() {
-       return defaultClassRef;
+    	if((defaultClassRef == null) && !parents.isEmpty()) {
+    		for (Iterator<PackageConfig> iterator = parents.iterator(); iterator.hasNext();) {
+                PackageConfig parent = iterator.next();
+                String parentDefault = parent.getDefaultClassRef();
+                if (parentDefault != null) {
+                    return parentDefault;
+                }
+    		}
+    	}
+    	return defaultClassRef;
     }
     
     /**
Index: com/opensymphony/xwork2/config/impl/DefaultConfiguration.java
===================================================================
--- com/opensymphony/xwork2/config/impl/DefaultConfiguration.java	(revision 1715)
+++ com/opensymphony/xwork2/config/impl/DefaultConfiguration.java	(working copy)
@@ -252,7 +252,9 @@
                     ActionConfig baseConfig = (ActionConfig) actionConfigs.get(actionName);
                     configs.put(actionName, buildFullActionConfig(packageConfig, baseConfig));
                 }
-
+                
+                
+                
                 namespaceActionConfigs.put(namespace, configs);
                 if (packageConfig.getFullDefaultActionRef() != null) {
                     namespaceConfigs.put(namespace, packageConfig.getFullDefaultActionRef());
@@ -310,12 +312,16 @@
             }
         }
 
+        
+        
         ActionConfig config = new ActionConfig.Builder(baseConfig)
             .addParams(params)
             .addResultConfigs(results)
+            .defaultClassName(packageContext.getDefaultClassRef())  // fill in default if non class has been provided
             .interceptors(interceptors)
             .addExceptionMappings(packageContext.getAllExceptionMappingConfigs())
             .build();
+        
         return config;
     }
 
Index: com/opensymphony/xwork2/config/providers/XmlConfigurationProvider.java
===================================================================
--- com/opensymphony/xwork2/config/providers/XmlConfigurationProvider.java	(revision 1715)
+++ com/opensymphony/xwork2/config/providers/XmlConfigurationProvider.java	(working copy)
@@ -348,16 +348,19 @@
         // use the default-class-ref from the <package/>
         if (!TextUtils.stringSet(className)) {
             // if there is a package default-class-ref use that, otherwise use action support
-            if (TextUtils.stringSet(packageContext.getDefaultClassRef())) {
+           /* if (TextUtils.stringSet(packageContext.getDefaultClassRef())) {
                 className = packageContext.getDefaultClassRef();
             } else {
                 className = ActionSupport.class.getName();
+            }*/
+        
+        } else {
+        	if (!verifyAction(className, name, location)) {
+                return;
             }
         }
 
-        if (!verifyAction(className, name, location)) {
-            return;
-        }
+        
 
         Map results;
         try {