diff --git a/app/models/assignment.rb b/app/models/assignment.rb
index 5bdb4dec732..fe9a41257a4 100644
--- a/app/models/assignment.rb
+++ b/app/models/assignment.rb
@@ -521,6 +521,13 @@ class Assignment < ActiveRecord::Base
     # have to use peer_reviews_due_at here because it's the column name
     self.peer_reviews_assigned = false if peer_reviews_due_at_changed?
     self.points_possible = nil unless self.graded?
+    [
+      :all_day, :could_be_locked, :grade_group_students_individually,
+      :anonymous_peer_reviews, :turnitin_enabled, :vericite_enabled,
+      :moderated_grading, :omit_from_final_grade, :freeze_on_copy,
+      :copied, :only_visible_to_overrides, :post_to_sis, :peer_reviews_assigned,
+      :peer_reviews, :automatic_peer_reviews, :muted, :intra_group_peer_reviews
+    ].each { |attr| self[attr] = false if self[attr].nil? }
   end
   protected :default_values
 
diff --git a/app/models/discussion_topic.rb b/app/models/discussion_topic.rb
index d902ffa8ed7..56a0ee1958b 100644
--- a/app/models/discussion_topic.rb
+++ b/app/models/discussion_topic.rb
@@ -120,6 +120,12 @@ class DiscussionTopic < ActiveRecord::Base
     if self.has_group_category?
       self.subtopics_refreshed_at ||= Time.parse("Jan 1 2000")
     end
+
+    [
+      :could_be_locked, :podcast_enabled, :podcast_has_student_posts,
+      :require_initial_post, :pinned, :locked, :allow_rating,
+      :only_graders_can_rate, :sort_by_rating
+    ].each { |attr| self[attr] = false if self[attr].nil? }
   end
   protected :default_values
 
diff --git a/app/models/quizzes/quiz.rb b/app/models/quizzes/quiz.rb
index 009ed313b1c..60c2a25e311 100644
--- a/app/models/quizzes/quiz.rb
+++ b/app/models/quizzes/quiz.rb
@@ -139,6 +139,14 @@ class Quizzes::Quiz < ActiveRecord::Base
     self.question_count = self.question_count(true)
     @update_existing_submissions = true if self.for_assignment? && self.quiz_type_changed?
     @stored_questions = nil
+
+    [
+      :shuffle_answers, :could_be_locked, :anonymous_submissions,
+      :require_lockdown_browser, :require_lockdown_browser_for_results,
+      :one_question_at_a_time, :cant_go_back, :require_lockdown_browser_monitor,
+      :only_visible_to_overrides, :one_time_results, :show_correct_answers_last_attempt
+    ].each { |attr| self[attr] = false if self[attr].nil? }
+    self[:show_correct_answers] = true if self[:show_correct_answers].nil?
   end
 
   # quizzes differ from other publishable objects in that they require we
diff --git a/spec/models/assignment_spec.rb b/spec/models/assignment_spec.rb
index 7d6444c9f61..83ee893035b 100644
--- a/spec/models/assignment_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/assignment_spec.rb
@@ -96,6 +96,121 @@ describe Assignment do
     expect(@assignment.errors[:grading_type]).not_to be_nil
   end
 
+  describe "default values for boolean attributes" do
+    before(:once) do
+      @assignment = @course.assignments.create!
+    end
+
+    let(:values) do
+      Assignment.where(id: @assignment).pluck(
+        :could_be_locked,
+        :grade_group_students_individually,
+        :anonymous_peer_reviews,
+        :turnitin_enabled,
+        :vericite_enabled,
+        :moderated_grading,
+        :omit_from_final_grade,
+        :freeze_on_copy,
+        :copied,
+        :only_visible_to_overrides,
+        :post_to_sis,
+        :peer_reviews_assigned,
+        :peer_reviews,
+        :automatic_peer_reviews,
+        :muted,
+        :intra_group_peer_reviews
+      ).first
+    end
+
+    it "saves boolean attributes as false if they are set to nil" do
+      @assignment.update!(
+        could_be_locked: nil,
+        grade_group_students_individually: nil,
+        anonymous_peer_reviews: nil,
+        turnitin_enabled: nil,
+        vericite_enabled: nil,
+        moderated_grading: nil,
+        omit_from_final_grade: nil,
+        freeze_on_copy: nil,
+        copied: nil,
+        only_visible_to_overrides: nil,
+        post_to_sis: nil,
+        peer_reviews_assigned: nil,
+        peer_reviews: nil,
+        automatic_peer_reviews: nil,
+        muted: nil,
+        intra_group_peer_reviews: nil
+      )
+
+      expect(values).to eq([false] * values.length)
+    end
+
+    it "saves boolean attributes as false if they are set to false" do
+      @assignment.update!(
+        could_be_locked: false,
+        grade_group_students_individually: false,
+        anonymous_peer_reviews: false,
+        turnitin_enabled: false,
+        vericite_enabled: false,
+        moderated_grading: false,
+        omit_from_final_grade: false,
+        freeze_on_copy: false,
+        copied: false,
+        only_visible_to_overrides: false,
+        post_to_sis: false,
+        peer_reviews_assigned: false,
+        peer_reviews: false,
+        automatic_peer_reviews: false,
+        muted: false,
+        intra_group_peer_reviews: false
+      )
+
+      expect(values).to eq([false] * values.length)
+    end
+
+    it "saves boolean attributes as true if they are set to true" do
+      # exluding the moderated_grading attribute because it cannot be
+      # true when peer_reviews is true
+      @assignment.update!(
+        could_be_locked: true,
+        grade_group_students_individually: true,
+        anonymous_peer_reviews: true,
+        turnitin_enabled: true,
+        vericite_enabled: true,
+        omit_from_final_grade: true,
+        freeze_on_copy: true,
+        copied: true,
+        only_visible_to_overrides: true,
+        post_to_sis: true,
+        peer_reviews_assigned: true,
+        peer_reviews: true,
+        automatic_peer_reviews: true,
+        muted: true,
+        intra_group_peer_reviews: true
+      )
+
+      values = Assignment.where(id: @assignment).pluck(
+        :could_be_locked,
+        :grade_group_students_individually,
+        :anonymous_peer_reviews,
+        :turnitin_enabled,
+        :vericite_enabled,
+        :omit_from_final_grade,
+        :freeze_on_copy,
+        :copied,
+        :only_visible_to_overrides,
+        :post_to_sis,
+        :peer_reviews_assigned,
+        :peer_reviews,
+        :automatic_peer_reviews,
+        :muted,
+        :intra_group_peer_reviews
+      ).first
+
+      expect(values).to eq([true] * values.length)
+    end
+  end
+
   describe '#tool_settings_tool=' do
     let(:stub_response){ double(code: 200, body: {}.to_json, parsed_response: {'Id' => 'test-id'}, ok?: true) }
     let(:subscription_helper){ class_double(Lti::AssignmentSubscriptionsHelper).as_stubbed_const }
diff --git a/spec/models/discussion_topic_spec.rb b/spec/models/discussion_topic_spec.rb
index 7b599734009..42f865e0039 100644
--- a/spec/models/discussion_topic_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/discussion_topic_spec.rb
@@ -24,6 +24,74 @@ describe DiscussionTopic do
     student_in_course(:active_all => true)
   end
 
+  describe "default values for boolean attributes" do
+    before(:once) do
+      @topic = @course.discussion_topics.create!
+    end
+
+    let(:values) do
+      DiscussionTopic.where(id: @topic).pluck(
+        :could_be_locked,
+        :podcast_enabled,
+        :podcast_has_student_posts,
+        :require_initial_post,
+        :pinned,
+        :locked,
+        :allow_rating,
+        :only_graders_can_rate,
+        :sort_by_rating
+      ).first
+    end
+
+    it "saves boolean attributes as false if they are set to nil" do
+      @topic.update!(
+        could_be_locked: nil,
+        podcast_enabled: nil,
+        podcast_has_student_posts: nil,
+        require_initial_post: nil,
+        pinned: nil,
+        locked: nil,
+        allow_rating: nil,
+        only_graders_can_rate: nil,
+        sort_by_rating: nil
+      )
+
+      expect(values).to eq([false] * values.length)
+    end
+
+    it "saves boolean attributes as false if they are set to false" do
+      @topic.update!(
+        could_be_locked: false,
+        podcast_enabled: false,
+        podcast_has_student_posts: false,
+        require_initial_post: false,
+        pinned: false,
+        locked: false,
+        allow_rating: false,
+        only_graders_can_rate: false,
+        sort_by_rating: false
+      )
+
+      expect(values).to eq([false] * values.length)
+    end
+
+    it "saves boolean attributes as true if they are set to true" do
+      @topic.update!(
+        could_be_locked: true,
+        podcast_enabled: true,
+        podcast_has_student_posts: true,
+        require_initial_post: true,
+        pinned: true,
+        locked: true,
+        allow_rating: true,
+        only_graders_can_rate: true,
+        sort_by_rating: true
+      )
+
+      expect(values).to eq([true] * values.length)
+    end
+  end
+
   it "should santize message" do
     @course.discussion_topics.create!(:message => "<a href='#' onclick='alert(12);'>only this should stay</a>")
     expect(@course.discussion_topics.first.message).to eql("<a href=\"#\">only this should stay</a>")
diff --git a/spec/models/quizzes/quiz_spec.rb b/spec/models/quizzes/quiz_spec.rb
index 74ec3c6c40f..e7da5bfc3f6 100644
--- a/spec/models/quizzes/quiz_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/quizzes/quiz_spec.rb
@@ -25,6 +25,101 @@ describe Quizzes::Quiz do
     course_factory
   end
 
+  describe "default values for boolean attributes" do
+    before(:once) do
+      @quiz = @course.quizzes.create!(title: "hello")
+    end
+
+    let(:default_false_values) do
+      Quizzes::Quiz.where(id: @quiz).pluck(
+        :shuffle_answers,
+        :could_be_locked,
+        :anonymous_submissions,
+        :require_lockdown_browser,
+        :require_lockdown_browser_for_results,
+        :one_question_at_a_time,
+        :cant_go_back,
+        :require_lockdown_browser_monitor,
+        :only_visible_to_overrides,
+        :one_time_results,
+        :show_correct_answers_last_attempt
+      ).first
+    end
+
+    it "saves boolean attributes as false if they are set to nil" do
+      @quiz.update!(
+        shuffle_answers: nil,
+        could_be_locked: nil,
+        anonymous_submissions: nil,
+        require_lockdown_browser: nil,
+        require_lockdown_browser_for_results: nil,
+        one_question_at_a_time: nil,
+        cant_go_back: nil,
+        require_lockdown_browser_monitor: nil,
+        only_visible_to_overrides: nil,
+        one_time_results: nil,
+        show_correct_answers_last_attempt: nil
+      )
+
+      expect(default_false_values).to eq([false] * default_false_values.length)
+    end
+
+    it "saves show_correct_answers as true if it is set to nil" do
+      @quiz.update!(show_correct_answers: nil)
+      expect(@quiz.show_correct_answers).to eq(true)
+    end
+
+    it "saves boolean attributes as false if they are set to false" do
+      @quiz.update!(
+        shuffle_answers: false,
+        could_be_locked: false,
+        anonymous_submissions: false,
+        require_lockdown_browser: false,
+        require_lockdown_browser_for_results: false,
+        one_question_at_a_time: false,
+        cant_go_back: false,
+        require_lockdown_browser_monitor: false,
+        only_visible_to_overrides: false,
+        one_time_results: false,
+        show_correct_answers_last_attempt: false
+      )
+
+      expect(default_false_values).to eq([false] * default_false_values.length)
+    end
+
+    it "saves show_correct_answers as false if it is set to false" do
+      @quiz.update!(show_correct_answers: false)
+      expect(@quiz.show_correct_answers).to eq(false)
+    end
+
+    it "saves boolean attributes as true if they are set to true" do
+      Quizzes::Quiz.stubs(:lockdown_browser_plugin_enabled?).returns(true)
+      @quiz.update!(
+        shuffle_answers: true,
+        could_be_locked: true,
+        anonymous_submissions: true,
+        require_lockdown_browser: true,
+        require_lockdown_browser_for_results: true,
+        one_question_at_a_time: true,
+        cant_go_back: true,
+        require_lockdown_browser_monitor: true,
+        only_visible_to_overrides: true,
+        one_time_results: true,
+        show_correct_answers_last_attempt: true,
+        # if allowed_attempts is <= 1, show_correct_answers_last_attempt
+        # cannot be set to true
+        allowed_attempts: 2
+      )
+
+      expect(default_false_values).to eq([true] * default_false_values.length)
+    end
+
+    it "saves show_correct_answers as true if it is set to true" do
+      @quiz.update!(show_correct_answers: true)
+      expect(@quiz.show_correct_answers).to eq(true)
+    end
+  end
+
   describe ".mark_quiz_edited" do
     it "should mark a quiz as having unpublished changes" do
       quiz = nil