diff --git a/RELEASES.md b/RELEASES.md
index abd9df8e2..01696ad4c 100644
--- a/RELEASES.md
+++ b/RELEASES.md
@@ -29,7 +29,9 @@ Release 0.12.0 on 2017-??-??
   by Martin Holmer]
 
 **Bug Fixes**
-- None
+- Relax _STD and _STD_Dep minimum value warning logic
+  [[#1578](https://github.com/open-source-economics/Tax-Calculator/pull/1578)
+  by Martin Holmer]
 
 Release 0.11.0 on 2017-09-21
 ----------------------------
diff --git a/taxcalc/policy.py b/taxcalc/policy.py
index 99d352585..9ffb6f748 100644
--- a/taxcalc/policy.py
+++ b/taxcalc/policy.py
@@ -376,6 +376,8 @@ def _validate_parameter_values(self, parameters_set):
         # pylint: disable=too-many-locals
         # pylint: disable=too-many-branches
         # pylint: disable=too-many-nested-blocks
+        rounding_error = 100.0
+        # above handles non-rounding of inflation-indexed parameter values
         clp = self.current_law_version()
         parameters = sorted(parameters_set)
         syr = Policy.JSON_START_YEAR
@@ -387,6 +389,10 @@ def _validate_parameter_values(self, parameters_set):
                 if isinstance(vval, six.string_types):
                     if vval == 'default':
                         vvalue = getattr(clp, pname)
+                        if vop == 'min':
+                            vvalue -= rounding_error
+                        elif vop == 'max':
+                            vvalue += rounding_error
                     else:
                         vvalue = getattr(self, vval)
                 else:
diff --git a/taxcalc/tests/test_policy.py b/taxcalc/tests/test_policy.py
index 8f3d198b4..bdcb0a08a 100644
--- a/taxcalc/tests/test_policy.py
+++ b/taxcalc/tests/test_policy.py
@@ -798,13 +798,17 @@ def test_range_infomation(tests_path):
         range = param.get('range', None)
         if range:
             json_range_params.add(pname)
-            assert param['out_of_range_action'] in warn_stop_list
+            oor_action = param['out_of_range_action']
+            assert oor_action in warn_stop_list
             range_items = range.items()
             assert len(range_items) == 2
             for vop, vval in range_items:
                 assert vop in min_max_list
                 if isinstance(vval, six.string_types):
                     if vval == 'default':
+                        if vop != 'min' or oor_action != 'warn':
+                            msg = 'USES DEFAULT FOR min OR FOR error'
+                            assert pname == msg
                         continue
                     elif vval in clpdict:
                         if vop == 'min':
@@ -880,6 +884,14 @@ def test_validate_param_values_warnings_errors():
     ref6 = {2026: {'_ID_BenefitSurtax_Switch': [[False, True, 0, 2, 0, 1, 0]]}}
     pol6.implement_reform(ref6)
     assert len(pol6.reform_errors) > 0
+    # raise stdded for everybody but widows, leaving widow value unchanged,
+    # which is the logic TaxBrain has been using at least until 2017-10-05
+    # when this "7" test was added
+    pol7 = Policy()
+    ref7 = {2013: {'_STD': [[20000, 20000, 20000, 20000, 12200]]}}
+    pol7.implement_reform(ref7)
+    assert pol7.reform_errors == ''
+    assert pol7.reform_warnings == ''
 
 
 def test_indexing_rates_for_update():