diff --git a/src/Interactable.js b/src/Interactable.js
index 8464db5e3..a775f9925 100644
--- a/src/Interactable.js
+++ b/src/Interactable.js
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+const clone     = require('./utils/clone');
 const is        = require('./utils/is');
 const events    = require('./utils/events');
 const extend    = require('./utils/extend');
@@ -63,8 +64,9 @@ class Interactable {
       if (option in defaults[action]) {
         // if the option in the options arg is an object value
         if (is.object(options[option])) {
-          // duplicate the object
-          this.options[action][option] = extend(this.options[action][option] || {}, options[option]);
+          // duplicate the object and merge
+          this.options[action][option] = clone(this.options[action][option] || {});
+          extend(this.options[action][option], options[option]);
 
           if (is.object(defaults.perAction[option]) && 'enabled' in defaults.perAction[option]) {
             this.options[action][option].enabled = options[option].enabled === false? false : true;
@@ -294,14 +296,14 @@ class Interactable {
       options = {};
     }
 
-    this.options = extend({}, defaults.base);
+    this.options = clone(defaults.base);
 
-    const perActions = extend({}, defaults.perAction);
+    const perActions = clone(defaults.perAction);
 
     for (const actionName in actions.methodDict) {
       const methodName = actions.methodDict[actionName];
 
-      this.options[actionName] = extend({}, defaults[actionName]);
+      this.options[actionName] = clone(defaults[actionName]);
 
       this.setPerAction(actionName, perActions);
 
diff --git a/src/utils/clone.js b/src/utils/clone.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4a4c80122
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/clone.js
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+const is = require('./is');
+
+module.exports = function clone (source) {
+  const dest = {};
+  for (const prop in source) {
+    if (is.object(source[prop])) {
+      dest[prop] = clone(source[prop]);
+    } else {
+      dest[prop] = source[prop];
+    }
+  }
+  return dest;
+};
diff --git a/tests/Interactable.js b/tests/Interactable.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7173cdee2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Interactable.js
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+const test = require('./test');
+const d = require('./domator');
+
+const Interactable = require('../src/Interactable');
+const actions = require('../src/actions/base');
+
+test('Interactable copies and extends defaults', t => {
+  actions.methodDict.test = 'testize';
+  Interactable.prototype.testize = function (options) {
+    this.setPerAction('test', options);
+  };
+
+  const defaults = require('../src/defaultOptions');
+  defaults.test = {
+    fromDefault: { a: 1, b: 2 },
+    specified: { c: 1, d: 2 },
+  };
+
+  const specified = { specified: 'parent' };
+
+  const div = d('div');
+  const interactable = new Interactable(div, { test: specified });
+
+  t.deepEqual(interactable.options.test.specified, specified.specified,
+    'specified options are properly set');
+  t.deepEqual(interactable.options.test.fromDefault, defaults.test.fromDefault,
+    'default options are properly set');
+  t.notEqual(interactable.options.test.fromDefault, defaults.test.fromDefault,
+    'defaults are not aliased');
+
+  defaults.test.fromDefault.c = 3;
+  t.notOk('c' in interactable.options.test.fromDefault,
+    'modifying defaults does not affect constructed interactables');
+
+  // Undo global changes
+  delete actions.methodDict.test;
+  delete Interactable.prototype.testize;
+  delete defaults.test;
+
+  t.end();
+});
+
+test('Interactable copies and extends per action defaults', t => {
+  actions.methodDict.test = 'testize';
+  Interactable.prototype.testize = function (options) {
+    this.setPerAction('test', options);
+  };
+
+  const defaults = require('../src/defaultOptions');
+  defaults.perAction.testModifier = {
+    fromDefault: { a: 1, b: 2 },
+    specified: null,
+  };
+  defaults.test = { testModifier: defaults.perAction.testModifier };
+
+  const div = d('div');
+  const interactable = new Interactable(div, {});
+  interactable.testize({ testModifier: { specified: 'parent' } });
+
+  t.deepEqual(interactable.options.test, { testModifier: {
+    fromDefault: { a: 1, b: 2},
+    specified: 'parent',
+  }}, 'specified options are properly set');
+  t.deepEqual(
+    interactable.options.test.testModifier.fromDefault,
+    defaults.perAction.testModifier.fromDefault,
+    'default options are properly set');
+  t.notEqual(
+    interactable.options.test.testModifier.fromDefault,
+    defaults.perAction.testModifier.fromDefault,
+    'defaults are not aliased');
+
+  defaults.perAction.testModifier.fromDefault.c = 3;
+  t.notOk('c' in interactable.options.test.testModifier.fromDefault,
+    'modifying defaults does not affect constructed interactables');
+
+  // Undo global changes
+  delete actions.methodDict.test;
+  delete Interactable.prototype.test;
+  delete defaults.test;
+  delete defaults.perAction.testModifier;
+
+  t.end();
+});
diff --git a/tests/Interaction.js b/tests/Interaction.js
index 9bcb59c90..66de9077e 100644
--- a/tests/Interaction.js
+++ b/tests/Interaction.js
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ test('Interaction.start', t => {
   const Interaction = require('../src/Interaction');
   const interaction = new Interaction({});
   const action = { name: 'TEST' };
-  const target = {};
+  const target = helpers.mockInteractable();
   const element = {};
   const pointer = helpers.newPointer();
   const event = {};
diff --git a/tests/helpers.js b/tests/helpers.js
index c6af06a3f..b692ab1e3 100644
--- a/tests/helpers.js
+++ b/tests/helpers.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 const _ = require('lodash');
 const { window: { document } } = require('../src/utils/window');
+const utils = require('../src/utils');
 
 let counter = 0;
 
@@ -64,6 +65,57 @@ const helpers = {
   createEl (name) {
     return document.createElement(name);
   },
+
+  mockScope (options) {
+    return Object.assign({
+      documents: [],
+      defaults: require('../src/defaultOptions'),
+      interactions: [],
+      signals: require('../src/utils/Signals').new(),
+      Interaction: {
+        signals: require('../src/utils/Signals').new(),
+        new () {
+          return {};
+        },
+      },
+      InteractEvent: {
+        signals: require('../src/utils/Signals').new(),
+      },
+      Interactable: {
+        signals: require('../src/utils/Signals').new(),
+      },
+    }, options);
+  },
+
+  mockSignals () {
+    return {
+      on () {},
+      off () {},
+      fire () {},
+    };
+  },
+
+  mockInteractable (props) {
+    const Eventable = require('../src/Eventable');
+
+    return Object.assign(
+      {
+        options: {
+          deltaSource: 'page',
+        },
+        target: {},
+        events: new Eventable(),
+        getRect () {
+          return this.element
+            ? utils.dom.getClientRect(this.element)
+            : { left: 0, top: 0, right: 0, bottom: 0 };
+        },
+        fire (event) {
+          this.events.fire(event);
+        },
+      },
+      props);
+  },
 };
 
 module.exports = helpers;
diff --git a/tests/index.js b/tests/index.js
index 4d58529de..8e4cd1f90 100644
--- a/tests/index.js
+++ b/tests/index.js
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+require('./Interactable');
 require('./Interaction');
 
 // Legacy browser support