diff --git a/mrbean/pom.xml b/mrbean/pom.xml
index c03867a4..de7236b0 100644
--- a/mrbean/pom.xml
+++ b/mrbean/pom.xml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
   <!-- is to indicate to Gradle or any Gradle module metadata file consumer  -->
   <!-- that they should prefer consuming it instead. -->
   <!-- do_not_remove: published-with-gradle-metadata -->
-  <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion> 
+  <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
   <parent>
     <groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.module</groupId>
     <artifactId>jackson-modules-base</artifactId>
@@ -56,6 +56,16 @@ ${project.groupId}.mrbean.*;version=${project.version}
 	<artifactId>replacer</artifactId>
       </plugin>
 
+      <plugin>
+          <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+          <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
+          <configuration>
+              <!-- Enable testing with Java 8 features, especially default methods in interfaces -->
+              <testSource>1.8</testSource>
+              <testTarget>1.8</testTarget>
+          </configuration>
+      </plugin>
+
       <plugin>
         <!--  We will shade ASM, to simplify deployment, avoid version conflicts -->
         <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
diff --git a/mrbean/src/test/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/module/mrbean/TestAbstractClasses.java b/mrbean/src/test/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/module/mrbean/TestAbstractClasses.java
index 9d4ffda5..1307a412 100644
--- a/mrbean/src/test/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/module/mrbean/TestAbstractClasses.java
+++ b/mrbean/src/test/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/module/mrbean/TestAbstractClasses.java
@@ -16,11 +16,15 @@ public abstract static class Bean
         int y;
 
         protected Bean() { }
-        
+
         public abstract String getX();
 
         public String getFoo() { return "Foo!"; }
         public void setY(int value) { y = value; }
+
+        // also verify non-public methods
+        protected abstract String getZ();
+        private String customMethod() { return "Private methods rock!"; }
     }
 
     /*
@@ -32,10 +36,12 @@ protected Bean() { }
     public void testSimpleInteface() throws Exception
     {
         ObjectMapper mapper = newMrBeanMapper();
-        Bean bean = mapper.readValue("{ \"x\" : \"abc\", \"y\" : 13 }", Bean.class);
+        Bean bean = mapper.readValue("{ \"x\" : \"abc\", \"y\" : 13, \"z\" : \"def\" }", Bean.class);
         assertNotNull(bean);
         assertEquals("abc", bean.getX());
         assertEquals(13, bean.y);
         assertEquals("Foo!", bean.getFoo());
+        assertEquals("def", bean.getZ());
+        assertEquals("Private methods rock!", bean.customMethod());
     }
 }
diff --git a/mrbean/src/test/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/module/mrbean/TestAbstractClassesWithOverrides.java b/mrbean/src/test/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/module/mrbean/TestAbstractClassesWithOverrides.java
index a3938c0a..82deaac4 100644
--- a/mrbean/src/test/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/module/mrbean/TestAbstractClassesWithOverrides.java
+++ b/mrbean/src/test/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/module/mrbean/TestAbstractClassesWithOverrides.java
@@ -16,19 +16,28 @@ public abstract static class Bean
         int y;
 
         protected Bean() { }
-        
+
         public abstract String getX();
 
         public abstract String roast(int temperature);
 
         public String getFoo() { return "Foo!"; }
         public void setY(int value) { y = value; }
+
+        // also verify non-public methods
+        protected abstract String getZ();
+        private Object customMethod() { return protectedAbstractMethod(); }
+        protected abstract Object protectedAbstractMethod();
     }
 
     public abstract static class CoffeeBean extends Bean {
         @Override public String roast(int temperature) {
             return "The coffee beans are roasting at " + temperature + " degrees now, yummy";
         }
+
+        @Override protected Object protectedAbstractMethod() {
+            return "Private methods invoking protected abstract methods is the bomb!";
+        }
     }
 
     public abstract static class PeruvianCoffeeBean extends CoffeeBean {}
@@ -45,10 +54,10 @@ public void testOverrides() throws Exception
         ObjectMapper mapper = new ObjectMapper();
         mapper.registerModule(new MrBeanModule());
 
-        Bean bean = mapper.readValue("{ \"x\" : \"abc\", \"y\" : 13 }", CoffeeBean.class);
+        Bean bean = mapper.readValue("{ \"x\" : \"abc\", \"y\" : 13, \"z\" : \"def\" }", CoffeeBean.class);
         verifyBean(bean);
 
-        Bean bean2 = mapper.readValue("{ \"x\" : \"abc\", \"y\" : 13 }", PeruvianCoffeeBean.class);
+        Bean bean2 = mapper.readValue("{ \"x\" : \"abc\", \"y\" : 13, \"z\" : \"def\" }", PeruvianCoffeeBean.class);
         verifyBean(bean2);
     }
 
@@ -57,6 +66,8 @@ private void verifyBean(Bean bean) {
         assertEquals("abc", bean.getX());
         assertEquals(13, bean.y);
         assertEquals("Foo!", bean.getFoo());
+        assertEquals("def", bean.getZ());
         assertEquals("The coffee beans are roasting at 123 degrees now, yummy", bean.roast(123));
+        assertEquals("Private methods invoking protected abstract methods is the bomb!", bean.customMethod());
     }
 }
diff --git a/mrbean/src/test/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/module/mrbean/TestSimpleMaterializedInterfaces.java b/mrbean/src/test/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/module/mrbean/TestSimpleMaterializedInterfaces.java
index f4d252a9..f80fc571 100644
--- a/mrbean/src/test/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/module/mrbean/TestSimpleMaterializedInterfaces.java
+++ b/mrbean/src/test/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/module/mrbean/TestSimpleMaterializedInterfaces.java
@@ -26,13 +26,13 @@ public interface BeanWithY extends Bean
     {
         public int getY();
     }
-    
+
     public interface PartialBean {
         public boolean isOk();
         // and then non-getter/setter one:
         public int foobar();
     }
-    
+
     public interface BeanHolder {
         public Bean getBean();
     }
@@ -53,7 +53,13 @@ public interface ArrayBean {
     interface NonPublicBean {
         public abstract int getX();
     }
-    
+
+    public interface ExtendedBean extends Bean {
+        public default boolean anyValuePresent() {
+            return getX() > 0 || getA() != null;
+        }
+    }
+
     /*
     /**********************************************************
     /* Unit tests, low level
@@ -149,8 +155,8 @@ public void testBeanHolder() throws Exception
         assertNotNull(bean);
         assertEquals("b", bean.getA());
         assertEquals(-4, bean.getX());
-    }    
-    
+    }
+
     public void testArrayInterface() throws Exception
     {
         ObjectMapper mapper = new ObjectMapper();
@@ -172,7 +178,17 @@ public void testSubInterface() throws Exception
         assertEquals(1, bean.getX());
         assertEquals(2, bean.getY());
     }
-    
+
+    public void testDefaultMethods() throws Exception
+    {
+        ObjectMapper mapper = newMrBeanMapper();
+        ExtendedBean bean = mapper.readValue("{\"a\":\"value\",\"x\":123 }", ExtendedBean.class);
+        assertNotNull(bean);
+        assertEquals("value", bean.getA());
+        assertEquals(123, bean.getX());
+        assertTrue(bean.anyValuePresent());
+    }
+
     /*
     /**********************************************************
     /* Unit tests, higher level, error handling
@@ -212,6 +228,6 @@ public void testNonPublic() throws Exception
         } catch (JsonMappingException e) {
             verifyException(e, "is not public");
         }
-    }    
-    
+    }
+
 }