diff --git a/composer/schema/grid/field.py b/composer/schema/grid/field.py
index 32b101e..7b71014 100644
--- a/composer/schema/grid/field.py
+++ b/composer/schema/grid/field.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #
-#  Copyright (c) 2013 Helmut Merz helmutm@cy55.de
+#  Copyright (c) 2014 Helmut Merz helmutm@cy55.de
 #
 #  This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
 #  it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
@@ -122,6 +122,8 @@ class GridFieldInstance(ListFieldInstance):
     def unmarshallRow(self, row, idx=None):
         item = {}
         cardinality = getattr(self.context, 'cardinality', None)
+        ignoreInCheckOnEmpty = list(
+                        getattr(self.context, 'ignoreInCheckOnEmpty', []))
         for fi in self.columnFieldInstances:
             if idx is not None:
                 fi.index = idx
@@ -133,10 +135,9 @@ class GridFieldInstance(ListFieldInstance):
             else:
                 if fi.default is not None:
                     if value == fi.default:
-                        continue
+                        ignoreInCheckOnEmpty.append(fi.name)
                 if value:
                     item[fi.name] = value
-        ignoreInCheckOnEmpty = getattr(self.context, 'ignoreInCheckOnEmpty', [])
         for k, v in item.items():
             if k not in ignoreInCheckOnEmpty: #and v != '__no_change__':
                 return item