diff --git a/CHANGES.txt b/CHANGES.txt
index b956163..3037347 100644
--- a/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/CHANGES.txt
@@ -10,6 +10,18 @@ Changes
 
 - Added Spanish locale:  thanks to Douglas Cerna for the translations!
 
+- If you use a schema with deferred ``validator``, ``missing`` or
+  ``default`` attributes, but you use it to perform serialization and
+  deserialization without calling its ``bind`` method:
+
+  - If ``validator`` is deferred, no validation will be performed.
+
+  - If ``missing`` is deferred, the field will be considered *required*.
+
+  - If ``default`` is deferred, the serialization default will be
+    assumed to be ``colander.null``.
+
+
 0.8  (2010/09/08)
 -----------------
 
diff --git a/colander/__init__.py b/colander/__init__.py
index 174b334..37245fa 100644
--- a/colander/__init__.py
+++ b/colander/__init__.py
@@ -1220,6 +1220,8 @@ class SchemaNode(object):
         A return value of ``True`` implies that a ``missing`` value
         wasn't specified for this node.  A return value of ``False``
         implies that a ``missing`` value was specified for this node."""
+        if isinstance(self.missing, deferred):  # unbound schema with deferreds
+            return True
         return self.missing is _marker
 
     def serialize(self, appstruct=null):
@@ -1236,6 +1238,8 @@ class SchemaNode(object):
         """
         if appstruct is null:
             appstruct = self.default
+        if isinstance(appstruct, deferred): # unbound schema with deferreds
+            appstruct = null
         cstruct = self.typ.serialize(self, appstruct)
         return cstruct
 
@@ -1262,12 +1266,15 @@ class SchemaNode(object):
             appstruct = self.missing
             if appstruct is _marker:
                 raise Invalid(self, _('Required'))
+            if isinstance(appstruct, deferred): # unbound schema with deferreds
+                raise Invalid(self, _('Required'))
             # We never deserialize or validate the missing value
             return appstruct
 
         appstruct = self.typ.deserialize(self, cstruct)
         if self.validator is not None:
-            self.validator(self, appstruct)
+            if not isinstance(self.validator, deferred): # unbound
+                self.validator(self, appstruct)
         return appstruct
 
     def add(self, node):
diff --git a/colander/tests.py b/colander/tests.py
index c1f0d6d..3a3b7eb 100644
--- a/colander/tests.py
+++ b/colander/tests.py
@@ -1322,6 +1322,11 @@ class TestSchemaNode(unittest.TestCase):
         node = self._makeOne(None, missing=1)
         self.assertEqual(node.required, False)
 
+    def test_required_deferred(self):
+        from colander import deferred
+        node = self._makeOne(None, missing=deferred('123'))
+        self.assertEqual(node.required, True)
+
     def test_deserialize_no_validator(self):
         typ = DummyType()
         node = self._makeOne(typ)
@@ -1362,6 +1367,15 @@ class TestSchemaNode(unittest.TestCase):
         node.missing = null
         self.assertEqual(node.deserialize(null), null)
 
+    def test_deserialize_appstruct_deferred(self):
+        from colander import null
+        from colander import deferred
+        from colander import Invalid
+        typ = DummyType()
+        node = self._makeOne(typ)
+        node.missing = deferred('123')
+        self.assertRaises(Invalid, node.deserialize, null)
+
     def test_serialize(self):
         typ = DummyType()
         node = self._makeOne(typ)
@@ -1389,6 +1403,14 @@ class TestSchemaNode(unittest.TestCase):
         node.default = 'abc'
         self.assertEqual(node.serialize(), 'abc')
 
+    def test_serialize_default_deferred(self):
+        from colander import deferred
+        from colander import null
+        typ = DummyType()
+        node = self._makeOne(typ)
+        node.default = deferred('abc')
+        self.assertEqual(node.serialize(), null)
+
     def test_add(self):
         node = self._makeOne(None)
         node.add(1)
diff --git a/docs/binding.rst b/docs/binding.rst
index 8a9fb17..b0c8e37 100644
--- a/docs/binding.rst
+++ b/docs/binding.rst
@@ -237,6 +237,20 @@ will be the set of keywords passed to the ``bind`` method.  It usually
 operates on the ``node`` it is passed using the API methods described
 in :class:`SchemaNode`.
 
+Unbound Schemas With Deferreds
+------------------------------
+
+If you use a schema with deferred ``validator``, ``missing`` or
+``default`` attributes, but you use it to perform serialization and
+deserialization without calling its ``bind`` method:
+
+- If ``validator`` is deferred, no validation will be performed.
+
+- If ``missing`` is deferred, the field will be considered *required*.
+
+- If ``default`` is deferred, the serialization default will be
+  assumed to be ``colander.null``.
+
 See Also
 --------