diff --git a/util/lint/kconfig_lint b/util/lint/kconfig_lint
index c9553431f6..064f3db33f 100755
--- a/util/lint/kconfig_lint
+++ b/util/lint/kconfig_lint
@@ -329,10 +329,42 @@ sub check_defaults {
             next unless ( exists $symbols{$sym}{$sym_num}{default_max} );
             for ( my $def_num = 0 ; $def_num <= $symbols{$sym}{$sym_num}{default_max} ; $def_num++ ) {
 
+                my $filename = $symbols{$sym}{$sym_num}{file};
+                my $line_no  = $symbols{$sym}{$sym_num}{default}{$def_num}{default_line_no};
+
+                # skip good defaults
+                if (! ((($symbols{$sym}{type} eq "hex") && ($symbols{$sym}{$sym_num}{default}{$def_num}{default} =~ /^0x/)) ||
+                    (($symbols{$sym}{type} eq "int") && ($symbols{$sym}{$sym_num}{default}{$def_num}{default} =~ /^[-0-9]+$/)) ||
+                    (($symbols{$sym}{type} eq "string") && ($symbols{$sym}{$sym_num}{default}{$def_num}{default} =~ /^".*"$/)) ||
+                    (($symbols{$sym}{type} eq "bool") && ($symbols{$sym}{$sym_num}{default}{$def_num}{default} =~ /^[yn]$/)))
+                ) {
+
+                    my ($checksym) = $symbols{$sym}{$sym_num}{default}{$def_num}{default} =~ /(\w+)/;
+
+                    if (! exists $symbols{$checksym}) {
+
+                        # verify the symbol type against the default value
+                        if ($symbols{$sym}{type} eq "hex") {
+                                show_error("non hex default value ($symbols{$sym}{$sym_num}{default}{$def_num}{default}) used for hex symbol $sym at $filename:$line_no.");
+                        } elsif ($symbols{$sym}{type} eq "int") {
+                                show_error("non int default value ($symbols{$sym}{$sym_num}{default}{$def_num}{default}) used for int symbol $sym at $filename:$line_no.");
+                        } elsif  ($symbols{$sym}{type} eq "string") {
+                                # TODO: Remove special MAINBOARD_DIR check
+                                if ($sym ne "MAINBOARD_DIR") {
+                                    show_error("no quotes around default value ($symbols{$sym}{$sym_num}{default}{$def_num}{default}) used for string symbol $sym at $filename:$line_no.");
+                                }
+                        } elsif  ($symbols{$sym}{type} eq "bool") {
+                            if ($symbols{$sym}{$sym_num}{default}{$def_num}{default} =~ /[01YN]/) {
+                                show_warning("default value ($symbols{$sym}{$sym_num}{default}{$def_num}{default}) for bool symbol $sym uses value other than y/n at $filename:$line_no.");
+                            } else {
+                                show_error("non bool default value ($symbols{$sym}{$sym_num}{default}{$def_num}{default}) used for bool symbol $sym at $filename:$line_no.");
+                            }
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+
                 #if a default is already set, display an error
                 if ($default_set) {
-                    my $filename = $symbols{$sym}{$sym_num}{file};
-                    my $line_no  = $symbols{$sym}{$sym_num}{default}{$def_num}{default_line_no};
                     show_warning( "Default for '$sym' referenced at $filename:$line_no will never be set"
                           . " - overridden by default set at $default_filename:$default_line_no" );
                 }