diff --git a/src/main/java/it/geosolutions/geoserver/rest/GeoServerRESTPublisher.java b/src/main/java/it/geosolutions/geoserver/rest/GeoServerRESTPublisher.java
index 0a88c6e..fe1d8e7 100644
--- a/src/main/java/it/geosolutions/geoserver/rest/GeoServerRESTPublisher.java
+++ b/src/main/java/it/geosolutions/geoserver/rest/GeoServerRESTPublisher.java
@@ -730,7 +730,7 @@ public class GeoServerRESTPublisher {
      * Allows to configure some layer attributes such as WmsPath and DefaultStyle
      *
      */
-    protected boolean configureLayer(final GSLayerEncoder layer, final String layerName) {
+    public boolean configureLayer(final GSLayerEncoder layer, final String layerName) {
 
         if (layer.isEmpty()) {
             return true;
diff --git a/src/test/java/it/geosolutions/geoserver/rest/GeoserverRESTPublisherTest.java b/src/test/java/it/geosolutions/geoserver/rest/GeoserverRESTPublisherTest.java
index e83d082..c712f1e 100644
--- a/src/test/java/it/geosolutions/geoserver/rest/GeoserverRESTPublisherTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/it/geosolutions/geoserver/rest/GeoserverRESTPublisherTest.java
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ package it.geosolutions.geoserver.rest;
 
 import it.geosolutions.geoserver.rest.decoder.RESTLayer;
 import it.geosolutions.geoserver.rest.decoder.RESTCoverageStore;
+import it.geosolutions.geoserver.rest.decoder.utils.JDOMBuilder;
+import it.geosolutions.geoserver.rest.encoder.GSLayerEncoder;
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.FileInputStream;
 import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
@@ -34,6 +36,8 @@ import java.io.IOException;
 
 import org.apache.commons.io.IOUtils;
 import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
+import org.jdom.Element;
+import org.jdom.Namespace;
 import org.springframework.core.io.ClassPathResource;
 
 /**
@@ -84,7 +88,21 @@ public class GeoserverRESTPublisherTest extends GeoserverRESTTest {
 
         String sld = reader.getSLD(styleName);
         assertNotNull(sld);
-        assertEquals(1475, sld.length());
+
+        Element styleEl = JDOMBuilder.buildElement(sld);
+        assertNotNull(styleEl);
+
+        Namespace SLDNS = Namespace.getNamespace("sld", "http://www.opengis.net/sld");
+
+        try{
+
+            assertEquals(styleName, styleEl.getChild("NamedLayer", SLDNS).getChild("Name",SLDNS).getText());
+            assertEquals("STYLE FOR TESTING PURPOSES", styleEl.getChild("NamedLayer", SLDNS).getChild("UserStyle", SLDNS).getChild("Title", SLDNS).getText());
+        } catch(NullPointerException npe) {
+            fail("Error in SLD");
+        }
+
+//        assertEquals(1475, sld.length());
 
         assertEquals(1, reader.getStyles().size());
     }
@@ -320,6 +338,70 @@ public class GeoserverRESTPublisherTest extends GeoserverRESTTest {
         assertFalse("removed not existing datastore", ok);
     }
 
+
+    public void testUpdateDefaultStyle() throws FileNotFoundException, IOException {
+        if (!enabled()) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        String ns = "it.geosolutions";
+        String storeName = "resttestshp";
+        String layerName = "cities";
+
+
+        final String styleName = "restteststyle";
+        {
+            File sldFile = new ClassPathResource("testdata/restteststyle.sld").getFile();
+            cleanupTestStyle(styleName);
+            boolean sldpublished = publisher.publishStyle(sldFile); // Will take the name from sld contents
+            assertTrue("style publish() failed", sldpublished);
+            assertTrue(reader.existsStyle(styleName));
+        }
+
+        final String styleName2 = "restteststyle2";
+        {
+            File sldFile = new ClassPathResource("testdata/restteststyle2.sld").getFile();
+            cleanupTestStyle(styleName2);
+            boolean sldpublished = publisher.publishStyle(sldFile); // Will take the name from sld contents
+            assertTrue("style publish() failed", sldpublished);
+            assertTrue(reader.existsStyle(styleName2));
+        }
+
+
+        File zipFile = new ClassPathResource("testdata/resttestshp.zip").getFile();
+
+        // known state?
+        cleanupTestFT(layerName, ns, storeName);
+
+        // test insert
+        boolean published = publisher.publishShp(ns, storeName, layerName, zipFile, "EPSG:4326", styleName);
+        assertTrue("publish() failed", published);
+        assertTrue(existsLayer(layerName));
+
+        {
+            RESTLayer layer = reader.getLayer(layerName);
+            LOGGER.info("Layer style is " + layer.getDefaultStyle());
+            assertEquals(styleName, layer.getDefaultStyle());
+        }
+
+        GSLayerEncoder le = new GSLayerEncoder();
+        le.addDefaultStyle(styleName2);
+        publisher.configureLayer(le, layerName);
+
+        {
+            RESTLayer layer = reader.getLayer(layerName);
+            LOGGER.info("Layer style is " + layer.getDefaultStyle());
+            assertEquals(styleName2, layer.getDefaultStyle());
+        }
+
+
+        // remove layer and datastore
+        boolean ok = publisher.unpublishFeatureType(ns, storeName, layerName);
+        assertFalse(existsLayer(layerName));
+        boolean dsRemoved = publisher.removeDatastore(ns, storeName);
+        assertTrue("removeDatastore() failed", dsRemoved);
+    }
+
 //	public void testDeleteUnexistingFT() throws FileNotFoundException, IOException {
 //		String wsName = "this_ws_does_not_exist";
 //		String storeName = "this_store_does_not_exist";
diff --git a/src/test/resources/testdata/restteststyle2.sld b/src/test/resources/testdata/restteststyle2.sld
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b06c44e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/resources/testdata/restteststyle2.sld
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<sld:StyledLayerDescriptor xmlns="http://www.opengis.net/sld" xmlns:sld="http://www.opengis.net/sld" xmlns:ogc="http://www.opengis.net/ogc" xmlns:gml="http://www.opengis.net/gml" version="1.0.0">
+  <sld:NamedLayer>
+    <sld:Name>country</sld:Name>
+    <sld:UserStyle>
+      <sld:Name>restteststyle2</sld:Name>
+      <sld:Title>STYLE2 FOR TESTING PURPOSES</sld:Title>
+      <sld:Abstract>A sample style that just draws out a solid gray interior with a black 1px outline</sld:Abstract>
+      <sld:FeatureTypeStyle>
+        <sld:Name>name2</sld:Name>
+        <sld:FeatureTypeName>Feature</sld:FeatureTypeName>
+        <sld:SemanticTypeIdentifier>SemanticType[ANY]</sld:SemanticTypeIdentifier>
+        <sld:Rule>
+          <sld:Title>Polygon</sld:Title>
+          <sld:PolygonSymbolizer>
+            <sld:Fill>
+              <sld:CssParameter name="fill">
+                <ogc:Literal>#C8B679</ogc:Literal>
+              </sld:CssParameter>
+              <sld:CssParameter name="fill-opacity">
+                <ogc:Literal>1.0</ogc:Literal>
+              </sld:CssParameter>
+            </sld:Fill>
+            <sld:Stroke>
+              <sld:CssParameter name="stroke">
+                <ogc:Literal>#000000</ogc:Literal>
+              </sld:CssParameter>
+            </sld:Stroke>
+          </sld:PolygonSymbolizer>
+        </sld:Rule>
+      </sld:FeatureTypeStyle>
+    </sld:UserStyle>
+  </sld:NamedLayer>
+</sld:StyledLayerDescriptor>
+