diff --git a/lib/jrubyfx/fxml_controller.rb b/lib/jrubyfx/fxml_controller.rb
index <HASH>..<HASH> 100644
--- a/lib/jrubyfx/fxml_controller.rb
+++ b/lib/jrubyfx/fxml_controller.rb
@@ -24,6 +24,15 @@ class JRubyFX::Controller
   java_import 'java.net.URL'
   java_import 'javafx.fxml.FXMLLoader'
 
+  @@default_settings = {
+    width: -1,
+    height: -1,
+    fill: Color::WHITE,
+    depth_buffer: false,
+    relative_to: nil,
+    initialized: nil,
+  }
+
   # Controllers usually need access to the stage.
   attr_accessor :stage, :scene
 
@@ -51,14 +60,7 @@ class JRubyFX::Controller
 
   def self.new filename, stage, settings={}
     # Inherit from default settings
-    settings = {
-      width: -1,
-      height: -1,
-      fill: Color::WHITE,
-      depth_buffer: false,
-      relative_to: nil,
-      initialized: nil,
-    }.merge settings
+    settings = @@default_settings.merge settings
 
     # Magic self-java-ifying new call. (Creates a Java instance from our ruby)
     self.become_java!
move new's default settings to a class variable