diff --git a/thinc/config.py b/thinc/config.py
index <HASH>..<HASH> 100644
--- a/thinc/config.py
+++ b/thinc/config.py
@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@ class registry(object):
             # Handle spread arguments and use their annotation as Sequence[whatever]
             if param.kind == param.VAR_POSITIONAL:
                 spread_annot = Sequence[annotation]  # type: ignore
-                sig_args[ARGS_FIELD_ALIAS] = (spread_annot, default)
+                sig_args[ARGS_FIELD_ALIAS] = (spread_annot, param.default)
             else:
                 sig_args[param.name] = (annotation, default)
         sig_args["__config__"] = _PromiseSchemaConfig
Don't make positional __args__ required if present

Functions can totally define variable *args and not have any passed in