diff --git a/traitlets/tests/test_traitlets.py b/traitlets/tests/test_traitlets.py
index 2d9665ba..976df4a0 100644
--- a/traitlets/tests/test_traitlets.py
+++ b/traitlets/tests/test_traitlets.py
@@ -2319,6 +2319,125 @@ class C(HasTraits):
     assert C.d.default_value_repr() == '{}'
 
 
+class Bounded(HasTraits):
+    """From ipywidgets which was broken by cross-validation of defaults"""
+    max = Integer(10)
+    min = Integer(0)
+    value = Integer(5)
+
+    @validate('value')
+    def _validate_value(self, proposal):
+        """Cap and floor value"""
+        value = proposal.value
+        if self.min > value or self.max < value:
+            value = min(max(value, self.min), self.max)
+        return value
+
+    @validate('min')
+    def _validate_min(self, proposal):
+        """Enforce min <= value <= max"""
+        min = proposal.value
+        if min > self.max:
+            raise TraitError('setting min > max')
+        if min > self.value:
+            self.value = min
+        return min
+
+    @validate('max')
+    def _validate_max(self, proposal):
+        """Enforce min <= value <= max"""
+        max = proposal.value
+        if max < self.min:
+            raise TraitError('setting max < min')
+        if max < self.value:
+            self.value = max
+        return max
+
+
+def test_cross_validate_cycles():
+    obj = Bounded()
+    assert obj.min == 0
+    assert obj.max == 10
+    assert obj.value == 5
+
+    obj = Bounded(value=25, max=50)
+    assert obj.max == 50
+    assert obj.value == 25
+
+    obj = Bounded(max=2)
+    assert obj.max == 2
+    assert obj.value == 2
+
+    obj = Bounded(min=7)
+    assert obj.min == 7
+    assert obj.value == 7
+
+    obj = Bounded(min=7, value=8)
+    assert obj.min == 7
+    assert obj.value == 8
+
+    obj = Bounded(value=8, max=4)
+    assert obj.value == 4
+    assert obj.max == 4
+
+    obj = Bounded(value=-5, max=-1, min=-10)
+    assert obj.value == -5
+    assert obj.max == -1
+
+
+def test_cross_validate_defaults():
+    class A(HasTraits):
+        x = Any(())
+        y = Any(5)
+
+        @validate('x')
+        def f(self, proposal):
+            return (1, self.y)
+
+    assert A().x == (1, 5)
+    assert A(y=2).x == (1, 2)
+
+def test_cross_validate_default_cycles():
+    a_called_with = []
+    b_called_with = []
+    class A(HasTraits):
+        a = Integer(0)
+        @validate('a')
+        def _validate_a(self, proposal):
+            a = proposal.value
+            a_called_with.append((a, self.b))
+            return 2
+
+        b = Integer(0)
+        @validate('b')
+        def _validate_b(self, proposal):
+            b = proposal.value
+            b_called_with.append((b, self.a))
+            return 3
+
+    a = A()
+    assert (a.a, a.b) == (2, 3)
+    assert a_called_with == [(0, 3)]
+    assert b_called_with == [(0, 0)]
+
+    a_called_with[:] = []
+    b_called_with[:] = []
+
+    a = A()
+    assert (a.b, a.a) == (3, 2)
+    assert a_called_with == [(0, 0)]
+    assert b_called_with == [(0, 2)]
+
+    a_called_with[:] = []
+    b_called_with[:] = []
+
+    # passing in constructor prevents validator from being called with defaults
+    a = A(a=2, b=3)
+    assert (a.b, a.a) == (3, 2)
+    assert a_called_with == [(2, 3)]
+    assert b_called_with == [(3, 2)]
+
+
 class TransitionalClass(HasTraits):
 
     d = Any()
@@ -2481,6 +2600,7 @@ class SuperHasTraits(HasTraits, SuperRecorder):
     assert obj.super_args == ('a1' ,  'a2')
     assert obj.super_kwargs == {'b': 10 , 'c': 'x'}
 
+
 def test_super_bad_args():
     class SuperHasTraits(HasTraits):
         a = Integer()
diff --git a/traitlets/traitlets.py b/traitlets/traitlets.py
index df06228b..e5362922 100644
--- a/traitlets/traitlets.py
+++ b/traitlets/traitlets.py
@@ -519,8 +519,18 @@ def get(self, obj, cls=None):
                 raise TraitError("No default value found for "
                     "the '%s' trait named '%s' of %r" % (
                     type(self).__name__, self.name, obj))
-            value = self._validate(obj, default)
+            # store initial value without running through cross-validation
+            # to avoid infinite recursion on cyclical validators
+            with obj.cross_validation_lock:
+                value = self._validate(obj, default)
             obj._trait_values[self.name] = value
+            # can run cross-validation now, after storing initial value
+            # this runs internal trait validation twice,
+            # but better to avoid diverging from _validate
+            if not obj._cross_validation_lock:
+                value = self._validate(obj, default)
+                obj._trait_values[self.name] = value
+
             obj.notify_change(Bunch(
                 name=self.name,
                 value=value,
@@ -582,7 +592,7 @@ def _validate(self, obj, value):
             return value
         if hasattr(self, 'validate'):
             value = self.validate(obj, value)
-        if obj._cross_validation_lock is False:
+        if not obj._cross_validation_lock:
             value = self._cross_validate(obj, value)
         return value