diff --git a/library/Zend/Form.php b/library/Zend/Form.php
index 7566c43d17..63df54f2c5 100644
--- a/library/Zend/Form.php
+++ b/library/Zend/Form.php
@@ -1268,11 +1268,16 @@ public function clearElements()
      *
      * Sets values for all elements specified in the array of $defaults.
      *
-     * @param  array $defaults
+     * @param  array|Traversable $defaults
+     * @throws Zend_Form_Exception When invalid type is passed
      * @return Zend_Form
      */
     public function setDefaults($defaults)
     {
+        if (!is_array($defaults) && !$defaults instanceof Traversable) {
+            throw new Zend_Form_Exception('Argument passed to setDefaults() must be of type array or Traversable.');
+        }
+
         $eBelongTo = null;
 
         if ($this->isArray()) {
diff --git a/tests/Zend/Form/FormTest.php b/tests/Zend/Form/FormTest.php
index 218cba848b..765c5df18b 100644
--- a/tests/Zend/Form/FormTest.php
+++ b/tests/Zend/Form/FormTest.php
@@ -4865,6 +4865,32 @@ public function testSetDefaultsAllowOverridingWithNonArrayParameter()
         //this would throw a strict warning if the setDefaults() method requires param to be array
         $form = new Zend_Form_FormTest_SetDefaults();
     }
+
+    public function testCanSetElementDefaultValuesFromTraversable()
+    {
+        $this->testCanAddAndRetrieveMultipleElements();
+        $values = array(
+            'foo' => 'foovalue',
+            'bar' => 'barvalue',
+            'baz' => 'bazvalue',
+            'bat' => 'batvalue',
+        );
+        $traversable = new ArrayIterator($values);
+        $this->form->setDefaults($traversable);
+        $elements = $this->form->getElements();
+        foreach (array_keys($values) as $name) {
+            $this->assertEquals($name . 'value', $elements[$name]->getValue());
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @expectedException Zend_Form_Exception
+     * @expectedExceptionMessage Argument passed to setDefaults() must be of type array or Traversable.
+     */
+    public function testSetDefaultsWithInvalidTypeThrowsException()
+    {
+        $this->form->setDefaults(new stdClass());
+    }
 }
 
 class Zend_Form_FormTest_SetDefaults extends Zend_Form