diff --git a/lib/buffer.js b/lib/buffer.js
index d605829d73..098406bc46 100644
--- a/lib/buffer.js
+++ b/lib/buffer.js
@@ -573,8 +573,8 @@ Buffer.prototype.copy = function(target, target_start, start, end) {
     end = target.length - target_start + start;
   }
 
-  return this.parent.copy(target.parent,
-                          target_start + target.offset,
+  return this.parent.copy(target.parent || target,
+                          target_start + (target.offset || 0),
                           start + this.offset,
                           end + this.offset);
 };
diff --git a/src/node_buffer.cc b/src/node_buffer.cc
index 70c9c80876..d808dbf978 100644
--- a/src/node_buffer.cc
+++ b/src/node_buffer.cc
@@ -402,10 +402,10 @@ Handle<Value> Buffer::Copy(const Arguments &args) {
   Local<Object> target = args[0]->ToObject();
   char* target_data = Buffer::Data(target);
   size_t target_length = Buffer::Length(target);
-  size_t target_start = args[1]->Uint32Value();
-  size_t source_start = args[2]->Uint32Value();
-  size_t source_end = args[3]->IsUint32() ? args[3]->Uint32Value()
-                                          : source->length_;
+  size_t target_start = args[1]->IsUndefined() ? 0 : args[1]->Uint32Value();
+  size_t source_start = args[2]->IsUndefined() ? 0 : args[2]->Uint32Value();
+  size_t source_end = args[3]->IsUndefined() ? source->length_
+                                              : args[3]->Uint32Value();
 
   if (source_end < source_start) {
     return ThrowException(Exception::Error(String::New(
diff --git a/test/simple/test-buffer.js b/test/simple/test-buffer.js
index e221a53e0b..387973d936 100644
--- a/test/simple/test-buffer.js
+++ b/test/simple/test-buffer.js
@@ -85,6 +85,14 @@ for (var i = 0; i < c.length; i++) {
   assert.equal(i % 256, c[i]);
 }
 
+// copy from fast to slow buffer
+var sb = new SlowBuffer(b.length);
+var copied = b.copy(sb);
+console.log('copied %d bytes from b into sb');
+for (var i = 0; i < sb.length; i++) {
+  assert.strictEqual(sb[i], b[i]);
+}
+
 var caught_error = null;
 
 // try to copy from before the beginning of b