diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Models/Member.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Models/Member.cs
index 99bf3827fe..4af0c79c13 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Models/Member.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Models/Member.cs
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Models
             : base(name, -1, contentType, new PropertyCollection())
         {
             _contentType = contentType;
+            IsApproved = true;
         }
 
         //TODO: Should we just get rid of this one? no reason to have a level set.
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Models
             _email = email;
             _username = username;
             _password = password;
+            IsApproved = true;
         }
 
         public Member(string name, string email, string username, string password, IMemberType contentType)
@@ -54,6 +56,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Models
             _email = email;
             _username = username;
             _password = password;
+            IsApproved = true;
         }
 
         //public Member(string name, string email, string username, string password, IContentBase parent, IMemberType contentType)
@@ -230,7 +233,9 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Models
         {
             get
             {
-                var a = WarnIfPropertyTypeNotFoundOnGet(Constants.Conventions.Member.IsApproved, "IsApproved", true);
+                var a = WarnIfPropertyTypeNotFoundOnGet(Constants.Conventions.Member.IsApproved, "IsApproved", 
+                    //This is the default value if the prop is not found
+                    true);
                 if (a.Success == false) return a.Result;
 
                 var tryConvert = Properties[Constants.Conventions.Member.IsApproved].Value.TryConvertTo<bool>();
@@ -238,7 +243,8 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Models
                 {
                     return tryConvert.Result;
                 }
-                return default(bool);
+                //if the property exists but it cannot be converted, we will assume true
+                return true;
             }
             set
             {
@@ -270,7 +276,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Models
                 {
                     return tryConvert.Result;
                 }
-                return default(bool);
+                return false;
             }
             set
             {
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Tests/Services/MemberServiceTests.cs b/src/Umbraco.Tests/Services/MemberServiceTests.cs
index 527a7b9801..1e9f75b80f 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Tests/Services/MemberServiceTests.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Tests/Services/MemberServiceTests.cs
@@ -961,5 +961,19 @@ namespace Umbraco.Tests.Services
             Assert.IsNull(colResult.First().VarChar);
         }
 
+        [Test]
+        public void New_Member_Approved_By_Default()
+        {
+            IMemberType memberType = MockedContentTypes.CreateSimpleMemberType();
+            ServiceContext.MemberTypeService.Save(memberType);
+
+            var customMember = MockedMember.CreateSimpleMember(memberType, "hello", "hello@test.com", "hello", "hello");
+            ServiceContext.MemberService.Save(customMember);
+
+            var found = ServiceContext.MemberService.GetById(customMember.Id);
+
+            Assert.IsTrue(found.IsApproved);
+        }
+
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/umbraco.cms/businesslogic/member/Member.cs b/src/umbraco.cms/businesslogic/member/Member.cs
index 923eb8ff10..fd34dcd123 100644
--- a/src/umbraco.cms/businesslogic/member/Member.cs
+++ b/src/umbraco.cms/businesslogic/member/Member.cs
@@ -228,9 +228,8 @@ namespace umbraco.cms.businesslogic.member
             var model = ApplicationContext.Current.Services.MemberService.CreateMemberWithIdentity(
                 loginName, Email.ToLower(), "", mbt.MemberTypeItem);
             model.Name = Name;
-            model.IsApproved = true;
 
-            //The content object will only have the 'WasCancelled' flag set to 'True' if the 'Creating' event has been cancelled, so we return null.
+            //The content object will only have the 'WasCancelled' flag set to 'True' if the 'Saving' event has been cancelled, so we return null.
             if (((Entity)model).WasCancelled)
                 return null;