diff --git a/lib/puppet/type/file/selcontext.rb b/lib/puppet/type/file/selcontext.rb
index 8571d9ad2e..dec27b6687 100644
--- a/lib/puppet/type/file/selcontext.rb
+++ b/lib/puppet/type/file/selcontext.rb
@@ -40,11 +40,6 @@ def retrieve
     end
 
     def retrieve_default_context(property)
-      return nil if Puppet::Util::Platform.windows?
-      if @resource[:selinux_ignore_defaults] == :true
-        return nil
-      end
-
       context = get_selinux_default_context_with_handle(@resource[:path], provider.class.selinux_handle, @resource[:ensure])
       unless context
         return nil
@@ -63,10 +58,17 @@ def insync?(value)
         debug("SELinux not available for this filesystem. Ignoring parameter.")
         true
       else
+        @should = @should.collect { |v| v == :lookup ? retrieve_default_context(name) : v }
         super
       end
     end
 
+    def validate(value)
+      unless value.is_a?(String) || value == :lookup
+        raise Puppet::Error, "The property #{name} must be either a string or :lookup"
+      end
+    end
+
     def unsafe_munge(should)
       unless selinux_support?
         return should
@@ -104,7 +106,7 @@ def sync
       enabled."
 
     @event = :file_changed
-    defaultto { retrieve_default_context(:seluser) }
+    defaultto { Puppet::Util::Platform.windows? || @resource[:selinux_ignore_defaults] == :true ? nil : :lookup }
   end
 
   Puppet::Type.type(:file).newproperty(:selrole, :parent => Puppet::SELFileContext) do
@@ -115,7 +117,7 @@ def sync
       enabled."
 
     @event = :file_changed
-    defaultto { retrieve_default_context(:selrole) }
+    defaultto { Puppet::Util::Platform.windows? || @resource[:selinux_ignore_defaults] == :true ? nil : :lookup }
   end
 
   Puppet::Type.type(:file).newproperty(:seltype, :parent => Puppet::SELFileContext) do
@@ -126,7 +128,7 @@ def sync
       enabled."
 
     @event = :file_changed
-    defaultto { retrieve_default_context(:seltype) }
+    defaultto { Puppet::Util::Platform.windows? || @resource[:selinux_ignore_defaults] == :true ? nil : :lookup }
   end
 
   Puppet::Type.type(:file).newproperty(:selrange, :parent => Puppet::SELFileContext) do
@@ -138,6 +140,6 @@ def sync
       Security)."
 
     @event = :file_changed
-    defaultto { retrieve_default_context(:selrange) }
+    defaultto { Puppet::Util::Platform.windows? || @resource[:selinux_ignore_defaults] == :true ? nil : :lookup }
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/puppet/util/selinux.rb b/lib/puppet/util/selinux.rb
index a73597ea65..303a81f962 100644
--- a/lib/puppet/util/selinux.rb
+++ b/lib/puppet/util/selinux.rb
@@ -188,6 +188,10 @@ def selinux_category_to_label(category)
     # We don't cache this, but there's already a ton of duplicate work
     # in the selinux handling code.
 
+    if category == :lookup
+      return category
+    end
+
     path = Selinux.selinux_translations_path
     begin
       File.open(path).each do |line|
diff --git a/spec/unit/type/file/selinux_spec.rb b/spec/unit/type/file/selinux_spec.rb
index 11a4878f6f..96a2e26218 100644
--- a/spec/unit/type/file/selinux_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/type/file/selinux_spec.rb
@@ -49,34 +49,39 @@
       expect(@sel.retrieve).to eq(expectedresult)
     end
 
-    it "should handle no default gracefully" do
-      skip if Puppet::Util::Platform.windows?
-      expect(@sel).to receive(:get_selinux_default_context_with_handle).with(@path, nil, :file).and_return(nil)
+    it "has a default value of :lookup by default" do
+      expect(@sel.default).to eq(:lookup)
+    end
+
+    it "has a default value of nil on Windows", if: Puppet::Util::Platform.windows? do
       expect(@sel.default).to be_nil
     end
 
-    it "should be able to detect default context on platforms other than Windows", unless: Puppet::Util::Platform.windows? do
-      allow(@sel).to receive(:debug)
+    it "has a default value of nil if selinux_ignore_defaults is true" do
+      @resource[:selinux_ignore_defaults] = :true
+      expect(@sel.default).to be_nil
+    end
+
+    it "looks up the default context when checking sync status", unless: Puppet::Util::Platform.windows? do
+      allow(@sel).to receive(:selinux_support?).and_return(true)
+      allow(@sel).to receive(:selinux_label_support?).with(@path).and_return(true)
+
+      if param == :selrange
+        expect(@sel).to receive(:selinux_category_to_label).with(:lookup).and_return(:lookup)
+      end
+      @sel.should = [:lookup]
+
       hnd = double("SWIG::TYPE_p_selabel_handle")
       allow(@sel.provider.class).to receive(:selinux_handle).and_return(hnd)
       expect(@sel).to receive(:get_selinux_default_context_with_handle).with(@path, hnd, :file).and_return("user_u:role_r:type_t:s0")
-      expectedresult = case param
+
+      currentval = case param
         when :seluser; "user_u"
         when :selrole; "role_r"
         when :seltype; "type_t"
         when :selrange; "s0"
       end
-      expect(@sel.default).to eq(expectedresult)
-    end
-
-    it "returns nil default context on Windows", if: Puppet::Util::Platform.windows? do
-      expect(@sel).to receive(:retrieve_default_context)
-      expect(@sel.default).to be_nil
-    end
-
-    it "should return nil for defaults if selinux_ignore_defaults is true" do
-      @resource[:selinux_ignore_defaults] = :true
-      expect(@sel.default).to be_nil
+      expect(@sel.insync?(currentval)).to be(true)
     end
 
     it "should be able to set a new context" do