diff --git a/configurations/base.py b/configurations/base.py
index a09af41..14185fe 100644
--- a/configurations/base.py
+++ b/configurations/base.py
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ class ConfigurationBase(type):
         if parents:
             for base in bases[::-1]:
                 settings_vars.update(uppercase_attributes(base))
-        attrs = dict(settings_vars, **attrs)
 
         deprecated_settings = {
             # DEFAULT_HASHING_ALGORITHM is always deprecated, as it's a
@@ -51,11 +50,12 @@ class ConfigurationBase(type):
         # PASSWORD_RESET_TIMEOUT_DAYS is deprecated in favor of
         # PASSWORD_RESET_TIMEOUT in Django 3.1
         # https://github.com/django/django/commit/226ebb17290b604ef29e82fb5c1fbac3594ac163#diff-ec2bed07bb264cb95a80f08d71a47c06R163-R170
-        if "PASSWORD_RESET_TIMEOUT" in attrs:
+        if "PASSWORD_RESET_TIMEOUT" in settings_vars:
             deprecated_settings.add("PASSWORD_RESET_TIMEOUT_DAYS")
         for deprecated_setting in deprecated_settings:
-            if deprecated_setting in attrs:
-                del attrs[deprecated_setting]
+            if deprecated_setting in settings_vars:
+                del settings_vars[deprecated_setting]
+        attrs = {**settings_vars, **attrs}
 
         return super().__new__(cls, name, bases, attrs)
 
diff --git a/docs/changes.rst b/docs/changes.rst
index eb031e9..af49bc2 100644
--- a/docs/changes.rst
+++ b/docs/changes.rst
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ Changelog
 unreleased
 ^^^^^^^^^^
 
+- Fix regression where settings receiving a default were ignored. #323 #327
+
 v2.3.1 (2021-11-08)
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
diff --git a/tests/settings/main.py b/tests/settings/main.py
index 9ea2091..1161422 100644
--- a/tests/settings/main.py
+++ b/tests/settings/main.py
@@ -71,3 +71,7 @@ class Test(Configuration):
     @classmethod
     def post_setup(cls):
         cls.POST_SETUP_TEST_SETTING = 7
+
+
+class TestWithDefaultSetExplicitely(Test):
+    DEFAULT_AUTO_FIELD = 'django.db.models.BigAutoField'
diff --git a/tests/test_main.py b/tests/test_main.py
index 7f0a786..ff9ad54 100644
--- a/tests/test_main.py
+++ b/tests/test_main.py
@@ -55,6 +55,12 @@ class MainTests(TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(repr(Configuration),
                          "<Configuration 'configurations.base.Configuration'>")
 
+    def test_deprecated_settings_but_set_by_user(self):
+        from tests.settings.main import TestWithDefaultSetExplicitely
+        TestWithDefaultSetExplicitely.setup()
+        self.assertEqual(TestWithDefaultSetExplicitely.DEFAULT_AUTO_FIELD,
+                         "django.db.models.BigAutoField")
+
     def test_repr(self):
         from tests.settings.main import Test
         self.assertEqual(repr(Test),