diff --git a/index.ts b/index.ts
index 44dab49..5af0422 100644
--- a/index.ts
+++ b/index.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,20 @@ function isMethodCall(
   );
 }
 
+function isExportMethodCall(
+  el: ts.Declaration,
+  methodName: string,
+): el is ts.ExportAssignment {
+  return (
+    ts.isExportAssignment(el) &&
+    !!el.expression &&
+    ts.isCallExpression(el.expression) &&
+    !!el.expression.expression &&
+    ts.isIdentifier(el.expression.expression) &&
+    el.expression.expression.text === methodName
+  );
+}
+
 /**
  * Represents a react-intl message descriptor
  */
@@ -122,9 +136,9 @@ function extractMessagesForNode(
 
 function forAllVarDecls(
   node: ts.Node,
-  cb: (decl: ts.VariableDeclaration) => void,
+  cb: (decl: ts.VariableDeclaration | ts.ExportAssignment) => void,
 ) {
-  if (ts.isVariableDeclaration(node)) {
+  if (ts.isVariableDeclaration(node) || ts.isExportAssignment(node)) {
     cb(node);
   } else {
     ts.forEachChild(node, (n) => forAllVarDecls(n, cb));
@@ -168,6 +182,16 @@ function findMethodCallsWithName(
         const declMessages = extractMessagesForNode(nodeProps, extractMessages);
         messages = messages.concat(declMessages);
       }
+    } else if (isExportMethodCall(decl, methodName)) {
+      if (
+        decl.expression &&
+        ts.isCallExpression(decl.expression) &&
+        decl.expression.arguments.length
+      ) {
+        const nodeProps = decl.expression.arguments[0];
+        const declMessages = extractMessagesForNode(nodeProps, extractMessages);
+        messages = messages.concat(declMessages);
+      }
     }
   });
   return messages;
diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 1dc3c33..7f60e12 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -9,6 +9,14 @@ function isMethodCall(el, methodName) {
         ts.isIdentifier(el.initializer.expression) &&
         el.initializer.expression.text === methodName);
 }
+function isExportMethodCall(el, methodName) {
+    return (ts.isExportAssignment(el) &&
+        !!el.expression &&
+        ts.isCallExpression(el.expression) &&
+        !!el.expression.expression &&
+        ts.isIdentifier(el.expression.expression) &&
+        el.expression.expression.text === methodName);
+}
 // sets `target[key] = value`, but only if it is a legal Message key
 function copyIfMessageKey(target, key, value) {
     switch (key) {
@@ -76,7 +84,7 @@ function extractMessagesForNode(node, extractMessages) {
     return res;
 }
 function forAllVarDecls(node, cb) {
-    if (ts.isVariableDeclaration(node)) {
+    if (ts.isVariableDeclaration(node) || ts.isExportAssignment(node)) {
         cb(node);
     }
     else {
@@ -111,6 +119,15 @@ function findMethodCallsWithName(sourceFile, methodName, extractMessages) {
                 messages = messages.concat(declMessages);
             }
         }
+        else if (isExportMethodCall(decl, methodName)) {
+            if (decl.expression &&
+                ts.isCallExpression(decl.expression) &&
+                decl.expression.arguments.length) {
+                var nodeProps = decl.expression.arguments[0];
+                var declMessages = extractMessagesForNode(nodeProps, extractMessages);
+                messages = messages.concat(declMessages);
+            }
+        }
     });
     return messages;
 }
diff --git a/test/app/defineMessagesExportDefault.ts b/test/app/defineMessagesExportDefault.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..306c184
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/app/defineMessagesExportDefault.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+import { defineMessages } from 'react-intl'
+
+// NB not a variable declaration; should be ignored
+
+export default defineMessages({
+    intro: {
+        id: 'intro.hello',
+        defaultMessage: "Hello world"
+    },
+    "title": {
+        "id": 'app.title',
+        "defaultMessage": "Hello",
+        "description": "A description for title"
+    },
+    multiLineLiteral: {
+        id: 'hello.world',
+        defaultMessage: `Hello, {scope, plural,
+        =person {human}
+        =planet {world}
+        other {thing}
+      }!`
+    }
+});
diff --git a/test/index.js b/test/index.js
index 6bbee4f..112939c 100644
--- a/test/index.js
+++ b/test/index.js
@@ -70,6 +70,32 @@ test("defineMessages() should only work with variable declaration", (t) => {
   t.deepEqual(res, expected);
 });
 
+test("defineMessages() should with export default", (t) => {
+  var content = fs.readFileSync(__dirname + "/app/defineMessagesExportDefault.ts");
+
+  var res = p(content.toString());
+
+  var expected = [
+    {
+      id: "intro.hello",
+      defaultMessage: "Hello world",
+    },
+    {
+      id: "app.title",
+      defaultMessage: "Hello",
+      description: "A description for title",
+    },
+    {
+      id: "hello.world",
+      defaultMessage: "Hello, {scope, plural,\n        =person {human}\n        =planet {world}\n        other {thing}\n      }!",
+    }
+  ];
+
+  t.is(res.length, 3);
+
+  t.deepEqual(res, expected);
+});
+
 test("<FormattedMessage/> should work with StatelessComponent", (t) => {
   var content = fs.readFileSync(__dirname + "/app/statelessComponent.tsx");