diff --git a/lib/params.js b/lib/params.js
index 473576d..f85d4ed 100644
--- a/lib/params.js
+++ b/lib/params.js
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ var BuiltinTypes = new Types();
 var Params = {
 
     normalize: function(params, types, source) {
+        if( ! params ) return {};
+
         types = types || BuiltinTypes;
 
         for (var name in params) {
diff --git a/lib/route.js b/lib/route.js
index 3df8109..15c858b 100644
--- a/lib/route.js
+++ b/lib/route.js
@@ -5,6 +5,20 @@ var Params = require("./params");
 var flatten = require("./utils").flatten;
 var error = require("http-error");
 
+function prepareParams( options, types, parent ){
+    var params = Params.normalize(options.params, types );
+    
+    if ( parent ){
+        for ( var key in parent.params ){
+            if ( params[key] ) continue;
+            params[key] = parent.params[key];
+        }
+    }
+
+    return params;
+}
+
+
 module.exports = function Route(route, options, handler, types, parent ) {
 
     // options is optional
@@ -14,7 +28,6 @@ module.exports = function Route(route, options, handler, types, parent ) {
         options = {};
     }
     
-    parent = parent || {};
 
     options.route = route;
     
@@ -33,16 +46,8 @@ module.exports = function Route(route, options, handler, types, parent ) {
 
     var self = this;
     var keys = [];
-    var params = options.params || {};
-
-    params = Params.normalize(params, types );
-
-    for ( var key in parent.params ){
-        if ( params[key] ) continue;
-        params[key] = parent.params[key];
-    }
-
-
+    
+    var params = prepareParams( options, types, parent );
     var routeRe = normalizePath(options.route, keys, params);
 
     function wrapHandler(handler) {