diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/lang3/StringUtils.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/lang3/StringUtils.java
index 8973b86f0..c68c3a420 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/lang3/StringUtils.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/lang3/StringUtils.java
@@ -5353,7 +5353,7 @@ public class StringUtils {
     }
 
     /**
-     * <p>Returns either the passed in String, or if the String is
+     * <p>Returns either the passed in CharSequence, or if the CharSequence is
      * empty or <code>null</code>, the value of <code>defaultStr</code>.</p>
      *
      * <pre>
@@ -5364,12 +5364,12 @@ public class StringUtils {
      * </pre>
      *
      * @see StringUtils#defaultString(String, String)
-     * @param str  the String to check, may be null
-     * @param defaultStr  the default String to return
+     * @param str  the CharSequence to check, may be null
+     * @param defaultStr  the default CharSequence to return
      *  if the input is empty ("") or <code>null</code>, may be null
-     * @return the passed in String, or the default
+     * @return the passed in CharSequence, or the default
      */
-    public static String defaultIfEmpty(String str, String defaultStr) {
+    public static CharSequence defaultIfEmpty(CharSequence str, CharSequence defaultStr) {
         return StringUtils.isEmpty(str) ? defaultStr : str;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/lang3/StringUtilsTest.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/lang3/StringUtilsTest.java
index e954a1e5b..b8e03a967 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/lang3/StringUtilsTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/lang3/StringUtilsTest.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package org.apache.commons.lang3;
 
 import java.lang.reflect.Constructor;
 import java.lang.reflect.Modifier;
+import java.nio.CharBuffer;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.Iterator;
@@ -1404,6 +1405,24 @@ public class StringUtilsTest extends TestCase {
         assertNull(StringUtils.defaultIfEmpty("", null));
     }
 
+    public void testDefaultIfEmpty_StringBuilders() {
+        assertEquals("NULL", StringUtils.defaultIfEmpty(new StringBuilder(""), new StringBuilder("NULL")).toString());
+        assertEquals("abc", StringUtils.defaultIfEmpty(new StringBuilder("abc"), new StringBuilder("NULL")).toString());
+        assertNull(StringUtils.defaultIfEmpty(new StringBuilder(""), null));
+    }
+
+    public void testDefaultIfEmpty_StringBuffers() {
+        assertEquals("NULL", StringUtils.defaultIfEmpty(new StringBuffer(""), new StringBuffer("NULL")).toString());
+        assertEquals("abc", StringUtils.defaultIfEmpty(new StringBuffer("abc"), new StringBuffer("NULL")).toString());
+        assertNull(StringUtils.defaultIfEmpty(new StringBuffer(""), null));
+    }
+
+    public void testDefaultIfEmpty_CharBuffers() {
+        assertEquals("NULL", StringUtils.defaultIfEmpty(CharBuffer.wrap(""), CharBuffer.wrap("NULL")).toString());
+        assertEquals("abc", StringUtils.defaultIfEmpty(CharBuffer.wrap("abc"), CharBuffer.wrap("NULL")).toString());
+        assertNull(StringUtils.defaultIfEmpty(CharBuffer.wrap(""), null));
+    }
+
     //-----------------------------------------------------------------------
     public void testAbbreviate_StringInt() {
         assertEquals(null, StringUtils.abbreviate(null, 10));