diff --git a/tag-dropdown-widget.php b/tag-dropdown-widget.php
index a287a0781737641d06c6d7e4cc9c67fdfe928f3d..f25d292f1c6eb29f423e701453a53b28092a3e2b 100644
--- a/tag-dropdown-widget.php
+++ b/tag-dropdown-widget.php
@@ -76,6 +76,18 @@ class taxonomy_dropdown_widget_plugin {
 		register_deactivation_hook( __FILE__, array( $this, 'deactivation_hook' ) );
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Allow access to certain variables that were previously public
+	 *
+	 * @return mixed
+	 */
+	public function __get( $var ) {
+		if ( 'option_defaults' == $var )
+			return $this->option_defaults;
+
+		return false;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Run plugin cleanup on activation
 	 * @uses this::cleanup